Licensing Expo organisers say the 2023 event attracted nearly 12,000 attendees and hosted over 5,000 brands.
Credit: Catherine Asanov and Efren Beltran
Licensing Expo, organised by Informa Markets Global Licensing Group and sponsored by industry association Licensing International, successfully concluded on June 15th with nearly 12,000 unique attendees, a 13% increase on 2022’s total attendance and returning to numbers close to 2019’s pre-pandemic edition.
The annual event also recorded the highest quality attendance to date, with 60% of visitors being C-suite or director level executives. This was alongside record-high retail attendance, up +47% vs 2019. Over 1,150 retailers attended including buyers from Walmart, Forever21, PacSun, Tilly’s, Toys R Us, Ross, Rue 21, Hot Topic, Inditex, Dollar General, Bershka, Burger King, Hallmark, Macy’s, Amazon, Kohl’s, Target, Fanatics, TJX Companies Inc., Home Depot, Lush, Coach, Primark, and Pottery Barn.
The show saw over 6,800 meetings booked and hosted through the official matchmaking platform, empowering conversations between thousands of brands across entertainment, sports, gaming, publishing, automotive, toys, corporate brands, art, non-profit and more, to make connections and strike deals, bringing new trends and innovative products to life.
“Licensing Expo continues to be the meeting point for the entire licensing industry and host to the most influential and recognizable brands on the market today. It is the place where new and emerging brands come to be discovered, future trends are identified and the next ‘must have’ products are launched,” commented Anna Clarke, SVP, Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets. “Through interactive fashion showrooms, industry education and an expo floor hosting companies from all corners of the industry, the engagement and buzz from attendees on this year’s show floor exceeded all expectations.”
With fashion as this year’s show theme, Licensing Expo hosted a new perspective of trend-driven apparel and drove the conversation of what licensing means in the fashion world. Over 60 brands were on display in the fashion showrooms including Emporio Armani, Crocs, Vans, Kathy Ireland, Butter Goods, Burberry, and Lacoste, highlighting fashion products and new brand collaborations.
“Amid increased attendance and a strong retailer presence, we saw significant business being done at this year’s Licensing Expo,” added Maura Regan, president of Licensing International. “Once again, we saw first-hand how important it is for professionals from around the world to gather together as Expo served as an opportunity to celebrate the power of brands, discuss strategies for the year ahead, and continue to expand the business of global brand licensing.”
The 2023 expo also saw a 15% increase in new-to-show attendance and increased international attendance from Asian, South American and European companies, with some markets doubling their attendance vs 2022. Latin American attendees represented nearly 7% of total attendance at the event.
Licensing Expo will return to Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas from May 21st-23rd, 2024. To stay updated on all upcoming events from Global Licensing Group, visit the website here.
