Ahead of the Toy & Game International Excellence (TAGIE) Awards in November, show organizers People of Play have chosen Dan Romanelli and Mary Danby as this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipients. 

Romanelli (pictured left) is best known as the founder and former president of Warner Bros. Consumer Products (1983 to 2006), where he spearheaded countless licensing campaigns for Looney Tunes, Space Jam, Batman, Scooby-Doo and Harry Potter. In total, he helped generate more than US$100 billion in global retail sales during his 23-year tenure at the company. 

Danby (pictured right) is being honored for her prolific career inventing puzzles, toys and board games, including 1987’s The Mysteries of Old Peking, which Parker Brothers later repurposed as Clue Mysteries (2005). 

People of Play has also announced that it will honor Super Impulse USA co-founder and president Alan Dorfman as this year’s Industry Game Changer. In addition to his involvement with the creation of the World’s Smallest action figure line, Dorfman also founded Florida-based toyco Basic Fun! in 1991 and served as its president until 2011. 

The 17th annual TAGIE ceremonies will take place in Chicago on November 8, featuring a wide range of awards including Toy Innovator of the Year, Most Innovative PR and Marketing Team and Most Innovative License of the Year.