News & Topics

Licensing Expo Report

08/06/2022
REAL EVENT
The events industry in the USA continues its recovery with the return of Licensing Expo, the world’s largest B2B trade show for the Licensing industry. Organised by Informa Markets, this was held in a real format for the first time since 2019 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Visitor numbers have yet to be officially announced by the organizers, but expectations are for 75% of 2019 numbers, which is pretty impressive considering there is no participation from China or Korea. The first day of the show in particular was bustling with full aisles and many exhibitors reporting full meeting schedules.

Sakura International is honoured to have assisted our clients SME/SMS at this show. 2 of their sister companies in the Sony Group (Aniplex and Sony Creative Products) exhibited here to promote and attract potential new licensees for their properties. Plenty of walk-ins and lots of meetings at the booth is surely a good sign for prospective new business.

The booth was built with production assistance from our US partner. While it may appear to be a custom structure this is in fact largely constructed with modular parts and tension fabric. This enables us to create the look of a custom-build stand but with lower cost, less weight and reduced wastage. In the USA that is a win for everyone!

There was plenty to see on the show floor with eye-catching displays from industry heavyweights such as Universal, Warner Brothers and Mattel alongside a strong Japanese contingent. Licensing continues its growth into the Sports and Art worlds, and NFTs offer potential for growth into the online world also. All the signs look good for an even bigger show next year.