Licensing Expo 2013 has record year, looks forward to more success in 2014 | Key4Communications |

-    Licensing Expo 2014 takes place June 17 to 19 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas
-    Sales of licensed children’s products continue to climb, generating revenue for brands, licensees and retailers, as consumers’ demand for licensed products remains strong.

At Licensing Expo licensing professionals from around the world come together to network, ink deals and expand its business. At the 2013 show, more than 15,000 professionals attended looking to spot the ‘next big thing,’ discuss strategy with brand owners and get a first look at the licensing trends that have now shaped the product world in 2013 and 2014.

In 2013, attendees witnessed the continued importance of games and transmedia properties like Angry Birds, Doodle Jump, Skylanders, Moshi Monsters, Pokemon and Rabbids. All of those properties have been extended across multiple media and platform properties and the trend is expected to continue in 2014.

Character-related merchandise, often popular for children’s toys, continues to trend and lead the licensing world, according to the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association’s (LIMA) 2013 Licensing Industry Survey. 2012 sales for entertainment, TV, movies and celebrity licensing accounted for an estimated $49.3 billion in retail sales. At Licensing Expo 2013 popular brands like Power Rangers, Paul Frank, Peppa Pig and Jake & The Neverland Pirates were represented and many announced products and deals from the show floor.  

Attendees to Licensing Expo 2014 can expect another compelling line-up of exhibitors, including Activision, DreamWorks Animation, Mattel, Hasbro Consumer Products and Nickelodeon. In addition to large global brands, attendees at the 2014 show will have the opportunity to network with up-and-coming brands like Lily Lemon Blossom and NumbersAlive! Lily Lemon Blossom is a collection of books featuring an imaginative young girl named Lily who invites readers along on her adventures. NumbersAlive! works to improve numerical literacy through toys, puppets, books and animated characters that teach children about math.

Attendees to the show represent licensees, retailers, advertising agencies, sales promotion professionals and manufacturers from around the world and the show is the place to meet with all of the industry’s influencers – in one place. Attendance for 2013 was up 10% over 2012 and exhibitors were up 11% with more than 400 exhibitors representing 5,000 brands. Licensing Expo has become the must-attend event for the industry and businesses know that if they miss it, they could miss out on the deal that could change their business forever. In addition to robust attendance overall, the show saw more attendees from South America and India, as well as record numbers from Japan. In fact, one in every three visitors came from outside the United States.  

Additionally, attendance from retailers continued to grow with a 14% increase over the previous year, and many used the newly introduced Retail Buyers Lounge for meetings throughout the three days. Retailers in attendance included Target, Toys 'R' Us, J.C. Penney, Argos, Sainsbury’s, Kohl’s, Amazon, BHS, Marshalls, and Walmart.

Attendees to Licensing Expo 2014 will also benefit from the knowledge of industry experts. Entertainment and media visionary Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive officer and co-founder of DreamWorks Animation, will deliver the Opening Keynote address at Licensing Expo 2014 on Tuesday, June 17, from 8-9 a.m. at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The presentation is free for all Expo attendees and exhibitors.

This year’s show floor will be merchandized into five zones to make it easy for attendees to find who they want to meet and products that suit them:

•     Characters & Entertainment: featuring movie studios, TV production companies, gaming and animation, celebrity and characters
•     Brands & Agents: including automotive, food and drink, health and beauty, household items, publishing, lifestyle and nonprofits
•     Fashion & Lifestyle: featuring apparel, accessories and footwear
•     Art & Design: featuring artists and designers
•     Sourcing & Production: where factories and manufacturers will showcase their production capabilities

Following the 2013 show, more than 70% of the floor space was re-booked for 2014 at the show, which is testament to the success of the three-day event. Licensing Expo 2014 takes place June 17-19, 2014 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Register for free today at www.licensingexpo.com/registertoday. See you in Las Vegas.