In a time when we are forced to stay apart physically, people are seeking comfort in the brands they feel connected to. For children, that includes their favorite characters, toys, and entertainment. As the licensing industry has always allowed brands to find new and innovative avenues to connect with consumers, companies are looking to such partnerships and collaborations in today’s changing marketplace. As the entertainment industry has been one hit particularly hard by COVID-19, such licensing collaborations are perhaps more important than ever.

To support and connect the growing pool of licensing professionals and brands across the globe, the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, the organizers behind influential events: Licensing Expo, Licensing Expo Japan, Licensing Expo Shanghai, Brand Licensing Europe, and Licensing Leadership Summit, launched Festival of Licensing, a never-before-seen celebration of the business of brand licensing, in partnership with industry trade association Licensing International.

Taking place over four weeks with each week dedicated to a global region from October 6-29, the all-virtual event serves as a large-scale digital gathering that aims to bring together the global licensing industry to connect, learn, strike deals and do business on an international stage. Live and on-demand content will span keynotes, educational sessions, plentiful networking opportunities, and even entertainment.

Registration is now available here.

The Toy Coach speaks with Anna Knight, Vice President of the Global Licensing Group, who shares details on what attendees can expect, session recommendations, and how to prepare for the plentiful networking opportunities that may lead to their next big deal, all in a virtual environment.

How did Festival of Licensing come to be? Why was it important to organize the event regionally?  

Anna: Following the success of the Global Licensing Group’s first all-digital event, Licensing Week Virtual, there was a clear need for further education in order to adapt and emerge on the other side of the current crisis stronger than before. A point of feedback we received from our first virtual event that we have learned from was generating business opportunities proved difficult for attendees spanning time zones. Hence why we broke the month-long event into four distinct regions, namely, Europe, Asia, North America and Latin America, enabling exhibiting brands to make connections in specialized markets.

Who should attend Festival of Licensing? What can attendees expect?

Anna: Festival of Licensing is for everyone. We’re proud to feature 100+ hours of content that is for all levels of brand licensing experience. Whether you’re an indie brand looking to enter brand licensing or a c-level executive interested in direction for a specific issue, we have the solution at Festival of Licensing. The quality and depth of speakers and timely educational content is unlike anything we’ve produced before, featuring speakers from Smiley, Inditex, ABG, Diageo, Crunchyroll, Bandai Namco, Hasbro, Jazwares, Sanrio, among others that we have yet to announce as we approach completion of the conference agenda. Also note that these sessions will also be available on-demand for four weeks after the event wraps. 

We have plenty of educational sessions both live and on-demand that spotlight popular industry topics from video games to art, and even feature a dedicated Retail Program. I highly recommend blocking time on your calendar for the live keynotes headlining each region from noted companies. The full agenda can be found here.

But what differentiates Festival of Licensing from our previous events is that it truly is our most inclusive and comprehensive event to-date. Not only do we feature a robust virtual expo hall composed of an impressive exhibitor lineup but there are ample opportunities for our attendees and brands to have fun and network amongst one other while on the platform. 

What networking opportunities will there be? 

Brand licensing is built on opportunities to meet and strike business deals. The best way to go about this is to take advantage of the Festival Matchmaking Service where attendees can schedule pre-planned online video meetings and impromptu exhibitor booth drop-ins. Do ensure your profile is filled out completely in advance of event commencement, you never know who may reach out for that next licensing deal.

ViacomCBS Consumer Products has generously provided fun and engaging content for the 'Community & Wellbeing' program for attendees to keep active while working from home from their most popular properties including a retro MTV workout, Nick Jr. active session, and Bikini Bottom Yoga with SpongeBob. We also recently announced the Hasbro ‘Happy Hours' program where attendees can relax and network in an informal environment listening to an exclusive performance from Mondo Cozmo and playing an online version of Trivia Pursuit together after a full-day of meetings and education. This is the event to keep connected with the industry in a professional and engaging way.

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