Celebrate Minnesota Game and Toy Community on Friday, July 10th

Kicking off the AGPI 2026 Conference!

The Association for Games and Puzzles International (AGPI), Games by James, and People of Play invite you to attend a social celebration of Minnesota Board Games & Puzzles: Past and Present. People of Play is well know for their pub events around the world and is excited to host their first in the greater Minneapolis area. Everyone in the toy and game industry is welcome to attend! Register HERE!

This event kicks of the 2026 AGPI Annual Convention.  A complete schedule can be found at www.gamesandpuzzles.org.

Who is invited?       Board Game & Puzzle publishers, designers, industry folk, collectors and

                                 enthusiasts

When?                     Friday, July 10^th

                                       5:00 – 6:00 Social Hour

                                 6:00 – 7:00 Buffet Dinner

                                 7:00 – 8:00 Facilitated Discussion

                                 8:00 - ??     Open gaming and puzzling and mingling

Where?                    DoubleTree by Hilton Minneapolis Airport, 2020 American Boulevard East

                                 Bloomington, Minnesota 55425

Cost                         $75 if attend Fri./Sat. and $100 if just Fri.  Register HERE!

Sponsorship Opportunities $250

We are looking for companies to sponsor our event.  Sponsorship includes your name/logo on all promotional materials, including website, program and marketing flyers.  To become a sponsor, please contact Nadine Sehnert at games@nadinesehnert.com.

The Association for Games & Puzzles International (AGPI)

Founded in 1985 by Bruce Whitehill, is the world’s foremost organization dedicated to the collection and preservation of games and puzzles.

As an international association, the AGPI is chartered to conduct research and explore the history of games and puzzles from ancient times to the present, and to disseminate information about games and puzzles to the broadest audience possible, including the general public, the media, libraries, museums, scholars, and others. Games and puzzles offer a remarkable view of our cultural past and future!

Games by James

Games by James is a family-owned specialty retailer founded in 1979, offering board games, puzzles, and hobby products. The company operates eight stores across Minnesota and Wisconsin, including three combo locations with its sister brand, Air Traffic Toys. At Mall of America, the company operates Games by James, Air Traffic, and its dedicated jigsaw puzzle store, Puzzles by James. The business traces its roots to Glenn McKee, the brand’s first franchisee, who later consolidated ownership. Today, it is fully owned and operated by his son, Logan McKee, who acquired the business in 2019.

People of Play\CHITAG 

People of Play (POP), a division of The Toy Association, supports the global toy and game industry by fostering innovation, creativity, and connection. Founded by Mary Couzin in 2003 as the Chicago Toy & Game Group and rebranded as POP in 2020, the organization has grown into a leading community and resource hub for industry professionals, inventors, and play enthusiasts of all ages.

Through its dynamic platform and events—including the Chicago Toy & Game (CHITAG) Fair, the Toy & Game International Excellence (TAGIE) Awards, the Young Inventor Challenge, the Toy & Game Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference, and POP Pub networking events held worldwide since 2018—POP connects and celebrates the people and ideas shaping the future of play.