"China is now the world’s fastest growing market for licensed goods" | Key4Communications |

Stella Poon is in charge of Hong Kong International Licensing Show, the gateway to licensing business in Asia. This is a market with great potential, since, as Poon explains, the consumption of licensed products is growing in China more than anywhere else.

What are the main goals for the next edition of HKLS?  
As we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of HKILS in 2012, we would like to invite worldwide properties who are also celebrating their 10th/20th/30th.. anniversary in 2012 to join us in Jan 2012 and kick the year off with a big celebration in this cosmopolitan city. Apart from that, we also hope to continue to grow the show and position it as the largest licensing show in the world.

What would be the benefits of attending the fair?
It is a one-stop platform where you can obtain the latest market intelligence, including the most promising market - China market  by attending our licensing conference (FOC). You can expand your network in the region by exhibiting at the fair and attending our networking events. It is also a source for potential licensees by holding your own pitching session. And you can gain free publicity by participating in the Premier Asian Licensing Awards.

What are the differentiating characteristics of HKLS respecting other licensing fairs?
The Hong Kong International Licensing Show is the largest of its kind in Asia.  It is by far the first and only licensing show that is concurrently held and co-located with toys fair, stationery fair and baby products fair. By doing so, we are creating synergy to the industries by pulling all the potential licensees under one roof. Moreover, this is the only licensing show purely for trade (B2B only), i.e. the most professional one.  

Another characteristic of the show is that it has a relatively well balanced international representation from all over the world. We have over 140 exhibitors/properties from 16 countries and regions (50% from HK and 50% from outside Hong Kong, such as Korea, UK, Taiwan, Thailand, Switzerland, Chinese mainland, Netherlands, etc.)   
 
What would be the main characteristics of the Asian licensing market?
China is now the world’s fastest growing market for licensed goods, which has grown 184% from US$1.1 billion in 2005 to US$ 3.12 billion in 2009. The per capita retail sales of licensed products of China rose by about 483% from US$0.4 in 2001 to US$2.33 in 2009. In comparison, Hong Kong saw the corresponding per capita retail sales increase more than twofold from US$17.4 to US$37.1 in the same period, which is the second highest in Asia behind Japan.

Hong Kong-based licensing companies are major players on the mainland. Moreover, Hong Kong licensing agents are considered by many foreign licensors the most preferred partners to tap these emerging opportunities. On the other hand, Hong Kong is the best gateway for mainland-based enterprises to promote their brand names and trademarks outside the Chinese mainland due to Hong Kong’s remarkable international network and resourceful licensing players. The increasing demand of licensing services from mainland-based companies is expected to drive the Hong Kong licensing industry to a higher level.

Hong Kong manufacturers on the mainland who build their own distribution channels on the mainland or partner with a reliable Hong Kong-invested distributor can become even stronger candidates as licensees for popular foreign properties.