With Licensing Expo Virtual a mere week away, the licensing community’s leading event is geared up to offer retailers, licensees, manufacturers and IP owners an environment to learn, network and strike deals. This year’s event, slated for Aug. 24-26, produced in partnership with industry trade association Licensing International, revealed that more than 3,200 meetings are already scheduled as of Aug. 17.
Latest exhibitors confirmed to take part include Pan Am, H3 Sportgear, Global Icons, Country Music Association, Seltzer Licensing Group, Chronicle and more, joining the 200+ already confirmed including The Joester Loria Group, CAA-GBG, Beanstalk, ViacomCBS, tokidoki, Crayola, Peanuts Worldwide, MGM Studios, Games Workshop, Scholastic, WWE, SEGA, Dr Seuss, Activision, Warner Bros, OSearch, Yale University and 200+ others.
Among the thousands of attending companies taking advantage of Licensing Expo Virtual’s content and networking offerings include Amazon, Bioworld Merchandising, Hot Topic, J&J, Microsoft, pocket.watch, PopSocket, Primark, Ross, rue21, Toys R Us, Walmart, among others.
“In addition to Licensing Expo Virtual’s endless networking opportunities, we are immensely proud to produce world-class education in partnership with Licensing International,” said Anna Knight, VP of Licensing. “All on-demand sessions will be going live in the platform from Monday to give attendees the chance to enjoy some of the content ahead of the live event, understand the latest trends and enjoy the Licensing U program in preparation. We are also thrilled to share the highly impressive lineup of live speakers that are a part of the all-new Retail ‘Ask Me Anything’ program, Digital Brand Roadshows, Live Keynotes, Licensing International Excellence Awards and new Sustainability Clinics — speakers, exhibitors and attendees alike are all eager to leverage the upcoming Expo as a platform to explore the many challenges we as an industry have faced over the past 18 months and provide expert-led direction on the new opportunities that have emerged as a result of adversity.”
Designed to serve the critical retail segment that fuels the $292.8 billion in sales of licensed merchandise, Licensing Expo Virtual launched a new ‘Ask Me Anything’ program to help retailers make the most of the opportunities that licensing can offer. From creating unique product ranges to building a more substantial experience in-store, licensing can help retailers stand out amongst competitors.
Key sessions include:
Retail – ‘Ask Me Anything’ live sessions
Ask a range of licensing experts ANYTHING about brand licensing & retail. All questions can be submitted anonymously and will be answered during live sessions at the event — registered attendees can add them to their diary from today.
Session one speakers include experts from Brand Liaison, ACI Licensing, pocket.watch and License Global
Session two speakers include experts from Retail Monster, IT’SUGAR, and License Global
Retail sessions on demand (available to watch from today)
Licensing as a tool for growth and customer engagement in retail
This session, presented by Julia Redman, Buyer and Consultant at Buyers Eye, will cover what to consider when bringing licensing into retail and how a well-thought-through licensing strategy can enhance your engagement with the customer.
The Experience Economy – from pause to fast-forward
As kids, parents and families continuously change the way they work, learn, shop and relax — it’s more important than ever to understand their attitudes, behaviors, and consumption patterns in real-time. In this session, Jonathan Watson, CPO at The Insights Family, highlights some popular properties, brands and categories emerging as the world reopens. The session will explore how retailers can think of licensing from a more strategic approach, creating partnerships that provide more value and long-term retention.
Wayfair’s sustained growth powered by a customer-centric vision and focus on execution
In this session, Ankit Mangal, Director at Wayfair, will speak to Wayfair’s recent growth and how it will sustain itself in coming years due to its customer-centric vision that manifests in different facets of the organization and focus on flawless execution to continue to increase share in a highly fragmented market that’s everything home.
Complementing consumer trends that are turning toward sustainability, Licensing Expo Virtual rolled out all-new Sustainability Clinics, in partnership with Products of Change, providing attendees access to renowned experts who are eager to share advice on developing eco-friendly business practices.
“The Sustainability Clinics are an important addition to this year’s event, as they offer attendees real-world advice on how to navigate this continuing trend,” remarked Knight. “According to a recent report by Nielsen, the U.S. sustainability market is projected to reach $150 billion by the end of the year – those are figures retailers, and IP owners need to pay attention to.”
See below for a snapshot of participants confirmed for the Sustainability Clinics:
- Andrea Green, Principle, Globally Green Consulting
- Brenda Seto, Ambassador for Canada
- June Kirkwood, Director, Nutmeg Licensing
- Carrie Lomas, CEO, Brand Conscience
- Leonora Aixas Otero, Ambassador for Spain
