Licensing Expo China has announced the initial findings from the 2019 event, which took place July 24–26 at Shanghai’s National Exhibition and Convention Center alongside the Children Baby Maternity Expo (CBME), the world’s largest trade show for juvenile and maternity products and services.

The results reinforce brand licensing’s growing influence in the Chinese market.

China Licensing Conference Insights

The China Licensing Conference drew more than 500 attendees the day before Licensing Expo China opened its doors. The single-day ticketed conference event held sessions offered in English and Mandarin and showcased a curated list of industry expert panelists who discussed the recent developments and trends in the licensing industry in China and the Pan Pacific region. Notably, and mirroring global trends, the conference specifically focused on licensing’s emerging presence in digital content, gaming IP, esports and others emerging caegories.

The conference also delivered expertise from Western brands penetrating licensing’s fastest-growing market. Exhibiting at Licensing Expo China for the first time, NASCAR gained substantial attention with its presentation “IP Building and Value Mining of Car Racing,” which flagged the importance of building local relationships, working with Chinese vendors and developing a robust understanding of the culture.

“As NASCAR continues to explore new opportunities internationally, the ability to introduce the brand, its history, and most importantly, its future, to the entire Licensing Expo China was enormously valuable,” says Paul Sparrow, managing director, licensing and consumer products, NASCAR. “The genuine interest in our sport and the NASCAR brand reaffirmed our approach and strategy for attending.”

Attendee and Exhibitor Insights

With more than 800 brands on the show floor, the expo achieved more than 58 percent year-over-year growth. Attendance increased 42 percent from 2018 with more than 20,000 licensing professionals attending. CBME attracted an additional 34,500-plus attendees with access to licensees spanning an array of industries, including art and museum, film and broadcasting and more.

“As a first-time exhibitor, the expo was a fantastic opportunity for us to get to know the dynamic Chinese market better and meet with major partners in the business,” says Valerie Rolandez-Barrios, vice president, IP licensing and partnerships, StudioCanal. “We were focused on finding a local agent to represent our brands in China and also more widely in Asia. Over the course of the expo, we held productive meetings and met new contacts. We are quite proud of having been one of the first French licensing companies to participate.”

China Licensing Awards

The China Licensing Awards recognize licensing excellence, creativity and innovation in China. With strong representation from Asian, EU and U.S. brands, the Chinese property Wuhuang Wan Shui by YIJIANYUZHOU Culture Co., Ltd. won the 2019 China Property of the Year for the second year in a row and was featured as the IP in two other categories. To view the full winners list, visit here.

Licensing Expo China will return to Shanghai’s National Exhibition and Convention Center July 15–17, 2020.