Licensing Expo 2012 to Host 400 Global Brand Licensors

LOS ANGELES, May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Licensing Expo 2012 (www.licensingexpo.com), the licensing industry's largest annual event, will be held next month June 12-14, at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. For more than 30 years, Licensing Expo has brought together retailers, manufacturers, brand owners and marketers looking to find new intellectual properties and brands, experience the latest trends, and initiate deals that will drive an estimated $200 billion in retail sales expected this year.

Kathy Ireland, CEO and chief designer of kathy ireland Worldwide, will deliver the keynote address on Tuesday, June 12, at 8:30 a.m., to share how she turned her name into a $2 billion a year licensing empire.

As the popularity of licensed products continues to grow globally, both retailers and licensors are expanding their licensing initiatives to capitalize on this compelling industry. Whether expanding a brand, opening new markets or driving revenue, licensing has become a key growth strategy for businesses of all sizes.

No other trade show has such a wide spectrum of industries represented. Licensing Expo attendees can connect with industries, exhibitors and brands, such as:

• Entertainment: BBC, Cartoon Network, CBS, Disney, DreamWorks, Lucasfilm, Paramount, Power Rangers, SeaWorld, Sony, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Studios, Warner Bros.
• Gaming: Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Angry Birds, Call of Duty
• Toys/Children: Mattel, Hasbro, Nickelodeon, Barney
• Fashion and Beauty: Sketchers, Matthew Williamson, Covergirl, Cherokee, Paul Frank
• Celebrity: Creative Artists Agency, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Muhammad Ali Enterprises
• Automotive: Lamborghini, Volkswagen, Ferrari, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Jeep
• Sports: ESPN, NBA, NASCAR, Liverpool Football Club
• Trademarks: Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Goodyear, Kellogg's
• Music: Live Nation, Fender Guitars, American Idol, Michael Jackson, Eminem, Usher, Lady Gaga
• Publishing: Conde Nast, Hearst, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Rodale

Licensing Expo also offers attendees more than 30 free classes through Licensing University, which teaches a variety of topics including retailing strategies, the legal side of licensing and extending brands globally.

Licensing Expo Resources:

• Exhibitor information: www.licensingexpo.com/licensing-expo/content/exhibitor-information
• Licensing University: www.licensingexpo.com/licensing-expo/education/licensing-university
• Travel and Housing: www.licensingexpo.com/licensing-expo/content/travel-housing
• Press registration: licuspress.advanstar.com  

Hosting attendees from more than 90 countries, with 600 licensing agents, the Licensing Expo gives attendees the ability to spot trends, build strategic partnerships, secure promotional tie-ins and connect with properties worldwide.

For more Licensing Expo news and live updates from the show, follow @LicensingExpo or like www.facebook.com/licensinginternationalexpo, and download the License '12 smartphone app.

About Licensing Expo:

Licensing Expo (www.licensingexpo.com) is the licensing industry's largest annual event. A trade show for leveraging properties and brand equity to develop merchandise, Licensing Expo attracts more than 400 exhibitors representing more than 5000 brands and properties in entertainment; sports; fashion and apparel; publishing; art and design; automotive; animation/anime; home and housewares; and lifestyle. Exhibitors include Fortune 500 consumer brands, film studios, publishing houses and other creative agencies. Attendees from more than 80 countries represent the world's leading retailers, licensees, manufacturers, distributors and licensing agents. The show is owned and organized by Advanstar Communications, Inc., is sponsored by the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA), and is affiliated with License! Global magazine.

SOURCE Advanstar Communications