Licensing Expo, a trade show produced in partnership with industry trade association Licensing International that is slated to take place May 24-26 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, celebrates the six finalists selected to advance to the final round of the License This! Competition. The judging panel comprising nine senior-level experts from across the licensing industry nominated three finalists per category – Characters & Animation and Brand & Design – to present on-stage in front of a live audience and esteemed panel of judges and compete for the prestigious grand prize package.    

Registered Licensing Expo participants are encouraged to attend the live finale held in the Licensing U theater located on the show floor on Wednesday, May 25, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. for a preview of the industry’s emergent creatives, designers and animators. The License This! Competition’s final presentations will also be accessible on-demand via the event’s platform.   

Finalists for the 2022 competition, sponsored by Flowhaven, include:   

Character & Animation  

Brand & Design  

“I could not be more excited to be named a finalist for the License This! Competition,” says Stef "Sharky" Schultz, creator, Hunnie Bumble. “Hunnie Bumble and Friends is a character brand overflowing with heart and humor, involving the antics and adventures of a quirky queen bumblebee and all of her friends, who live in a world comfortably far from our own reality – but who also will, through adorable comics, animations, and products, influence our own world, by cultivating the mounting interest that eco-friendliness is already generating in most marketplaces, and driving such an overwhelming demand for sustainable products and practices that it becomes easier and easier to be green – and easier on pocketbooks, too!"  

"I am so excited to be a finalist in the License This! Competition,” says Kieche Meleson O'Connell. I’m really looking forward to meeting industry leaders in the toy and animation space and love the prospect of developing strong partnerships to help bring my characters and stories to market. There are so many fun brands and companies to see in one place, I feel like a kid in a candy store."  

"We are excited to have been chosen a finalist for License This! 2022,” says Ken Reil. The opportunity to learn from industry experts as we share our brand of horror art at the Licensing Expo is going to be a rush."   

“Congratulations to our finalists, each of which stood out amongst this year’s strong pool of entrants for their elevated ideas that carry immense brand extension potential across multiple categories,” says Amanda Cioletti, vice president, content and strategy, License Global, and Chair of the Judges. “We look forward to an exciting finale on May 25 as our finalists take the stage after refining their pitch in the weeks leading up to live final round.”   

Flowhaven, an end-to-end solution that manages and scales complex licensing programs, serves as the competition’s sponsor and brings valuable licensing relationship management insight to the judging panel.  

“This industry relies on creativity and fresh ideas that will spark excitement and emotion in consumers – each of the finalists uniquely achieved this and has the potential to become the next ‘IP to watch.’ Best of luck to each finalist,” says Timo Olkkola, co-founder, Flowhaven and sponsor judge, License This! 

Each category winner  will receive:  

The judging panel comprises nine senior executives representing industry-leading brands, including License Global magazine, Flowhaven, Licensing International, Global Licensing Advisors, Boat Rocker Studio, PowerStation Studios, Redbubble, Lisa Mark Associates and Product Counsel.   

Industry press are encouraged to register for Licensing Expo and tune into the License This! Competition finale – the request form is accessible here.