Editor's Note

This month's License! Global marks a significant milestone, as we bring you our "10th Annual Leading Licensing Companies" issue. When we first introduced the Leading Licensors (the feature's former name), in April 1998, we were overwhelmed with requests for extra issues. Every year since then, April has become our most requested issue of the year. While we increase the press runs each year, we never seem to be able to keep this issue in stock. Happily, technology enables us to create a digital edition of the magazine that can be e-mailed and/or downloaded from the www.licensemag.com Website. So, if you would like more copies, or want to send the issue to a colleague, www.licensemag.com is your best bet. "The Leading Licensing Companies" list has been a staple of our editorial since we launched License! As a benchmark for the Industry, "Leading Licensing Companies" shows retail sales revenue for every major licensing company reporting to us. Is this valuable information for your business? We believe it is. And it's only available from License! Global.

In February, we introduced our new global editorial format, which continues to evolve and grow. As a result of that growth, we are happy to announce the newest member of our editorial team, Michael Browne, as Managing Editor. Mike joins License! Global after spending 14 years with Convenience Store News, rising from associate editor to executive editor—a position he held for six years. Mike is no stranger to licensing and his knowledge of the retail sector is second to none. He can be reached at (212) 951-6695 or [email protected] I am also happy to report that Regina Molaro has been promoted to Senior Editor. Congratulations Regina and thanks for all of your great work!

As a reader of License! Global, it occurs to me that you might be curious about how we select our editorial content each month. It's simple; the editorial decisions are based on the needs of our constituency of readers. You! So, allow me to introduce all of you readers to one another. By far, our largest segment of subscribers is retailers—21,000 of you! Our next largest group of subscribers is manufacturers/licensees—over 8,000. Both groups desire information on the latest properties, trends, and success stories to move their business forward successfully. The additional 4,000 subscribers are made up of property owners, agents, promotional agencies, QSRs, support services, and consultants. In total, there are 33,000 of you subscribing to License! Global.

We realize this creates an enormous responsibility for us to provide you with the most pertinent research, new properties, retail success stories, and global news. I would like to hear from you about how we're doing. Please e-mail me at [email protected] or call me at (212) 951-6684 to let me know what more we can provide for you in the magazine or online.

If you are reading a borrowed copy of License! Global and wish to receive your own subscription, log onto www.licensemag.com, where you can sign up for a subscription to the magazine, as well as our free weekly e-newsletter. It's a simple way to get quick news of the latest global licensing deals. Did I mention it's free? You can also find Licenses Available and Recently Granted in the License! Finder section of the Website, download research, archived issues, industry events, and the latest news. I recommend bookmarking www.licensemag.com as your one source for licensing information and resources.

With all that being said, let's move on to one of my favorite topics, Licensing Show, coming up June 19-21 in New York. No other trade show has the breadth and depth of properties available for licensing. This is a show you don't want to miss. Once again, I direct you to www.licensemag.com, which has a direct link to the Show's site where you can pre-register and book your hotel accommodations, as well as view 2007 exhibitor information.

Until next month,

Steven Ekstract Group Publisher