License Global catches up with Laurent Taieb and Florence Ayem, co-presidents, Licensing International France, as we continue to build up to France Licensing Day and Licensing International Awards in March.

Ian Hart, Senior Digital Editor U.K. & EMEA

February 1, 2023

2 Min Read
Laurent Taieb and Florence Ayem.
Laurent Taieb and Florence Ayem.Licensing International France

Tell me about your background, how you fell into the licensing industry and what your role entails at Licensing International France. 

Licensing International France: We both have been in the entertainment industry for more than two decades and in various licensing positions as licensees, agents or licensors. We are co-presiding the French chapter of Licensing International. 

Our roles are all about bringing together the French licensing community, emphasizing what licensing is about towards a general audience, making sure that the next generation of professionals is discovering all aspects of the industry and celebrating the excellence of the French licensing business. 

How would you describe the licensing space in France and what do you think are the main challenges and opportunities? 

We are in an evolving business and rights owners are adapting. The retail appetite for licensing is growing at a fast pace, there are new opportunities on the properties side and the business has been able to embrace new targets and industry trends, such as: 

  • Licensed toys sales are worth a quarter of the toys sales; last year was a record year for the industry

  • Kidults have become a real consumer group

  • Anime licensing is exploding with 48 million manga books sold last year

Related:10 Minutes With … French Football Federation on Sports Licensing Trends

  • The “TV” landscape is also adapting to the new ways kids are consuming their favorite shows, on-air, online …  

  • Landlords are discovering the “new” world of location-based experiences and what the licensing industry can bring them; experiential will be a game changer

This year is also set to be a great year to celebrate the pioneers of our industry, with the 100th anniversary of both Disney and WarnerBros

Why is it important that events such as France Licensing Day and Licensing International Awards, recognize and shine a light on the French licensing industry? 

Informa Markets has always been the leading partner to gather our industry peers throughout the world. Having them organizing with us in France for this event is a true recognition that our country is an important stakeholder of the European licensing business. French licensors, licensees and promotional agencies are competing on the global scene and can be proud of their successes.  

What do you hope to see from the Licensing International Awards entries this year? 

A strong diversity of entries from all sides of the industry, everyone has a chance to shine and lets the quality of the job be recognized by the community.  

Finally, what are you personally most looking forward to at the event? 

Related:10 Minutes With … France Licensing Day on its Inaugural Event, in Partnership with Licensing international

Having the opportunity to catch up, discuss, exchange on the state of our business. Discover new opportunities from major or smaller companies, but most of all, celebrate the industry with friends and colleagues! 

  

France Licensing Day & Licensing International Awards will take place in the beautiful surroundings of Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris in Paris, France, on March 9.  

Click here to find out more about exhibiting of visiting France Licensing Day 2023.

About the Author(s)

Ian Hart

Senior Digital Editor U.K. & EMEA, License Global

Ian joined the License Global editorial team in May 2022 as digital editor for the U.K. and EMEA, becoming Senior Digital Editor in April 2023.

Ian is a huge fan of sports and entertainment brands and, as a father, toys and kids' brands are a large part of his life!

He has been at Informa (formerly UBM) since 2018, where he was previously the editor of SHP, a B2B digital publication aimed at health & safety professionals.

Ian studied journalism at university before spending seven years in online fantasy gaming. Prior to moving to Informa, Ian worked in B2B trade print media, in the automotive sector, working on various publications aimed at independent automotive technicians and parts distributors.

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