A slate of leading entertainment brands in film, television, music, live events and gaming are headed to Licensing Expo this June to extend their brands into new categories and territories.

Organized by UBM Advanstar and sponsored by the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association, Licensing Expo will take place June 9-11 in Las Vegas, Nev. 

“Licensing Expo is the ideal platform to showcase entertainment brands and characters," says Jessica Blue, vice president, Licensing Expo. "Licensed products capture more than $259.9 billion in total retail sales worldwide, and this show is where many of those products are conceptualized.”

Among the world-renowned brands that will be exhibiting this year are Alvin and the Chipmunks, Angry Birds, Barbie, Dora the Explorer, Dr. Seuss, Garfield, Hot Wheels, My Little Pony, King Crush, Peppa Pig, The Simpsons, Smurfs, Sonic the Hedgehog, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Swan Princess, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Thomas & Friends, Transformers, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

“Licensing Expo is a keystone event for Nickelodeon Consumer Products and all of our terrific global partners," says Pam Kaufman, chief marketing officer and president consumer products, Nickelodeon. "Our annual partner presentation and expansive footprint on the show floor have worked together to keep Nickelodeon and iconic characters like SpongeBob, Dora and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles top of mind with virtually everyone attending the show.”

More than 450 companies will exhibit at this year’s show including Activision, BBC Worldwide, Cartoon Network Enterprises, CBS Consumer Products, Disney Consumer Products, DreamWorks Animation, Hasbro Global Licensing & Publishing, Mattel, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Rovio Entertainment, Saban Brands, Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products, Ubisoft Entertainment, Universal Partnerships & Licensing, Visual Icon, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and many more. 

“Licensing Expo is a tent pole event in our annual entertainment and licensing plan that provides a terrific platform to showcase Hasbro’s storied portfolio of lifestyle brands including Transformers, My Little Pony, Nerf, Jem and more, to key players in the industry," says Simon Waters, general manager, senior vice president, entertainment and licensing, Hasbro. "We’re delighted this year to spotlight the new and innovative programs, relationships and products that bring our properties to life, from immersive storytelling and engaging content to merchandise at a wide range of retail channels, from drug and value all the way through to high-end fashion.”

“Licensing Expo is an important venue for us to connect with key and prospective partners on the ever-changing landscape and pace of our business," says Jim Fielding, head of global consumer products, DreamWorks Animation and AwesomenessTV. "DreamWorks’ multi-year Netflix slate and AwesomenessTV’s transformative content and distribution model have truly disrupted the way that we approach traditional best practices in licensing and at retail.”  

Click here for more information on Licensing Expo 2015 and to register to attend for free.