Chris Byrne

Chris is a 30-plus-year veteran of the toy industry, and is considered one of the leading experts on the business in the U.S. He is a toy history who is often sourced for information on current toys, past toys, and toys and play in the context of child development and the culture at large. In addition to his consultancy, Byrne Communications, Inc., he is a partner in aNb Media and content director for TTPM (TTPM.com). During his career, he has held a variety of positions with toy companies covering marketing, media, operations, product development and creative. In addition, Chris is widely quoted in the media and appears regularly on local and national television commenting on toys and demonstrating new products. His media appearances reached more than 120 million consumers in 2017 in just a three-month period (October through December). He has appeared on Live! With Kelly & Ryan (and versions of the show back to 1994), Oprah, Soap Talk, The Maries Osmond Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The CBS Evening News, ABC Nightly News, FOX News, CBS This Morning, Good Day New York, CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, The Motley Fool, National Public Radio, Bloomberg Television and Bloomberg Radio, and on countless other national and local market business and consumer programs around the country and internationally. Chris is also widely published on the topic of toys and family life and in addition to his work with Time to Play he is editor-at-large for the trade publications Toys & Family Entertainment and Royalties. His book, "Toy Time," a lighthearted history at some of the most popular toys from the 1950s-1980s, was published by the Random House in 2013. The second edition of "Serious Fun: An Introduction to the U.S. Toy Industry" was published by Business Experts Press in 2017, and he published "Funny Business," a study on how the concepts of play can foster innovation in business, was published by Career Press in 2015. He published the history of the Toy Industry Association, "They Came to Play" in 2017. In 1988, Chris formed New York-based Byrne Communications and is a researcher, analyst, producer and consultant who has worked with a variety of Fortune 100 companies tracking kid trends, product development and strategic marketing campaigns. He has intimate knowledge of all major toy companies, entertainment properties and products, as well as products and retail for these sectors. He is regularly sourced by the investment community for insights into all aspects of the toy and children's products industries. He speaks at trade shows and for corporate events on the effective integration of play into creative management. Byrne Communications has also scripted and produced award-winning videos, interviews and programming, and Chris consults on program development and video content. He specializes in kid- and family-focused entertainment and content. Byrne Communications has consulted to a wide variety of toy and entertainment companies, as well as consumer package goods companies, financial services and food and beverage companies. Projects have included crafting and implementing research studies, marketing plans, product development strategies and more helping them to effectively understand markets and consumer behavior. He has in-depth knowledge of the manufacturing and retailing sectors in the toys and children's industries, as well. In addition, Byrne Communications has helped in the development of successful product lines-hard goods and soft goods, promotional items, etc.-for new and established IP. Byrne Communications has also developed and produced strategic marketing programs in the financial, food, consumer packaged goods and beverage industries. In the world of theater, Chris is a critic, and writer and a member of the Drama Desk.