Licensing Expo, produced in partnership with industry trade association Licensing International, celebrates the event’s long-awaited in-person return to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center this May 24-26 with an Opening Night Party in Association with ATLUS. The industry event will also welcome senior executives from Falcon’s Beyond, Robert L. Ward, and Moonbug as 2022 keynote panelists, who are confirmed to speak at the Day 2 keynote.
Opening Night Party
The party will take place on the first day of Licensing Expo, May 24, and is an after-hours networking event for the industry, bringing together brand owners, retailers and licensees. The Opening Night Party is brought to you in association with ATLUS and sponsored by Banijay Brands and Konami Cross Media NY.
Details:
Tuesday, May 24
6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Daylight Beach Club (3950 S Las Vegas Blvd), The Mandalay Bay
Free of charge to attend
Set amount of free food and drinks are provided; bar items will be available for purchase once allocated amount is consumed.
While the party kicks off at 6:00 p.m., registered attendees are encouraged to arrive early as capacity is limited, and entrance is granted first-come, first-served. Exhibitors and attendees must be registered to participate in this year’s event and simply need to show their Licensing Expo badge for free access.
Anna Knight, SVP of Licensing, Informa Markets, commented: “For the first time, the Opening Night Party is free-of-charge for all Licensing Expo registrants to encourage everyone to reconnect in person after being apart for three long years. It’s a chance to celebrate our industry’s resilience, see familiar faces, and unwind after a busy first day back at the live event. Licensing Expo is back — we couldn’t be more excited and look forward to an evening of fun and camaraderie.”
“Bringing experiences to life is core to who we are as an industry and the Opening Night Party perfectly embodies just that,” says Kris Kojima, licensing specialist for ATLUS West. “We hope all guests registered for Licensing Expo attend the celebration and uses the party as an opportunity to enjoy being a part of such a creative and dynamic industry. Join us on May 24 at Daylight Beach Club to reconnect with old friends, meet the newest industry visionaries, and have fun!”
Important Items of Note:
- Must be registered for Licensing Expo and bring a valid badge. Registration is free and can be accessed here
- The party is strategically held at an outside venue; thus, a mask is not required for entry.
- Food and beverages will be available free of charge until the allocated amount is consumed, at which point bar items will become available for purchase.
- Sponsorship options are available for anyone looking to secure a space at the party; enquire here.
Day 2 Keynote Panelists
Slated to be held on the expo floor in the Licensing U Theatre at 12:00 p.m.-12:45 p.m. on May 25 and accessible to all free of charge, the expert-led panel, moderated by Bay Laurel Advisors, brings together visionaries in the industry for a trend-driven presentation titled “From Dream to Reality: The Power of Brand Licensing for Location-Based Entertainment.”
Day 2 keynote presenters include:
- Cecil D. Magpuri, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Falcon’s Beyond
- Robert L. Ward, President and Chief Executive Officer, Robert L. Ward, Inc.
- Susan Vargo, Head of Live Events and Location-based Experiences, Moonbug
- George Wade, President, Bay Laurel Advisors (moderator)
From Dream to Reality: The Power of Brand Licensing for Location-Based Entertainment
Location-based experiences have been gaining steam for many years now and are increasingly the next frontier for consumers looking to engage, interact and show their love for brands. They are also highly complex licensing deals that include many stakeholders at various points of the process. This keynote panel brings together respected names in the business to help understand all the many things must be considered when developing and executing an LBE deal (including how best to protect brand integrity) and will arm listeners with insight to make the dream a reality.
“It will be an honor to join my esteemed peers on-stage at Licensing Expo as a keynote moderator speaking to a topic that I’m incredibly passionate about,” said George Wade, President, Bay Laurel Advisors and keynote moderator. “LBE tells stories through experiences and has the unique ability to bring people together, transcending generations and fanbases. It’s really a remarkable and expressive way for brands to build long-lasting relationships with their audience and reach new consumers — I hope the panel ignites new ideas and spurs continued innovation! I look forward to the keynote and reconnecting with the licensing community this May for much needed face-to-face conversation.”
InPark Editor Judith Rubin chatted with Bay Laurel Advisors President George Wade to discuss branded experiences. You can also listen to their conversation in an episode of InPark Tracks here.
Knight remarked, “We could not be more excited to share the first 2022 Keynote details with the Licensing Expo community. Keynotes are a cornerstone of Licensing Expo; our expert-led presentations bring to light new ways of doing business in a way that taps into consumer trends and arms the audience with inspiring ideas that will drive business forward in a meaningful way.”
This year’s keynote presentations are strategically designed to arm the licensing industry with actionable insights into the latest trends shaped by changing consumer habits and preferences and how brand licensing can be more strategically used as a marketing tool.
The Day 1 keynote will be announced shortly.
Knight continued: “With the shift to experiential marketing and society looking to be a part of something bigger as people step back into the world after lockdown, there is a burgeoning and unmissable opportunity for brands to tap into Location-Based Entertainment to engage with their audience on a deeper level which will be reflected through this year’s LBE theme. More details on this will be revealed next week and will complement the keynote perfectly.”
Essential items of note:
- Keynotes are held on the expo floor in the Licensing U Theatre and free to attend — all registered guests are encouraged to attend the Day 1 and Day 2 keynote addresses to learn from world-renowned experts and deliberate with peers after each presentation wraps.
- A Licensing Expo badge is required to attend, and seating is limited, so arrive early to grab a seat.
- All educational content, including keynotes, will be available on-demand on the event platform to revisit at a convenient time.
