By submitting an entry, participants and their parents/guardians/teachers agree to abide by the following rules and regulations and entry criteria listed below for the 2024 Young Inventor Challenge® International Championship. 

 

Eligibility

 

• YIC participants must be ages 6 – 18 years old and enrolled in some form of elementary or secondary education (public, private, charter, or home school) by the time submissions close

• Participants can invent and enter the challenge individually or with a team of up to two participants that meet the age requirements - maximum of two participants per team, NO EXCEPTIONS

• All participants on a team require their own individual registration and fee payment 

• All entries must be the original idea, development, and work product of the YIC participant/team, and must not have previously been made available to the public as a commercial product

• Use of outside services for prototype production assistance (ie: 3D printing, playing card printing, etc) is permitted, but participants must disclose anything that is not their personal work in their entry

• Guardians MUST sign off on the releases for YIC participation via the ZFairs portal by the submission deadline with their own login and signature - this is NOT accessible by the YIC participant or their login credentials 

• All participants receive access to a 30-page Design Guide to help brainstorm and inspire invention emailed once registered 

• All kids that fit the eligibility requirements are invited to submit their toy or game invention - there is no selection process for participation online or in-person 
  
   

Judging & Awards

 

• ​All judging decisions are final

• Judges of the YIC are all professionals in product development, innovation, invention, marketing, etc. and their feedback is meant to teach and inspire participants, and encourage them to further develop their ideas

• All projects are required to be judged online and must be entered by close of submissions

• Winners are announced at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair in November - attendance is not required to win 

• Teams will be judged the same way as individuals

• All participants will receive their scores and written feedback from the judges at the conclusion of the YIC event 
  
   

Invention & Prototype Requirements

 

• Entries must consist of only one prototype/invention per participant/team

• All entries must consist of a working prototype of the toy or game invention

• Show Management reserves the right to disqualify any prototype deemed threatening, or otherwise inappropriate in its judgment, and to prohibit challenge participation of the owners of said prototype
  
   

Code of Conduct/Sportsmanship

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• ​All YIC participants and their parents/guardians/teachers/families are expected to conduct themselves responsibly and with respect for others throughout the competition

• Good sportsmanship and appropriate behavior is required for YIC participation. Any form of distraction or harassment caused by participants will not be tolerated and may lead to disqualification 

• Show Management reserves the right to disqualify any participant whose conduct or the conduct of their parent/guardian/teacher is deemed disruptive, insensitive, inappropriate, or threatening

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Hold Harmless (In-Person Pitching)​

• ​Any YIC participant exhibiting at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair is responsible for their project/prototype

• Guardians of YIC participants are responsible for the supervision of their child during the time they are present at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair

• Fair Management, Chicago Toy & Game Group, Inc., its agents, and volunteers are not liable for any lost or damaged goods, or any damage to property caused by any participant, to the facility, to exhibitor's property or to that of any visitor or attendee of the show 

• All liabilities incurred in such manner, including medical, shall be borne by the participant

• By participating in any event it is hereby agreed that Fair Management shall be held harmless for any and all liabilities incurred by participant

• Fair Management reserves the right to permanently remove anyone from the facility who may violate its rules of safety and conduct

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Young Inventor Challenge®

Entry Criteria 

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Pitch Video Requirements

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• Your pitch video can be UP TO 3 minutes long - there is no minimum length requirement

• Your video MUST be filmed horizontally (in landscape mode)

• Parents or friends MAY prompt participants with questions on the video, but participants alone must do the actual "pitch" and presentation

• Videos should be ORIGINAL WORK and do not need production or special effects. Judges use the videos to preview and understand your concept, so please be sure to include:

  • Share your inspiration/creative process

  • Show off your prototype 

  • Explain how to play/interact with your toy or game

• Your video must be uploaded to YouTube, Vimeo, or other online storage space. It is VERY IMPORTANT to set your video privacy settings to “Public” or “Unlisted” so that it can be viewed by the judges

• Explore the Inventor Resources page for pitch video examples and materials to help inspire your creations

• ENTRIES WITHOUT A PITCH VIDEO WILL BE DISQUALIFIED

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Display Board Recommendations

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• Display boards are NOT required but highly recommended for your pitch videos and in-person presentations

• In-person presentations (OPTIONAL) are allotted 4' of tabletop space - all material must fit within this space including your prototype and display board

• Plan out your display board BEFORE you glue or tape anything down

• Make sure your font or handwriting is easily readable 

• Consider using arrows, numbers, or call-outs to guide a sequence of information 

• Include your product name and slogan/invention statement in a prominent position 

• Share the process you went through to invent your toy or game

• Incorporate a brief overview of the rules or instructions for your toy or game 

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Presentation Preparation ​

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​It is important to remember the 4 Ps of preparation which judges will use to score submissions:

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• Poise - appearance, composure, and confidence

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• Pitch - overall delivery; voice, enunciation, gestures, and presentation logic

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• Persuasiveness - overall effectiveness, impression, attitude, and sincerity​

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• Product - uniqueness, inventiveness, creativity, and originality 

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Award Categories

 

One junior and one senior project submission will be selected for each of the 6 categories. Awards are listed in no particular order. 

 

• Best Pitch - project is reviewed on overall impression of the presentation delivery

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• Most Innovative - project is reviewed on out-of-the-box idea and/or unique perspective 

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• Most Engaging - project is reviewed on interactivity, opportunity for repeat play, offers challenge and flexibility, and "hooks" players into continued engagement  

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• Most Original - project is reviewed on originality and/or novelty that elicits an unexpected experience

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• Most Marketable - project is reviewed on the toy or game's ability to spark curiosity or form immediate interest 

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• Best Potential - project has potential in one or more award areas and was highly rated amongst the judges for future recognition 

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Young Inventor Challenge®

In-Person Pitching​

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• All participants of the Young Inventor Challenge are required to register and submit their projects online by the deadline - no onsite registration is available! 

• All participants are welcome to pitch in-person at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair - there is no selection process for participation online or in-person 

• Full details and pitching schedule will be provided to young inventors that selected in-person participation in their registration only  

• All participants pitching in-person will receive a promo code to get complimentary tickets to attend the Chicago Toy & Game Fair 

• Parking is available for $15/day at the convention center - Learn more!

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