This year's annual Opening Night Party will return to the Tropicana in Las Vegas, Tuesday, May 23, and feature Jessie James Decker as entertainment.

Licensing Expo, taking place May 23-25 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev., has teamed with Sony Music to co-host its annual Opening Night Party and will present country music singer and songwriter Jessie James Decker as the special guest performer.

Sponsored by LIMA, and co-hosted by Sony Music, this year's evening networking event will kick off at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23, at the Tropicana Las Vegas.

"We are so excited to have Jessie James Decker as the special guest performer and Sony Music as the co-host of Licensing Expo's Opening Night Party," says Jessica Blue, senior vice president, licensing, UBM. "Licensing and brand collaborations are the natural next step as musicians look to develop key partnerships that connect them with their fans. This is the world's largest licensing party and a must-attend event for the licensing industry."

Decker is a country music singer/songwriter and style entrepreneur who began singing at the age of 9. In 2009, she debuted her self-titled album, which features the gold-certified single "Wanted." Decker released her EP "Comin' Home" in 2014, which reached No. 1 on iTunes. Her new EP "Gold" hit No. 1 on the iTunes country chart twice, No. 4 on the iTunes top albums chart and No. 5 on Billboard's current country albums chart. She also embarked on a sold-out tour last year that visited cities such as New York City and Los Angeles.

"I'm so excited to perform at the Licensing Expo and share music from my new EP, 'Gold!'" says Decker.

Past Opening Night Party entertainment has included Winter Dance Party, Fifth Harmony, Flo Rida and Kellie Pickler. Last year's event attracted more than 1,000 brand owners, retailers and licensees for a night of networking, conversation and entertainment.

Sony Music will also make its Licensing Expo debut this year with the goal to connect with new clients to help them "harness the power of music to achieve growth and success." While at the show, Sony Music (booth U234) will bring representatives from SyncShop, which licenses Sony's roster of music within films, television, games, commercials and shows; The Thread Shop, which connects brands and licensees to channel Sony Music's merchandising IPs for apparel, accessories, housewares and more; Arcade Creative Group, which is Sony's creative agency that connects brands with music through advertising, design, original content, strategy and experiential programs; and Artist Legacy Group, which licenses name and likeness IPs to brands seeking to be associated with iconic music artists and properties.

"Sony Music signed on to co-host the Opening Night Party to contribute to the excitement of Licensing Expo by showcasing one of our rising artists Jessie James Decker," says Howard Lau, vice president, finance, analysis and strategic planning, Sony Music. "We believe in the power of music as a force in everyone's lives. Aligning licensees with the right artist and music strengthens brands, connecting with its targeted demographic through emotions and spirit."

Additionally, Cirque du Soleil will make a guest appearance with a special performance as well as meet-and-greet opportunities with its performers.