First Speakers Unveiled for 2018 NYC Summit

NORTH AMERICA– An impressive roster of brand licensing and retail thought leaders will take the stage at the third annual NYC Summit: The Business of Brand Licensing networking event and conference in 2018.

April 6, 2018

3 Min Read

National Geographic, social influencer Jake Paul, Warner Music Group and National Basketball Players, Inc. among first speakers announced for annual conference and networking event.

NORTH AMERICA– An impressive roster of brand licensing and retail thought leaders will take the stage at the third annual NYC Summit: The Business of Brand Licensing networking event and conference in 2018.

Taking place Feb. 20 at the Convene event venue in Times Square, some of the executives slated to speak include:

  • Rosa Zeegers, EVP of consumer products and experiences at National Geographic, who will discuss how she is keeping this iconic heritage brand relevant for today’s consumers through innovative experiences and retail activations.

  • A special session focusing on social influencers, featuring actor, author, entrepreneur and one of the biggest digital stars today, Jake Paul. Paul will be joined by his manager and business partner Kevin Gould of Kombo Ventures and his licensing agent Ross Misher of Brand Central to offer insight into how to harness the power of today’s digital celebrities. Also participating in this session will be Gil Eyal, founder of HYPR! Brands, the world's largest influencer search and discovery directory and the market leader for in-depth influencer audience analytics. 

  • Alix Kram, vice president of global consumer products at Warner Music Group. Kram, who manages a portfolio that includes some of the biggest names in music from the Grateful Dead to Wiz Khalifa, will discuss the unique position that music brands have at retail.

  • Josh Goodstadt, EVP of licensing for the National Basketball Players, Inc., the newly created subsidiary of the National Basketball Players’ Association, charged with managing group licensing and other business opportunities for NBA players, who will take part in a panel discussing the current state of the sports licensing business and the intricacies of managing athlete brands.  

  • Charlotte Clisby, a co-founder and chief commercial officer of Evode Group, whose subsidiary Merchmaker offers a print-on-demand solution that works within the constraints of traditional wholesale, allowing brands such as Nickelodeon, WWE and CBS to get product in the hands of fans fast.

Many more speakers will be announced in the coming weeks, offering insight into the burning topics that are shaping the brand licensing business today, including:

  • Responding to trends at the speed of social media

  • From eSports to VR: The evolving gaming ecosystem 

  • Cutting-edge commerce models that are shaping the way the world shops

  • How boutique toy brands are taking over the sandbox

  • The remaking of traditional retail

  • And much more!

Space is limited at this exclusive, c-level event and tickets are going fast, so secure your space today to take advantage of special Early Bird rates (ticket prices will increase after Dec. 15).

“Every year at the NYC Summit we gather the top minds in brand licensing and retail to discuss the topics that are on everyone’s mind–this year, that is clearly the rapidly shifting worlds of media and retail,” says Steven Ekstract, group publisher, License Global magazine, developer of the NYC Summit. “At the 2018 Summit, we’ll be hosting executives at the forefront of these changes who are helping to shape the new media and retail landscape, whether it be through SVOD, e-commerce innovations, eSports or tapping into the power of social media. As it has been for the past two years, this is a must-attend event for any executive looking to keep their business ahead of the curve.”

The NYC Summit is developed by License Global magazine, part of the Global Licensing Group at UBM, and presented in partnership with LIMA. Sponsors already signed on to this year’s event include JPatton, OpSec and Trevco. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available for companies looking to connect with the high-level executives who attend the NYC Summit. Please contact Sharon Weisman for additional details ([email protected]).

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NYC Licensing Summit
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