14th annual Hong Kong International Licensing Show, 2016 Jan. 11-13

Posted on 7 January 201610 May 2017

Events

Next week, top licensors from around the world will gather at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for the 14th annual Hong Kong International Licensing Show (Jan. 11-13) and the fifth annual Asian Licensing Conference (Jan. 11-12).

Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the twin events will explore partnership and licensing opportunities in Asia and the Chinese mainland.

Held alongside the Licensing Show, the Asian Licensing Conference will feature more than 30 global licensing experts including senior executives from BBC Worldwide, Michelin Lifestyle and Sesame Workshop as well as the Vice Governor of Japan’s Kumamoto Prefectural Government. Three breakout sessions will explore brand extension through licensing in the areas of entertainment and new media, fashion, lifestyle and branded services, and art, culture and tourism.

The first day of the conference will also feature the LIMA Asian Licensing Awards Ceremony and Cocktail Reception.

The second day of the conference will focus on the mainland market, with senior executives from Hasbro, JD.com, Guangzhou’s HccartoonAnimationTechnology (GZ) Company and Alpha Animation Brand Management Company discussing how licensing can help companies tap into the mainland market. Meanwhile, two workshops will introduce the basics of licensing and hear from experts on legal and intellectual property issues related to licensing. One featured session will be hosted by License! Global publisher Steven Ekstract, who will discuss the explosive growth of the entertainment business in China and the tremendous potential for the licensing business as the Chinese government enforces copyright protections and cracks down on counterfeits in his session titled “Impact & Influence–China’s Burgeoning Entertainment Business.”

Both the conference and the awards are free to attend for registered guests.

The Hong Kong International Licensing Show is the largest show of its kind in Asia. This year, the show will feature more than 340 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions, showcasing more than 860 brands and properties. International brands attending for the first time include Hearst Magazines, Paris Saint-Germain FC, Rainbow Internazionale and “The Wiggles.”

Among the wide range of licensing categories to be spotlighted are Character, Animation, Edutainment, Art and Culture, Fashion and Lifestyle as well as the newly added Food and Beverage licensing category.

The Hong Kong Creative Gallery, promoting homegrown creativity, will return with around 60 original characters created by young Hong Kong designers and illustrators. There will also be eight international pavilions at this year’s event showcasing the Chinese mainland, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and the U.K.

“According to industry statistics, global sales of licensed merchandise amounted to U.S. $158.8 billion in 2014, up 2 percent year-on-year,” says Jenny Koo, service promotion director, HKTDC. “The Asian licensing market is also booming, accounting for a 12.2 percent market share worldwide. Greater China is the world’s fastest-growing licensing market. In 2014, sales of licensed merchandise in Greater China reached U.S. $6.87 billion, up eight per cent over 2013, with the Chinese mainland alone accounting for sales of U.S. $5.94 billion making it the second-largest licensing market in Asia. ”

Taking place in parallel with the Licensing Show and the Asian Licensing Conference will be the Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair, Hong Kong Baby Products Fair and Hong Kong International Stationery Fair.

Source: License! Global