World's leading licensing trade show convenes amid growth in global licensing industry

People visit Licensing Expo 2024 in Las Vegas, the United States, on May 21, 2024. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

The show offers opportunities for retailers, licensees, and manufacturers to identify future trends, connect with the world's most influential entertainment, character, art, and corporate brand owners, and secure deals.

LAS VEGAS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of leading retailers, manufacturers and licensees from around the globe are gathering in Las Vegas, U.S. state of Nevada, this week for Licensing Expo 2024, the world's premier licensing trade show.

The show, running from Tuesday to Thursday, offers opportunities for retailers, licensees, and manufacturers to identify future trends, connect with the world's most influential entertainment, character, art, and corporate brand owners, and secure deals.

Over 5,000 brands showcased at the expo in Mandalay Bay Convention Center, including Hasbro, Paramount and Crayola, and new exhibitors like Liquid Death, Fandom and LEGO.

A series of networking events, keynotes, panels and immersive brand experiences are held during the expo to define future trends of the global licensing industry.

To celebrate the concept of play, the 2024 expo's theme is "Brands at Play," which aims to spotlight the incredible innovations in play, the power it holds in every stage of life and the creativity it allows when building brands.

People pose for photos at the Licensing Expo 2024 in Las Vegas, the United States, on May 21, 2024. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

"Licensing Expo is engineered to bring the brand licensing community together to network, sign deals and further the brand licensing industry," said Ella Haynes, event director at Global Licensing Group.

Chinese brands are participating in the trade show with their licensed products, programs and characters, including ROBBiART, Smart Zone Limited, and JAST Company Limited.

"It's our first time participating at Licensing Expo. We hope to reach out to more potential customers and designers to explore cooperation. We also expect to introduce Chinese brands, designs and arts to the world," Rhea He, CEO of ROBBiART, told Xinhua.

Lots of visitors have shown interest in the Chinese licensing market, and plan to participate in Licensing Expo China 2024, which is scheduled for July 17 to 19 in Shanghai.

"Many exhibitors we reached out in Las Vegas are interested in exploring the huge potential of China's licensing market," Blues Chen, project manager of Licensing Expo Shanghai, told Xinhua.

Licensing Expo 2024 is held as licensing industry continues to expand across the globe.

In 2023, global sales of licensed merchandise and services reached 356.5 billion U.S. dollars, up 4.6 percent compared to 2022, according to a report released at the expo.

For more than 40 years, Licensing Expo has connected the world's most influential entertainment, character, art, and corporate brand owners and agents with consumer goods manufacturers, licensees and retailers.