Earnshaw's

The Children's Great Event Shoe Show is moving venues. The show will take place Sept. 13 to 15  at The Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel & Conference Center in East Rutherford, N.J.  Show organizers say the move will better accommodate the increasing amount of exhibitors and attendees.

Avon introduces Tiny Tillia, a collection of products for mom and baby. Featuring a colorful cast of animal-themed characters, the line includes plush toys, cotton sweaters, play suits, non-slip socks, soft shell shoes, nursery décor, baby shampoo, bathrobes, lotion and hand cream for moms. Price ranges range from $5 for body products to $120 for crib sets. Products can be purchased through company representatives.

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) announced its Board of Directors for 2011 and 2012. Jason Macari of Summer Infant Products is the newly elected chairman, succeeding Brenda Berd of Scandinavian Child. Green Frog Art's Kelly Mariotti was elected vice chair and Dave Taylor of Dorel Juvenile Group has been named treasurer.

Incoming members include Mark Messner of Chicco USA, Greg Schumann of The Parenting Group, Andy Keimach of Munchkin, and Ken Wittenauer of Britax.

Mind Candy, a London-based media and entertainment company specializing in puzzles, has hired Eric Karp to head the newly formed American licensing division. Mind Candy is the maker of the successful children's game Moshi Monsters. Moshi has grown to have nearly 40 million users worldwide, a third of which reside in the United States. Darran Garnham, Mind Candy's head of global licensing, cites this growth as an indicator of the time being right to bring Karp on board.

A long-standing staple of Japanese culture, Hello Kitty parent company Sanrio has recently partnered with the American Red Cross in support of disaster relief for Japan and neighboring Pacific nations. A "Hello Kitty Hello Japan" canvas bag will sell for $10 with $6.50 of each sale going to the American Red Cross. Additionally, a T-shirt with the same print will be sold for $20 with 75 percent of the proceeds going straight to the Red Cross.

The global kids' apparel market continued its growth, reaching $186 billion in value by 2014, according to an apparel market report by MarketReseach.com. The report, "Childrenswear: Global Industry Almanac," notes that that the global childrenswear market grew by 2.4 percent in 2009 to reach a value of $161.5 billion. By 2014, the market is forecasted to have a value of $186.1 billion, an increase of 15.2 percent since 2009. The Americas account for 38.2 percent of the global childrenswear market, the report notes.

Superstore Toys 'R' Us announced plans to open a new e-commerce distribution center outside Reno, NV, to help streamline the company's growing online business. The new fulfillment center will open in July, and once fully operational, the site will help quicken deliveries to customers in the western half of the United States.

Some of the largest gaming brands in the world have confirmed their planned presence June 14-16 at the Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas. More than 17 interactive companies, including Activision, Electronic Arts, Capcom, Sony and the representatives from Angry Birds are slated to attend, said Liz Crawford, the show's director.

The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA) announced 69 nominees for the annual LIMA International Licensing Excellence Awards. The winners will be announced opening night of the Licensing Expo on June 14 in Las Vegas.

Mary Winters has been named Sales Executive for Zutano. Winters will be responsible for sales, merchandising, trade shows, territory showroom support and maintaining market weeks in the New York City showroom. She will be working closely with new and existing retail accounts to optimize product strategy and sales.

Prior to joining Zutano, Winters was the U.S. marketing and sales coordinator for women's clothing brand Lole, where she implemented the Canadian-based company's marketing plans and strategies in the States. She is a graduate of State University of New York at Albany.