Licensing-X Germany: Going into trade fair season with a record market

Events

The preparations for Licensing-X Germany are in full swing. Planned in close cooperation with Licensing International, the première will take place from 5 to 7 October at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre alongside the stationery expo Insights-X

The event will offer new programming and networking opportunities for the entire licensing industry, which continues to grow rapidly. The organiser – Spielwarenmesse eG – and Licensing International will announce the latest industry facts & figures before their worldwide release and also give an overview of the current industry trends and thereby demonstrate their enormous potential.

Rapid growth

According to the Global Sizing Study by Licensing International, the worldwide retail revenue in licensed products and services amounted to 320 billion US dollars in 2021. In the German market alone, the sum adds up to 12.5 billion US dollars, which is an increase of 4.5% in comparison to the last study in 2019. The strongest growth was registered by corporate brands, which grew disproportionately in the last year. This is due to the “cocooning” trend during the pandemic. “In times of crisis, consumers fall back on familiar brands whom they trust”, as Christian Ulrich, Spokesperson of the Executive Board of Spielwarenmesse eG, explained. The categories with the highest revenue are fashion and accessories, toys, video games, sports, entertainment electronics and foodstuffs.

Promising trends

No matter whether licensors, licensees and licensing agents, service providers or specialist retailers – with Licensing-X Germany, all participants will have the opportunity to exploit the second largest European market, get to know its particularities and conclude new licensing deals. Currently, tried and tested properties dominated by blockbusters and famous characters from the preschool sector as well as innovative licenses from digital worlds are trending. These include NFTs, platforms such as YouTube, and streaming services. At Licensing-X Germany, the possibilities span much more than just the toy industry, offering the opportunity to reach new horizons with exciting business opportunities. “Licensing-X Germany follows the long tradition of Licensing Market, which we have been organising for the licensing industry in the German-speaking area for over 20 years. After the pandemic continuously threw a spanner into its works, it was now high time to replace an outdated hotel trade fair format with a professional licensing trade fair,” Peter Hollo, the man responsible for the activities of Licensing International in Germany, explains. “That is why Licensing-X Germany is not just a place for licensors alone, but rather the large overarching platform for all who offer services in the German-speaking licensing business.”

Market-oriented speakers

The event is rounded off with an informative supporting programme. Licensing International will contribute with its own, already established formats such as the Licensing Awards and the Licensing University. Among the first already confirmed high-quality speakers who will report on current industry topics are Prof Karl Peter Fischer, lecturer for applied management and digital marketing, and patent lawyer Christian Fortmann. Anika Scharlock, Global Relations Manager – Brand Protection at Amazon, has been won over as keynote speaker. In addition, there will be a get-together with all participants of Insights-X on the first evening of the event.

Synergies and services

The parallel event is the only independent specialist expo for the international stationery industry in Germany. Insights-X offers strong points of contact to the licensing business with its Back-to-School category. Visitors will especially profit from the KombiTicket: at a price of 10 euros, it provides access to both expos for the entire duration and can be used as a ticket for local public transport. Opening hours are from 9 am to 6 pm on Wednesday and Thursday, and from 9 am to 5 pm on Friday. Ticket sales will begin on 27 July.

“With Licensing-X Germany, we are expanding our portfolio into a rapidly growing market that is well-known to us and does business across various industries. We are doing everything we can to make the event the ‘place to be’ in the German-speaking area,” says Christian Ulrich in summary.

Constantly updated information is available at the two websites www.licensing-x.de and www.insights-x.com.