Licensing Expo China Grows Over 50% in its 3rd Consecutive Year

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Licensing Expo China, organized by Informa Markets, today announced initial findings from the 2019 event, which took place July 24 – 26 at Shanghai's National Exhibition and Convention Center alongside the Children Baby Maternity Expo (CBME), the world's largest trade show for juvenile and maternity products and services. The results reinforce brand licensing's growing influence in the Chinese market.

China Licensing Conference Insights
The China Licensing Conference drew over 500 attendees the day before Licensing Expo China opened its doors. The single-day ticketed conference event held sessions offered in English and Mandarin and showcased a curated list of industry expert panelists who discussed the recent developments and trends in the licensing industry in China and the Pan Pacific region. Notably, and mirroring global trends, the conference specifically focused on licensing's emerging presence in digital content & gaming IP, eSports, among others.  

The conference also delivered expertise from Western brands penetrating licensing's fastest growing market. Exhibiting at Licensing Expo China for the first time, NASCAR drew substantial attention with their presentation on 'IP Building and Value Mining of Car Racing,' flagging the importance of building local relationships, working with Chinese vendors, and developing a robust understanding of the culture.

"As NASCAR continues to explore new opportunities internationally, the ability to introduce the brand, its history, and most importantly, its future, to the entire Licensing Expo China was enormously valuable," said Paul Sparrow, managing director, Licensing and Consumer Products, NASCAR. "The genuine interest in our sport and the NASCAR brand reaffirmed our approach and strategy for attending."

Attendee and Exhibitor Insights
With more than 800 brands on the show floor, the expo achieved more than 58 percent year-over-year growth. Attendance increased 42% from 2018; more than 20,000 licensing professionals attending the expo – CBME attracting an additional 34,500+ – had access to licensees spanning an array of industries, including art and museum, film and broadcasting, and more.

"As a first-time exhibitor, the expo was a fantastic opportunity for us to get to know the dynamic Chinese market better and meet with major partners in the business," said Valerie Rolandez-Barrios, VP IP Licensing and Partnerships, Studiocanal. "We were focused on finding a local agent to represent our brands in China and also more widely in Asia. Over the course of the expo, we held productive meetings and met new contacts. We are quite proud of having been one of the first French licensing companies to participate."

China Licensing Awards
The China Licensing Awards recognize licensing excellence, creativity, and innovation in China. With strong representation from Asian, EU, and US brands, the Chinese property Wuhuang Wan Shui by YIJIANYUZHOU Culture Co., Ltd. won the 2019 China Property of the Year for the second year in a row and was featured as the IP in two other categories. To view the full winners list, visit here.

Licensing Expo China will return to Shanghai's National Exhibition and Convention Center July 15 – 17, 2020.

About Licensing Expo China
Launched in 2017, Licensing Expo China is the premier annual trade show dedicated to licensing and brand extension in the world's fastest-growing licensing market. Co-located with Children Baby Maternity Expo (CBME), the events attract more than 54,000 visitors every year. Licensing Expo China is a part of the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, the licensing industry's leading trade show organizer and media partner. Its mission is to provide licensing opportunities around the world by bringing brands and products together. 

About Global Licensing Group
The Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets is the licensing industry's leading trade show organizer and media partner. Its mission is to provide licensing opportunities around the world by bringing brands and products together. The following events and information products are produced for the licensing industry by the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets: Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Japan, Licensing Expo China, NYC Licensing Summit, License Global magazine, and License Global Daily E-News. Global Licensing Group events are sponsored by Licensing International (LI).

The Global Licensing Group is part of Informa Markets, which recently acquired UBM to become the world's largest trade show company.

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SOURCE Licensing Expo