License Global has an exclusive chat with Anna Knight, vice president, licensing, Informa Markets, about Festival of Licensing and more.

License Global

October 1, 2020

4 Min Read
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As consumers engage with brands and pop culture in virtually every aspect of daily life, from fan merchandise to clothing to homewares, sales of licensed goods and services hit an all-time high in 2019 as a result, totaling  $292.8 billion. To support and connect the growing pool of licensing professionals and brands across the globe, The Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets – the organizers behind influential events such as Licensing Expo, Licensing Expo Japan, Licensing Expo Shanghai, Brand Licensing Europe and Licensing Leadership Summit – launched Festival of Licensing, a never-before-seen celebration of the business of brand licensing, in partnership with industry trade association Licensing International. Taking place over four weeks from Oct. 6-29, with each week dedicated to a global region, the all-virtual event serves as a large-scale digital gathering that aims to bring together the global licensing industry to connect, learn, strike deals and do business on an international stage. Live and on-demand content will span keynotes, educational sessions, plentiful networking opportunities and even entertainment. Registration is now available here.

License Global speaks with Anna Knight, vice president, licensing, Informa Markets, who shares exclusive details on what attendees can expect, session recommendations and how best to prepare for the plethora of networking opportunities that may lead to the next big deal, all in a virtual environment.

LG: How did Festival of Licensing come to be? Why was it important to organize the event regionally?

Knight: Following the success of the Global Licensing Group’s first all-digital event, Licensing Week Virtual, there was a clear need for further education in order to adapt and emerge on the other side of the current crisis stronger than before. A point of feedback we received from our first virtual event that we have learned from was generating business opportunities proved difficult for attendees spanning time zones. Hence why we broke the month-long event into four distinct regions, namely, Europe, Asia, North America and Latin America, enabling exhibiting brands to make connections in specialized markets.

Who should attend Festival of Licensing? What can attendees expect?

Festival of Licensing is for everyone. We’re proud to feature 100-plus hours of content that is for all levels of brand licensing experience. Whether you’re an indie brand looking to enter brand licensing or a C-level executive interested in direction for a specific issue, we have the solution at Festival of Licensing. The quality and depth of speakers and timely educational content is unlike anything we’ve produced before, featuring speakers from Smiley, Inditex, ABG, Diageo, Crunchyroll, Bandai Namco, Hasbro, Jazwares, Sanrio, among others that we have yet to announce as we approach completion of the conference agenda. Also, note that these sessions will also be available on-demand for four weeks after the event wraps.

We have plenty of educational sessions both live and on-demand that spotlight popular industry topics from video games to art, and even feature a dedicated Retail Program. I highly recommend blocking time on your calendar for the live keynotes headlining each region from noted companies. We’re constantly updating the agenda here.

But what differentiates Festival of Licensing from our previous events is that it truly is our most inclusive and comprehensive event to-date. Not only do we feature a robust virtual expo hall composed of an impressive exhibitor lineup, but there are ample opportunities for our attendees and brands to have fun and network amongst one other while on the platform.

What networking opportunities will there be?

Brand licensing is built on opportunities to meet and strike business deals. The best way to go about this is to take advantage of the Festival Matchmaking Service where attendees can schedule pre-planned online video meetings and impromptu exhibitor booth drop-ins. Do ensure your profile is filled out completely in advance of event commencement; you never know who may reach out for that next licensing deal.

ViacomCBS Consumer Products has generously provided fun and engaging content for the “Community & Wellbeing” program for attendees to keep active while working from home, from their most popular properties including a retro MTV workout, Nick Jr. active session and Bikini Bottom Yoga with SpongeBob. We also recently announced the Hasbro “Happy Hours” program where attendees can relax and network in an informal environment listening to an exclusive performance from Mondo Cozmo and playing an online version of Trivial Pursuit together after a full-day of meetings and education. This is the event to keep connected with the industry in a professional and engaging way.

For the latest news in licensing from Festival of Licensing, click here.

About the Author(s)

License Global

License Global is the leading news source for the brand licensing industry, delivering award-winning editorial content including news, trends, analysis, and special reports about the global consumer product and retail marketplace.

Through its print edition, website, daily e-newsletter and event publications, License Global reaches more than 150,000 executives and professionals in all major markets. The magazine also serves as the official publication for the sector’s trade events, which include Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Japan, Licensing Expo Shanghai and the Licensing Leadership Summit.

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