Licensing Expo Reveals Judge Panel for the 2022 License This! Competition

The License This! competition, hosted at Licensing Expo for the first time in person in the U.S. market, has announced the 2022 judge panel featuring nine of the industry's most renowned licensing experts. Brands represented on the panel include Flowhaven, Licensing International, Global Licensing Advisors, Boat Rocker Studio, PowerStation Studios, Redbubble, Lisa Mark Associates, Product Counsel and InventHelp.  

The deadline for entries has been extended to April 6 to grant more designers, illustrators and animators the chance to compete for the grand prize and present on-stage in front of the esteemed judge panel. The competition is free to enter until the online form closes next week.  

Licensing Expo returns in-person to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center for the first time since 2019, from May 24-26, delivered in partnership with industry trade association Licensing International. The competition, sponsored by Flowhaven, is slated to be held on May 25 from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., convening a live audience of Licensing Expo participants comprising manufacturers, retailers, brand owners and press eager to tune into the creative concepts presented by License This! finalists.  

“At Flowhaven we believe that the licensing industry is built on creativity and thinking beyond the status quo – whether it’s in products, technology or experiences,” says Timo Olkkola, co-founder, Flowhaven and sponsor judge of License This!. “We’re excited to sponsor this year’s competition and see how the next generation is driving licensing into the future.” 

This year's edition hosts two categories: Character & Animation and Brand & Design. Entrants are encouraged to tailor their submission to the specific category, noting that judges are looking for new, creative concepts which have the potential to spread across multiple product categories.    

The judging panel comprises nine senior executives from across the industry, including:  

"On behalf of my daughter India and my team, we are so thankful for the many doors the License This! program has opened,” says Xavier Smith, The Kujifunza Kids, a children's animation brand, former License This! 2021 winner of the Brand and Design category. “Designing our characters' stories with my daughter has been epic and magical. Bringing life to the characters through brand exertion has truly been a remarkable journey, and we're just getting started. We encourage all creators to take a leap into this world that marries imagination and reality. License This! is the perfect platform for anyone with a dream to create – they provide all the tools you need to explore and create. Winning was a dream that we hope so many others can experience, too."   

Each category winner will receive: 

Learn more about the License This! competition and how to submit an entry here.