On June 14th, Minecraft’s Federico San Martin and Crocs’ Matias Infante will present Minecraft x Crocs: Building a World of High Performing Partnerships.
Licensing Expo has announced the addition of powerhouse speakers from Mojang Studios’ leading global gaming brand Minecraft and fashion footwear brand Crocs to the keynote lineup at the event, taking place from June 13-15 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
The keynote, titled Minecraft x Crocs: Building a World of High Performing Partnerships, will take place on Wednesday, June 14th, at 9:30 a.m. PST in the License Global Theater.
Federico San Martin, head of Consumer Products for Minecraft, and Matias Infante, vice president of Brand Partnerships, Collaborations & Licensing at Crocs, will discuss their journeys in brand development, their approach to licensing partnerships and the licensing programme they launched together.
Minecraft has sold 238m copies globally to-date and hosts 140m active players monthly; while Crocs has sold over 850m pairs of its signature footwear in more than 85 countries. Many of the growth factors for both brands can be attributed to crossovers and licensed partnerships with renowned lifestyle, sports, music, entertainment and celebrity brands.
“Crocs and Minecraft have both taken the world by storm, tapping into the cultural phenomenon of personalization, customization and personal identity, appealing to all ages and interests,” commented Amanda Cioletti, VP, Content & Strategy, Global Licensing Group at Informa, organizers of the Licensing Expo event. “What we are seeing more and more is a demand for individuality, particularly in the fashion and lifestyle space, and both brands have mastered this well – it shows through their success in product execution, brand adoption and product sell-through.” Amanda Cioletti will moderate the live conversation.
“As we continue to grow the Minecraft brand through category and territory expansion, the fashion space will continue to play an integral role,” added Federico San Martin. “Partnering with a powerhouse brand such as Crocs allows us to meet the demands of gamer and fashion fans alike, as well as tap into a broader potential fanbase. I look forward to diving into the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of this partnership with Matias, Amanda and Licensing Expo.”
“At Crocs, we seek partners that truly connect and engage with their fans. It was only right that we partner with Minecraft – a leader in gaming with a loyal and energetic fanbase,” said Matias Infante. “We both understand the importance of connecting the digital and physical worlds, from shoes to the metaverse. I am excited to share our collective learnings at the Licensing Expo.”
Gaming brands such as Nintendo, Riot Games, Capcom, Minecraft, Pokémon, SEGA and Ubisoft will also be at Licensing Expo to share their latest IP extensions, including fashion apparel, accessories and more.
The Minecraft x Crocs keynote joins an agenda that is further anchored by a day one keynote conversation with Sam Edelman, founder and president of the Sam Edelman footwear brand. Both keynotes support this year’s theme of Licensing Expo, which is Fashion.
To register to attend Licensing Expo for free, visit www.licensingexpo.com.
