Hong Kong International Licensing Show and 10th Asian Licensing Conference to run as online events from January 11-15.
In light of the continuing global pandemic, the 19th HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show and 10th Asian Licensing Conference – both organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council – are running as online events from January 11-15.
The two events will feature representatives from top global brands and renowned industry elites, sharing their insights on linking creativity with businesses during a time of pandemic, discovering business opportunities through licensed properties and brand partnerships, and showcasing licensed products and services to encourage creativity amid the current challenges.
Speaking at a press conference held last week (January 8) to introduce the two events, Stephen Liang, HKTDC assistant executive director, said: “Global retail sales of licensed merchandise reached US$293 billion in 2019, showing annual growth of 4.4%.
“As the world’s third largest licensing market, Asia accounted for 12% of the global share of sales. Mainland China, with a 9.6% year-on-year increase, was the second largest market in Asia. We expect that the Asian and mainland markets will continue to be growth engines for the licensing industry.”
The virtual licensing show has attracted 250 exhibitors from around the globe including licensors, agents, renowned brands and IPs from Hong Kong and Asia. There is also a Virtual Business Matching Service on offer, which Stephen believes will be in high demand.
He continued: “The licensing industry has shown great flexibility in operations and forged partnerships that have enabled companies to stand out during the pandemic. The Licensing Show has attracted participants from a broad range of industries, including companies producing personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning and hygiene products, online shopping and retailing kitchenware, gaming and furniture, helping them to capture licensing opportunities amid the current volatility.”
Meanwhile, ALC Online will be offering four video on demand viewing channels for participants – Expert Sharing: Culture and Arts, Expert Sharing: Digital Entertainment, Entrepreneur Dialogue and Licensing Academy.
Among the 40 speakers, representatives from the Andy Warhol Foundation and V&A will share how they incorporate arts and culture IPs into lifestyle merchandise, while Activision Blizzard, BBC, Banijay Brands, BuzzFeed, KAKAO Friends and United Talent Agency will unveil growth prospects and future development of licensing in areas such as gaming, esports, digital/social media, influencers and digital entertainment.
The Entrepreneur Dialogue channel will focus on six Asian entrepreneurs, who will share their success stories in making creative use of IPs to invent new businesses, while the Licensing Academy will provide eight online workshop episodes targeting newcomers to the licensing field, covering some of the basic concepts of licensing such as IP protection and royalty fee management.
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