#222: Licensing Expo 2024 Recap: Reasons to Mark Your Calendar for Next Year
Curious about how to make the most out of your trade show experience? In this episode, The Toy Coach shares her experience and reason for attending the Las Vegas Licensing Expo even though she didn’t have anything to license. By the end of this episode, you’ll know if you should attend the Las Vegas Licensing Expo next year, and how you can make the most of it. Learn how to save $$ on lodging, network with class, manage your time, and stay comfortable while walking 10,000 steps a day.
Stick around until the end of the episode for a rare opportunity to walk the next show side by side with The Toy Coach, to answer your questions and help you grow your network. Tune in, take notes, and elevate your trade show game!
Episode Cliff Notes
Why The Toy Coach attended the Las Vegas Licensing Expo and why you might consider going as well even if you’re a toy inventor or toy entrepreneur with nothing to license yet
The major RED flags I saw at the licensing expo from other toy entrepreneurs
The networking tip that integrates tech with tradition.
Discover the rare opportunity to join The Toy Coach for a guided trade show experience at your next toy trade show.
Hear the crucial etiquette advice for promoting your brand at marketing events.
Learn why arriving a day or two before the Licensing Expo can significantly enhance your experience.
The comfortable footwear that The Toy Coach recommends if you’re in the market for a new trade show shoe.
A list of goals for you to aim for when attending your next show. Visit thetoycoach.com/222 to download the checklist.
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Interested in attending Las Vegas Licensing Expo in 2025? Join the wait list by clicking here.
Buy Sketchers Go Walks for your next trade show. Shop Women’s | Shop Men
See pictures I took during Las Vegas Licensing Expo 2025 by visiting my blog here.
WiT Empowerment Day Pitch Prep Series - details here.
Dot Digital Business CardsTHE CHECKLIST:
5 Goals To Keep You On Track If You Attend The Las Vegas Licensing Expo Next Year!
1. Learn and write down 5 new things about the licensing process in the toy industry
2. Meet 4 new people.
3. Attend 3 networking events
4. Discover and talk to 2 companies you’ve never head of
5. Make 1 pitch. -
[00:00:00] Azhelle Wade: I'm going to say it is tacky, yes, all events are networking opportunities, but not all events are exhibiting opportunities. In these situations, think of it as if you've been invited to someone else's wedding. You wouldn't go to someone else's wedding and get married there, would you?
[00:00:19] You are listening to Making It in the Toy Industry, episode number 222. Hey there, toy people.
[00:00:45] Azhelle Wade here and welcome back to another episode of the Toy Coach Podcast, making it in the Toy Industry. This is a weekly podcast brought to you by the toy coach.com. Today's episode is squeezing [00:01:00] in between a part one and part two interview I did with April Mitchell. Today, we're not gonna be picking up that interview just yet, so again, make sure that you are subscribed to this podcast.
[00:01:11] To know when the part two of that interview releases. Hint, hint, it's going to be next week. This week we'll be discussing the 2024 Las Vegas licensing expo. On May 21st through 23rd, I attended the Las Vegas licensing expo. You might be wondering why a media and education company like mine would attend this show.
[00:01:32] This was only my second time attending Las Vegas Licensing Expo. Last year, it occurred at the same time as Astra, so I didn't. actually get to attend. But as someone who owns a virtual business and isn't often swayed by in person events, I gotta say this one felt majorly worthwhile. So in today's episode, I want to break down about four things that you should know about the Las Vegas Licensing Expo based on my experience.
[00:01:59] First, we'll get [00:02:00] into why I went and why I think you might want to go. Then we will get into tips of what I would do differently next time and what I would recommend you do if you're attending for your first time. Then we will get into what caught my eye while walking the show floor and special events.
[00:02:15] And at the end of this episode, I'm going to share with you a rare opportunity to walk the next show with me. By your side to answer your questions, grow your network, and just generally feel comfortable not being alone at a toy trade show. More details about that are going to be at the end. But if you can't wait, head over to thetoycoach.
[00:02:34] com and look for the links in the mentioned in this episode section.
[00:02:38] Now before we dive in, I've got to temper your expectations because My plan to attend this show was so last minute prior commitments actually prevented me from arriving at the start of this show. So I did not participate in the opening party that they throw.
[00:02:53] I didn't get to see a ton of licensing activations or major events. My sole focus was pre planned with [00:03:00] meetings, WiT Empowerment Day, and then walking the floor. Let's get right into it. Question number one. Should you attend? Let me tell you why I went and why you might go.
[00:03:10] Now when I looked at my P& L, my profit and loss statement for 2023, the only expense that is higher than Toy Trade Show expenses for me is marketing and it's not by much. During my day one at the trade show, I found out that I was not alone. Many startup entrepreneurs are struggling to make it to all of the shows that are happening every year and are wondering if there is a better way.
[00:03:37] Did you know that 450 million is the minimum spend on exhibitors annually to secure a spot at 17 of the top trade shows for the toy and game industry? I did the research, and that is only the minimum spent by exhibitors annually just to secure a [00:04:00] spot across the 17 shows, and that number reflects the smallest booth space size available at each show, and estimates the number of attendees being a certain number of manufacturers or booth holders dependent on the number of manufacturers that had attended the shows Previously.
[00:04:21] Imagine that, 450 million dollars being spent on these trade shows. With about 17 top trade shows for toy and game inventors, it can be challenging to choose the best trade show for you. And unlike a marketing budget, which can directly be linked and measured against revenue, trade show expenses are immeasurable.
[00:04:42] Or are they? That was part of the big conversation that I had with other entrepreneurs. And it's a little bit of what we're going to dive into in this episode. So the fellow toy entrepreneurs I spoke to discussed varying alternatives to this growing trade show expense. So instead of going to [00:05:00] the top 17 toy and game trade shows and just lining up to exhibit at all of those trade shows, maybe going to every other show to exhibit, or even just picking two to three shows to attend.
[00:05:13] Now, if you asked me back in February, I was not going to the Las Vegas Licensing Expo. I'd gone two years prior simply to experience the show for the first time, to support a TCA student who was up for and won the License This competition, and to meet a new potential business partner. Thank you. This year, two months before the licensing show, I was all traveled out from Toy Fest West.
[00:05:36] I was deep into building out the WIT pitch prep series for Empowerment Day, working one on, with one on one clients, pitching new proposals, relaunching TCA, and I just did not have the mental or physical bandwidth to strategize on how to make the most of the licensing expo. So I thought the end of May would actually be a nice break for me before heading to Astra Marketplace and Academy in early June.[00:06:00]
[00:06:00] Every time someone asked me if I was going to the Licensing Expo, I'd say nope with a gleeful money and stress saving excitement. But boy, I am so glad things changed and that I went to this show. This show for me was business changing. So why I decided to go. About a month before Licensing Expo, I reached out to someone I highly admire in the industry and asked for a very specific business advice.
[00:06:23] They said, sure, will you be at Licensing Expo? Let's go grab dinner. And I couldn't think of anything other than, wow, what an incredible offer, an hour with one of the best business minds in the industry who had never had dinner with prior, how could I pass something like that up? I took a half a day to respond as I just went over my, my business budget and then locked in that dinner.
[00:06:47] From that point on, I knew I was locked into attending the expo and then. Reached out to anyone who had previously asked if I was attending to let them know I would be there after all and rushed to get myself a [00:07:00] press pass so that I could cover what I could of the show for this podcast. Let's talk about why you might go.
[00:07:07] If you have absolutely no contacts and no industry experience, you have got to come to this show prepared with good questions. If you don't have good questions, then you can't get good answers that could be worth the ticket to the show. Why you might go is because there is an opportunity to connect with and be mentored by licensing industry professionals at this show.
[00:07:32] I wouldn't say this is a great show to go for a cold pitch of your brand or your product, but it is a great show to learn from. So let's talk about what makes a good question versus a bad question so you can prepare. A good question is one that is specific to your goals, skills, and limitations. An example would be this.
[00:07:53] Let's say you have a character brand. Let's say you have 100, 000 followers on TikTok. A bad [00:08:00] question to ask someone at this expo would be something like, I want to license my brand, how do I get a meeting with Walmart? That is honestly something you could Google, you could search for in this podcast, and you might find answers like, go to this pitch event, reach out via LinkedIn, and those are both great.
[00:08:17] Great pieces of advice, but they are not uniquely those are not answers that are going to be unique to help you elevate yourself above the crowd. So instead, if you happen to get the ear of someone who has experienced licensing products to Walmart, and you have the opportunity to talk to them. You want to reformat and reframe that question so that their answer can be much more specific and tailored to your needs.
[00:08:44] So a good question would be something like my brand has 100, 000 followers on TikTok. It is one year old. What will it take for Walmart to license my brand? Or you could ask something like, my brand has [00:09:00] 100, 000 followers on TikTok. Has Walmart ever licensed a brand with this number of followers? What were the conditions around that scenario if they did?
[00:09:10] These questions allow the person who you're asking the question of to Not only, look into what they know about the industry and what's happened in the industry recently, but it also offers them a chance to know your brand and you and what you have to offer. And you might find yourself in a situation where they take enough interest that they want to.
[00:09:33] Mentor you or work with you long term, but even if they don't, what you've given them is the ability to problem solve for you, not just spew information because you can find information in a variety of ways when you listen to this podcast for information . What you need. is information that takes into account everything you have done and everything you can do and offer offers you specific advice around [00:10:00] that and around what's happened recently in the industry.
[00:10:03] That's, another reason why I like to work with people in TCA so I can really get to know their issue and know their problem and help them with that. Just be sure if you ask questions at this or any event. You are asking good questions, you are providing enough information and you have a clear goal that you want to get from their answer.
[00:10:21] So if you're feeling nervous like, Oh gosh, Azhelle, I don't have a good question. I don't know what to do with that. If you ever happen to meet me or run into me at a toy trade show, I want you to feel free to ask a bad question. Just ask whatever the question is as it is in your mind.
[00:10:36] As a coach, as the toy coach, a big part of my job is to hear what you ask. Okay. And to figure out through follow up questions what you really want. That's what I do. That's what I'm used to doing. So you can rest assured when you're working with me or chatting with me, I'm going to do a little bit of that legwork for you.
[00:10:54] But I just want to give you this guidance because if you find yourself in front of an industry [00:11:00] legend who's you. Days are not filled with coaching other people, but instead filled with, running whatever business they might be CEO of. And you have limited time to get the best advice. I just want to make sure you ask a really good clear question so you can make the most of the opportunity.
[00:11:16] Now, Back to why you might want to go to the show. So I met some listeners of this podcast. Hey, so it goes so great to run into you at the show. And they said that they learned a lot at the licensing show. They asked questions, they went to education sessions and mentorship sessions and have a better understanding of how the licensing side of the toy industry works.
[00:11:37] So if you decide to attend the licensing show and you're new to the side of the industry, I'd really like it for you if you would set goals for yourself the same way that I have my Toy Creators Academy students set goals when they go out for their toy trend trips. So I'm going to give you some goals right now.
[00:11:54] Write them down if you can. If you're driving, head on over to thetoycoach. com forward slash [00:12:00] two two two and I will put the the guidelines in the show notes. If you choose to attend the Licensing Expo in 2025, here are five goals for you to set. Write them down and check them off as you do them, so that you can make sure you make the most of the show.
[00:12:18] First, learn and write down five new things that you didn't know about the licensing process in the toy, game, and entertainment industry. Two, meet four new people. 3. Attend 3 networking events. 4. Discover and talk to 2 companies you've never heard of before. 5. Make 1 pitch. Now those goals shouldn't be limits, it's not like you're going to make that one pitch and then stop right there.
[00:12:49] But they're just catalysts to help you get started achieving things. You want to exceed those goals, but I want to make them attainable for you. So that's why we're just making [00:13:00] one pitch, meeting four new people, attending three networking events, talking to two companies, and writing down five new things you've learned.
[00:13:08] Okay? Got it? Again, head over to thetoycoach. com forward slash 222 if you couldn't write those down and you can grab those goals there. Now, let's get into our next topic around the licensing expo. Tips on what to do, things that I would do differently, things that I would recommend you do that I did well, that worked out really well for me.
[00:13:29] We're going to go through those next. First, block your calendar. The moment you book any trade show, this trade show, any trade show, block your calendar. Especially if you use Calendly or another scheduling tool and you often send links out for people to book calls with you. Definitely block your calendar immediately.
[00:13:49] The name of the trade show, block all day from the start of the trade show to the end and include your travel time. The last thing you want is to be on a flight and [00:14:00] realize you have a call booked for the same time, so block your calendar. Then, tip number two, use a sub calendar to book meetings for the show.
[00:14:08] If you're like me and you love using a digital calendar, maybe you don't have someone to manage your calendar for you, You're gonna need another calendar link to be able to book meetings during the time that you have blocked off. What I am starting to do now is actually to use Google Calendar in tandem with Calendly.
[00:14:29] So my main calendar is linked to Calendly, and if I block something off on the main Toy Coach calendar, No meetings can be booked via Calendly for that time. But, if I'm going to a Toy Trade Show, I want to block that time, but I also want to have a link that is bookable with slots for people to book during that show.
[00:14:52] So what I do is I use Google Calendar here. and a separate email address. It could be a [00:15:00] gmail address. It could be just a secondary address on your domain. So it could be like support at thetoycoach. com or meetings at thetoycoach. com and use a google calendar to book those meetings. Now you have to make sure that account gets synced to your account so you see the meetings on both accounts, but you can actually use google's free calendar tool to be able to book.
[00:15:24] During an event show. So you don't have to do those manually. Now, you might be wondering, Oh, but isn't there a way to do something like that through Calendly or through the booking tool you normally use? Yes, for Calendly, at least, that's what I use, there is a way to do it, but it would require you going into every event type that you have and blocking the event dates for the show so that only certain events would be able to be booked during the show.
[00:15:49] And for me, I have too many different event types, so I can't do that. But if you only have one or two event types, and, you want to do that, you could create a new event type that is specifically for [00:16:00] in person meetings, and make that the only event type that is available for that show window.
[00:16:05] So that is possible. Now the third tip I want to give you is to check the event schedule and then pre plan your schedule. The first thing you should do when attending Licensing Expo is to block the Expo related events that interest you into your calendar. So for example, the Opening Party, the Educational Sessions, and maybe the Character Parade.
[00:16:27] The first time I attended Licensing Expo I was more aware of all of those events, but I had planned it so much further in advance. This time around, I did not plan to go to all of these different events, so I did not have them booked into my schedule and therefore missed a lot of things because I either arrived late or had other meetings that were happening at the same time as some of the events.
[00:16:49] The more pre planned your schedule is, the more productive your show will be, and don't forget to buffer about 15 minutes between activities to get from place to place. For [00:17:00] first timers attending the licensing expo, I would recommend you check out their orientation session, they have a show floor tour, and they also have licensing 101 sessions that are usually offered at the start of the show.
[00:17:12] Aside from those sessions, you also want to check out all their educational session options. For 2024, they had a keynote on video games, how it's driving billions of dollars to play. They had another keynote on podcasting with Guy Raz and Nicole Black of Wandry. They had a keynote with Paris Hilton and 11.
[00:17:31] 11 Media. They also had another keynote called AI Strategy Simplified. So you want to take advantage of as many educational sessions as possible and just be sure to book those before you start booking your meeting so you know that you have that time occupied and you don't overbook that time with meetings if you really need to learn something at an educational session.
[00:17:57] The fourth tip I have for you is to use the Meetings [00:18:00] platform. When you register for Licensing Expo, you get access to their Meetings platform. This launched in the pandemic. If you already understand what licensing is and how it can benefit your business, I recommend you use this platform to request meetings with anyone attending the show.
[00:18:15] This is a majorly useful tool. It's underutilized, in my opinion, from people attending Licensing Expo. And you can request meetings at any time leading up to the show with anyone attending the show. The earlier you request the meetings, the better. I have friends that attended this show that landed meetings with top companies because of using this platform.
[00:18:35] So to make the most of this opportunity next year, start preparing your brand deck now. If you don't know what a brand deck is, you can book a toy clarity call with me or a 90 minute work session, or you can join TCA. And to see all of those options, just go to the toy coach.
[00:18:51] com and check the work with me section on the menu bar. The fifth tip I'd like to give you is to [00:19:00] when you should arrive. Arrive a day or two before the show. An industry friend of mine once advised me to attend a show early if I plan to get anything extra done, and she's so right. If you want to tag on additional meetings, Visit retail locations, local to the show.
[00:19:16] If you want to enjoy the city you're traveling to, in this case, Las Vegas, I highly recommend you do so before the show. If you try to tag those extra things on after the show or even during the show, they often will get dropped after the show. You will be teeming with so many ideas and to dos and have so much excitement and energy.
[00:19:37] You'll have a lot of follow up on your hands and you will not be in the ideal frame of mind to relax and check out the latest tourist spot in the city.
[00:19:45] You are going to want to take all of that show energy and transfer it right into your business instead of letting it dissipate into some post show R& R. Getting to the city, in this case Vegas, a day or two before the show [00:20:00] gives you more time to prepare. Acclimate to the town, to the convention center, and adjust your sleep schedule.
[00:20:07] The sixth tip I want to give you is to book earlier to find cheaper accommodations. The licensing expo is held at the Mandalay Bay. You can stay at the host hotel, which is the Mandalay, and be a 15 minute indoor walk away from the convention center for about 150 per night. Alternatively, you can stay right next door to the, at the Luxor for a fourth of the price and you can access the host hotel by walking through a massive casino.
[00:20:36] If you wait too long to book, like a few weeks before the show, you will likely end up at a hotel on another part of the strip because you will find the Mandalay Bay gets sold out and that is going to cost you an additional 10 to 20 per ride just going back and forth to the host hotel via Uber.
[00:20:54] So let's talk about the pros and cons of where you stay. The Mandalay, the Luxor next [00:21:00] door, or just another random hotel on the strip. The Luxor is super cheap. The ability to stay at that hotel during the show easily makes the Licensing Expo one of the cheapest shows I've ever participated in. I remember the first time I booked the Luxor, I thought it was like a scam because I didn't believe there was any way they'd be holding my room for just 45 per night.
[00:21:21] Spoiler, it wasn't a scam. It was also not the best quality room but it was a room and it was super cheap. In 2022, I stayed at the Luxor and my room smelled heavily of smoke, which I know is typical for Vegas. The room itself was okay and just a place to sleep for the night. But this year I'd be leaving the Expo or a family wedding in Columbia and I just decided I could not let my hair reek of smoke.
[00:21:48] So I decided to book a different hotel. So I ended up booking a hotel that was smoke free. It was great. It was lovely, everything was clean, comfortable. However, it [00:22:00] was a 10 to 15 Uber ride away from the show. So if I ever could do it again, I would definitely book earlier and just stay at the Mandalay, or potentially see if there were any higher quality rooms at the Luxor.
[00:22:13] For you, my listener, if it's your first time and you really want to say save money, book at the Luxor. It's where most people stay, especially the startup entrepreneurs that are looking to save some money. But my final tip is to book at least two months in advance if you want to stay at the host hotel.
[00:22:31] It does sell out and both hotels, the Luxor and the Mandalay, are going to be cheaper the earlier you book. So make sure you don't wait on that. No reason to wait. So now let's go into business cards. My tip, I think we're on number seven tip number seven on business cards versus digital cards.
[00:22:51] I am going to say you need both. I have long been a proponent for QR code business cards. The company I use is [00:23:00] called Dot and they have a virtual business card that I put as the screensaver of my phone and people scan it, they get my contact info, they save. I thought it was great. The hard part of that is that I don't get the contact information of the person who scans my information, and I just become another name saved in their phone.
[00:23:20] If they don't remember to go into their phone and look for my name, I'm just in there. I have recently decided that a QR code is not enough and that they should be done in tandem with business cards. Here's what I think the benefit will be of two. So at this show, I did have physical business cards and promoted that.
[00:23:39] More than the QR code. So here's what I think we should be doing moving forward. I do think we should be using both and here's why. When you have them scan your QR code and it puts your information in their phone, it allows your name, your number, your email address will all get saved in their phone.
[00:23:58] Great. Now, if [00:24:00] you say, here, I also have a physical card, they have a physical reminder that they met you, tucked away in their book bag, or their pocket, or their wallet, or their show badge, that they will review when they review their notes from the show. Giving a physical card also is a much better prompt for requesting a physical card, unlike the QR code swap, right?
[00:24:22] So then you can request their physical card, and then you have a physical reminder that you should be following up with this person tucked in your pocket or your badge holder, your book bag, whatever. Now, The big benefit comes in the follow up. The big benefit of the QR code and the physical card comes in the follow up.
[00:24:43] What I am imagining will happen next is that when you do your outreach and you, whether it's an email or it's a call, your number will now pop up. as your name, because you have now been saved in their phone. [00:25:00] So if you call them, it's not just going to pop up as some random number and they're not going to know if they should answer.
[00:25:05] Your name and whatever information you associated with your contact info is what is going to pop up on their phone. Maybe you put a picture, maybe you put your website, maybe you put your company name. Further, if you email them, instead of getting caught in a spam filter, you're more likely to end up in their main inbox because if everything is linked properly on their end, your email will also now be linked into their mail account, right?
[00:25:31] Because your email is now in their phone as a contact. This is my new bit of advice, digital. and physical, it's going to be the way for people to be reminded that they met you, but also a way to overcome spam filters that are becoming ever more prevalent in our phones and in our emails.
[00:25:51] Tip number eight, is around footwear. Okay, so footwear. I am still surprised I have to say this, but sneakers. You [00:26:00] would be shocked at how much you will walk in this show. I'm going to recommend a shoe for you that I used years ago. It's called the GoWalks by Skechers.
[00:26:09] GoWalks by Sketchers come in all different colors, chill colors, poppy colors. They slip on, super easy to wear. I will put the link to Sketchers GoWalks in the show notes. And I would just highly recommend you check that out because Sketchers GoWalks are just the best. My friend, Marjorie Spittlenick, did 15, 000 steps in one day at the show, so you really want to be wearing comfy shoes. Heels are absolutely out of the questions, ladies. And when it comes to clothes also layer up because you're going to be going from hot to cold pretty frequently. If you step outside. If you go into a cold conference room and then to a warm hallway, you want to have the option to take on and off a jacket.
[00:26:53] Now, going back briefly to business cards, I also would tip, give the tip to pick a [00:27:00] shirt or a jacket that has a front breast pocket, or get yourself a trade show badge holder. You can get those online. I will also put the link in the show notes of where you can get them. And you want that so you can.
[00:27:12] easily tuck and store business cards as you get them. My favorite way to remember all of the people I've met at a trade show is to tuck all of their business cards into my trade show badge. So they are all together. And I know I met these people at this show. You can do all the same followup and then you can maintain that badge with all of those cards together. in that badge show holder to always know where you first met somebody. So that's my favorite thing to do. And again, the breast pocket just makes it if you have a shirt with a breast pocket, that is a great place to store your own business cards for easy access when someone asks.
[00:27:49] My final tip for you today, tip number nine, is to have a one line pitch.
[00:27:53] A one line pitch that tells someone what you do and what you've done. Okay, the purpose of this pitch is to get the [00:28:00] person that you're talking to interested. It's usually reserved for someone you're just meeting. For example, I say, the Toy Coach is a media and education company that specializes in empowering toy and game in inventors and entrepreneurs and career and professionals in the industry.
[00:28:17] We have had over 200 students take our online program Toy Creators Academy. The first part of that pitch just says what I do and the second part is the flex that gets people interested and wanting to know more. So I ask you, listener, What is your pitch? So now let's move on to my next topic for the Las Vegas licensing Expo and it's about the show floor.
[00:28:41] The licensing Expo has a lot of open boots having a press badge. I found I was welcome into most spaces and able to snap pictures of anything with a smile from the booth attendees. To be frank, I'm not totally sure what your experience would be if you attempted to do the same, but if you [00:29:00] attended the show, I would love to hear your experience going booth to booth.
[00:29:03] So please send me a message over on Instagram. Now, Licensing Expo has a lot of fantastic marketing activations. There was this cool Superman 360 photo booth. There was a Smurf photo booth bench with Grumpy Smurf, who clearly just hated Licensing Expo. There was a Squishmallows beach chair and so much more.
[00:29:23] Check out thetoycoach. com slash blog for pictures I took on the show floor. Next topic, we've got to move on to WIT Empowerment Day. WIT Empowerment Day has moved from the Dallas market to the Las Vegas Licensing Expo. And I truly hope it's found a permanent home here. What a perfect show for this event.
[00:29:44] Whitney Empowerment Day is an opportunity for aspiring toy and game creators to snag meetings with top toy companies and major retailers like Walmart and pitch their ideas directly to PD leads and buyers. PD is product development. I was lucky to be a [00:30:00] part of WIT Empowerment Day. I worked with Women in Toys Licensing and Entertainment to coordinate a pitch prep program to help prepare the attendees of Empowerment Day for Empowerment Day.
[00:30:12] And I had so many people coming up to me saying how valuable that prep and presentation was. And thank you so much for actually going through all of the material. Greatly appreciate you, and if you're interested in that, check out toycourses. com for more information. Now, WIT Empowerment Day this year included a hilarious stand up slash talk.
[00:30:34] I don't know if I'd call it a stand up or a talk, but it was by Barry and Jason, and they educated the attendees on the 10 tips for pitching ideas. You can check the toycoach. com slash blog for the pictures I snapped during their talk and it includes their 10 tips for pitching, but you've got to hear the talk.
[00:30:51] I'm not sure if there'll be a recording available, but it was hilarious. Now, the final piece I want to touch on about the Las Vegas [00:31:00] Licensing Expo has to do with marketing activations and special events. There are things during this expo like the opening party, the closing party, and then there are invite only brand parties.
[00:31:12] Now, I missed a number of activations because of my late arrival, right? But I did make it to April Shower's Afro Unicorn Party to celebrate her thriving brand. Now, there was something that I did not expect to see at this event, and it did leave me feeling disappointed, so I have to educate my listeners right now, and I hope that if this applies to you, you take this coaching and you listen to it and you follow it, okay?
[00:31:39] marketing event, I noticed a number of aspiring toy and game creators who decided to bring and display their own toy product at another toy creators event. This was really bad etiquette. It was a bad move. If you find yourself at an event hosted [00:32:00] by another brand, do not assume that this is an opportunity for you to bring, display, and push your own product.
[00:32:07] I'm going to say it is tacky, yes, all events are networking opportunities, but not all events are exhibiting opportunities. In these situations, think of it as if you've been invited to someone else's wedding. You wouldn't go to someone else's wedding and get married there, would you?
[00:32:27] So don't do this. You have to remember that everything costs something, and a move like this might not cost you money, but it could very well cost you your reputation and your invitation back to an event next year. So what you should do instead is Bring your business cards, network, exchange info, and consider yourself lucky that you can be in a room like this at the expense of another brand owner and learn from them.
[00:32:55] You can learn about how you can put on an event like this for [00:33:00] yourself.
[00:33:00] Alright, here we are, finally, at the end of the episode. And earlier I mentioned that I'm going to share a rare opportunity to walk your next toy trade show with me by your side, to answer your questions and help grow your network. I'm launching something that I'm temporarily calling the Toy Coach Trade Show Experience.
[00:33:18] It is going to be a three day guided trade show experience with me. That will include your show ticket, swag, a tour, and coaching. at your next toy trade show. We are going to start offering this experience at ChiTag in November, so if you're interested, email me. We will be limiting it to about seven people.
[00:33:41] And we're going to be offering a discount to the founding members of this new service for this next trade show only. Okay, so only for our first group that we take with us to ChiTag. Anyone can join, whether you are a TCA er or you are not, it's for anyone. It is [00:34:00] perfect if you're going to a trade show for the first time.
[00:34:03] Or if you're going to be going alone and you just want people by your side, specifically a coach, me, by your side, we're going to be identifying trends together, meeting each other, sharing your ideas, helping you find solutions, and more. Just imagine being able to walk a trade show and ask questions directly to someone who can answer them, who is walking alongside you.
[00:34:24] That's what you're going to get in this experience. So again, you can send me an email at hello at the toy coach. com and in the subject line say I'm interested in the toy show experience and I will know what you mean. Now, before I jump into the summary of today's episode, I want to take a quick break and give a shout out to Ryan L.
[00:34:42] Hamilton, who left a review and said, I've been in the toy industry for more than 20 years, and even so I get insights out of each episode of this podcast. It's great to hear deeper conversations with so many of the toy people that I know and love, and to learn more about aspects of our ever changing business at play.
[00:34:59] [00:35:00] Keep up the great work, Azhelle. Thank you, Ryan. I'm gonna keep it up. And if you love this podcast and you haven't already left a review or subscribed, what are you waiting for, my friend? Please hit that subscribe button and leave us a review wherever you're listening to this episode. I get the reviews sent to me in my email, and I love to read them on the podcast.
[00:35:19] To wrap up today's episode, let's dive into our summary of what we learned and some key takeaways to keep in mind if you ever find yourself at the Las Vegas Licensing Expo without anything to license. The very first lesson we learned why attend the licensing expo, even if licensing isn't a part of your business plan, attending the Las Vegas licensing expo can be incredibly valuable.
[00:35:40] It provides a unique opportunity to network, gain insights into the industry and learn from top professionals in licensing. I decided to go after realizing a potential. for networking with a highly respected industry leader, and it led to many more opportunities that I did not expect. Remember, this can be transformative for your [00:36:00] business.
[00:36:00] Number two, let's maximize that experience with organization. To get the most out of your trade show experience at the Las Vegas Licensing Expo, block your calendar so that you don't have any conflicting appointments while you're traveling to the show and to the show and at the show.
[00:36:16] Use a sub calendar if you still like to use some sort of a digital calendar to book meetings. Pre plan your schedule and block out for those Licensing Expo events. Arrive early, a day or two if you can, so you can acclimate and prepare. Then our third key takeaway or third lesson we want to walk away with is around asking the right questions when you network.
[00:36:38] When attending events like the Las Vegas Licensing Expo, the quality of your questions matters. Good questions are specific and relevant to your goals and the current state of the market. For example, instead of asking, how do I get a meeting with Walmart? We're going to ask, what conditions does Walmart look for when licensing a brand with a certain number of followers?
[00:36:58] The specificity shows [00:37:00] that you're prepared and helps the person who is offering their assistance to help you. Now, as I mentioned earlier, we're launching the Toy Coach Trade Show Experience. This is a unique guided experience at an upcoming toy trade show starting with ChiTag in November.
[00:37:15] It includes your show ticket, meals, swag, a tour, and coaching sessions with me. If you are interested, Email hello at thetoycoach. com. We're going to give a discount to the first founding members, the people who join us for this next show, and this experience is just perfect for you if you're a first time attendee or going alone to a show and you want to have a coach and a group by your side.
[00:37:38] And that is all the key takeaways for you this week, but I have an action item for you to do before next week. I want you to head over to the Licensing Expo website and register to get information about the Licensing Expo for 2025.
[00:37:51] Yes, you can already sign up via the link. I will put the link in the show notes. Again, go to thetoycoach. com forward slash 222. [00:38:00] Get that link and send me a message and let me know that you did it. I want to know if you registered. I will cheer you on. As always, thank you so much for spending this time with me today.
[00:38:10] I know your time is valuable and that there are a ton of podcasts out there, so it truly means the world to me that you tune into this one. Until next week, I'll see you later, toy people.
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