The Smiley Co., Alibaba, and Authentic Brands Group revealed as first keynotes for Festival of Licensing

The world’s largest retailer, Alibaba is joining the iconic Smiley brand, and the global brand management company, Authentic Brands Group as the first keynotes to be revealed for this year’s Festival of Licensing Live Stage agenda.

A month-long virtual celebration of the global licensing industry running from October 6th to 29th, Festival of Licensing incorporates three regional events linked to the world’s biggest markets – Europe, Asia and the Americas – and culminates with the global C-suite and executive-level virtual conference, Licensing Leadership Summit.

The Smiley Company, the French brand that has been on the scene since the 1970s, will open the festival and kick off the event’s Europe content with its slot at 9am on October 6th. 

Alibaba will take centre stage for the first day of the Asia week, while ABG will headline day one of the Americas week. Live Stage sponsor, Crunchyroll will keynote the America’s second day of content with a discussion around anime.

Festival of Licensing will also include educational content from event sponsor Licensing International, the leading trade association for the global licensing industry, working to foster the growth and expansion of licensing around the world.

“To have businesses of this stature, who are globally known and respected throughout licensing and beyond, headlining on the Festival of Licensing Live Stage is phenomenal. We couldn’t have asked for more,” said Anna Knight, vice president, licensing, Informa Markets.

“We have amazing regional sessions confirmed, as well, including fantastic panels. This is just the start. We have another four weeks to go and a tonne more keynotes and content yet to announce. It’s going to be an incredible line up with some truly inspirational sessions and can’t-miss educational content.”

 
 
Week 1: 6-8 October – Europe, powered by Brand Licensing Europe
Tuesday 6 October, 9am BST
Keynote presentation: Putting Purpose into your Licensing Programme
Nicolas Loufrani, Founder and CEO, The Smiley Company. Additional special guests to be announced.
Wednesday 7 October, 9am BST
Keynote panel: How the Sports Industry Swerved the Biggest Brand Disruption of Recent History
Joan Carrera Lopez, Senior Manager, Retail & CPG Licensing, Formula 1®; Tim Ellerton, Commercial Director, Team GB; + more panellists to be announced
On-demand sessions available from Tuesday, 6 October, 9am BST, including:
 What do Gamers Want?
Dan Amos, Head of Esports, Difuzed. Additional panellists to be announced.
Moderator: Ben Roberts, Content Editor, EMEA, License Global
Building a Long-Term Programme: What do Licensors Need to Do?
Nikki Samuels, CEO, factory; Ruth Golightly, Head of Buying, Children’s Clothing, Asda/George; Ashley Holman, Managing Director, Riverside Brands; Gabrielle Sims, Licensing Director, Fatface
Moderator: Richard Pink, Managing Director, Pink Key Licensing
Richard Pink said: “More than anything else, a brand will want to develop a licensing programme that has longevity. The licensing industry is littered with programmes that ran out of steam and fell by the wayside; our panel, with experts from each of the core components of a programme – brand, agent, licensee and retailer – will give you their view on what a licensor needs to put in place to ensure their licensing programme not only has legs but also, crucially, has the stamina to last the course.”
Week 2: 14-15 October – Asia, powered by Licensing Expo China and Licensing Expo Japan
 Wednesday, 14 October, 2pm CST
Keynote presentation : How Alibaba, China’s eCommerce Giant, Embraces Licensing
Alex Tsai, Head Of Partnerships And Licensing, Americas And Europe, Alibaba/Alifish

On-demand sessions available from Wednesday 14 October, 2pm CST

 

Understanding China’s eCommerce Ecosystem for Licensing
Moderator: Sky Canaves, Editor, Content Commerce Insider. Additional panellists to be announced.
Week 3: 20-22 October – Americas, powered by Licensing Expo
Tuesday, 20 October, 9am PST
Keynote presentation
Jarrod Weber, Chief Business Officer and President, Lifestyle, Authentic Brands Group
Wednesday, 21 October, 9am PST
Keynote presentationAnime 101: Breaking Down the Hottest Pop Culture Medium
John Leonhardt, Head of Consumer Products, Crunchyroll
Moderator: Amanda Cioletti, Event and Content Director, Licensing, Informa Markets
On-demand sessions available from Tuesday, 20 October, 9am PST, including:
What do Licensees Want?
A broad look at the licensing landscape and unique business terms in light of COVID-19, unpredictable entertainment calendars, the current retail climate and the growth of e-commerce.
Moderator: Steven Heller, Founder, The Brand Liaison. Additional panellists to be announced.
Doing Business in Latin America: Trade Promotion and Export Assistance to U.S. Brands
Sandra Tinajero, Economic and Commercial Section, U.S. Embassy to Quito
 What do Retailers Want in Latin America?
Hear from some major retailers in Latin America about what they look for when it comes to licensing.
Moderator : Dalia Benbassett, Vice President, Corporate Relations and Acquisitions, Tycoon Enterprises. Additional panellists to be announced.
Lightning on a Canvas: How Bob Ross Became an Icon of the New Generation
Cynthia Modders, President and Founder, Firefly Brand Management
Weeks 1-3 – On-demand session available from Tuesday, 6 October, 9am BST
A series of sessions curated by industry trade association Licensing International will also be available to view on demand during all three regional weeks.
What you Need to Know to do Business in… (Series)
This series will include 15- to 20-minute on-demand sessions covering information on market size, local licensing and retail trends, business practices and much more, for the following regions:
  • Europe: France, Russia and Germany
  • Asia: Japan, China and India
  • Americas: Brazil and Mexico
Basics of Licensing (Series)
Licensing 101 on-demand sessions will be available to view in local languages, including English, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese and Spanish.
 Maura Regan, president, Licensing International, said: “We are again delighted to partner with the Global Licensing Group to provide best-in-class information and educational resources advancing the business of licensing for professionals in every market. Through our network of global representatives and associates, we’re preparing a slate of regionally focused content that will help executives new to the industry, as well as those looking to expand their business to new parts of the world. There truly will be something for everyone.”

Raydar Media teases new partners for pre-school hit Buddi as season two lands on Netflix

Raydar Media, the rights holder and licensing management business for the early pre-school property, Buddi, is poised to reveal a slate of new consumer product partners throughout this year’s Festival of Licensing, as the series prepares to return to Netflix for season two this month.

Season two of Buddi sees PAW Patrol creator, Keith Chapman return to the early pre-school scene and join forces with Unanico Studios and series creator, Jason Jameson, as the trio continue to develop the series and its focus on emotional intelligence in younger years children. As well as exploring feelings throughout each episode, the second season will also feature special night-time episodes, as well as explore new lands.

Buddi is a non-dialogue show in which the characters express themselves with giggles and coos, giving the show universal appeal, and allowing its pre-school audience to apply their own versions of the character’s conversations to the show by using their imaginations.

It’s billed as an inclusive show with diverse character shapes and vibrant colours that uses teamwork and positivity to help the Buddis overcome problems as they interact with one another. Season two of the show will launch worldwide on Netflix from September 11th, bringing eight new episodes to Buddi fans.

The look and style of Buddi takes inspiration from the landscapes and nature of Scandinavia, taken from creator Jason Jameson’s own time spent in Finland. As a result, the Buddis all have secret Finnish names.

Raydar Media is currently managing the rights to Buddi in collaboration with Unanico, Keith Chapman, GCI Film, FroG-Land Productions, Shanghai Motion Magic, and Spider Eye Studios. Raydar has stated that it is Buddi’s ownership of its early pre-school credentials, ‘combined with its stunning and unique visual style,’ that has triggered the strong reaction from broadcasters and consumer products partners.

Raydar is now preparing to announce a sweep of partnerships for the pre-school property in the follow up to MIP Junior and this year’s Festival of Licensing.

ViacomCBS Consumer Products brings yoga and an MTV workout to Festival of Licensing’s Community & Wellbeing programme

If you thought that the all-virtual nature of this year’s Festival of Licensing meant simply sitting in front of a computer screen, you’d better think again, because ViacomCBS  – sponsors of the event’s Community and Wellbeing programme – is challenging you to don the yoga pants, dig-out the neon headbands, and take a break from the serious stuff with its most iconic brands.

This October will see ViacomCBS Consumer Products swap the usual networking session for a perhaps more cathartic programme of three complementary sessions when Festival of Licensing kicks off its four-week run, delivering a Family Friendly Dance and Yoga session that will draw from its library of Nick Jr. exercise videos, encouraging festival goers to take a break from business and have fun and exercise with the kids.

If you’re in need of something a little more high-energy however, the firm is also hosting a Retro Workout Class, featuring iconic MTV products in a workout class complete with an MTV soundtrack taken straight from the ’80s and ’90s. ViacomCBS will round it all off with a special self care session directly from the ViacomCBS Wellness studio itself.

On top of all of this, the programme will also feature Business mentoring and advice clinics in which festival goers can take advantage of the advice clinics offering legal, financial, and career advice, as well as speed networking sessions for those looking for new job opportunities.

The programme will be concluded with the Global charity fundraiser in support of The Light Fund, Magic Wheelchair, and Licensing International Small Business Global Grants Fund.

“We’re delighted to be working alongside ViacomCBS to bring valuable – and much needed – community and wellbeing content to Festival of Licensing attendees from all the over the world,” said Anna Knight, VP Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets. 

“Surviving through Covid has been incredibly challenging for many – whether financially, physically or emotionally – and it’s important that Festival both acknowledges this and provides meaningful support where we can.”

Festival of Licensing runs online from 6-29 October 2020. Brands who are interested in exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities should visit www.festivaloflicensing.com. Free visitor registration is also open at www.festivaloflicensing.com.

Hasbro joins Festival of Licensing with new Peppa Pig content, PJ Masks toy plans and more

Hasbro will be joining the Festival of Licensing virtual event – the four-week digital event that will run throughout October and replace Brand Licensing Europe this year – to present the latest opportunities across its portfolio of brands including Nerf, My Little Pony, Play-Doh, Monopoly, Transformers, and Power Rangers.

Also being showcased under Hasbro this year will be the 2020 acquisition of Entertainment One and its popular pre-school numbers Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, and Ricky Zoom.

The licensor will look to highlight its continued efforts to innovate and expand the ways it brings brands to life through music, publishing, promotions, digital and location-based entertainment alongside an array of consumer products spanning key categories, including toys and games, fashion and lifestyle, homewares, health and beauty, FMCG and gifts, and increasingly, personalised products.

Milestone anniversaries, including the 35th anniversary of Transformers in 2021 and the 85th anniversary of Monopoly commencing Q4 2020, give cause for timely celebration and will be leveraged with exciting collaborations, consumer promotions and retail activations.

Meanwhile, it’s game on for Nerf  as the property is on target for rapid expansion across multiple categories. Hasbro continues to cement its position as an active lifestyle and sports brand with cross-generational appeal and huge consumer relevance as health and wellbeing trends prevail.

Next up, the world of Equestria is expanding to introduce a new generation of ponies to a new generation of fans. With more humor, heart, and music than ever before, Hasbro hopes that audiences will be swept away by the new cast of ponies and the incredible adventure that awaits them. Fall in love with My Little Pony all over again when the all-new, computer-animated theatrical feature hits theaters everywhere in September 2021.

It’s still ‘Go Go Power Rangers’ in 2021 as Season 28 of the enduring hit show debuts. Power Rangers: Dino Fury journeys back to the core roots of the brand with the action being led by the original five rangers. The popularity of the show, beloved by so many kids for so many years, is driven by Hasbro’s commitment to new content but also the vast back catalogue which is streamed on Netflix and therefore continually accessed by a huge worldwide audience.

A new global brand theme for Peppa Pig entitled Peppa’s Adventures is kicking off in 2021, as a celebration of all the places that Peppa, her family and friends have visited since the show began. With trips to the USA lined up in the future, combined with a library of existing content, Peppa’s Adventures is a way for fans to explore and discover the world around them.

New series premieres will be rolling out for Ricky Zoom throughout the year and excitement for the expansion of the brand’s consumer products programme – driven by the strength and reach of best-in-class broadcast partners across the region – will follow the phased roll-out of toys in all key markets in 2020, as secondary categories will be available from SS21.

Finally, a robust plan is in place for PJ Masks which will be boosted by Series 4, set to launch this Q4, the Disney+ roll out in multiple territories, and Series 5 global launch coming in 2021. In a first for the company, Hasbro will be launching its first toy range for the brand with a core range of exciting new products hitting retail for AW21.

Children’s charity NSPCC is entering the licensing space with Festival of Licensing launch

The National Children’s charity, the NSPCC is entering the commercial licensing market for the first time, with plans to launch itself into the space at next month’s Festival of Licensing Europe.

The brand will be lead by the NSPCC’s Pantosaurus mascot, a bright yellow, friendly dinosaur known by millions that encourages parents, carers, and teachers to #TalkPANTS and help to keep children safe from abuse. The dynamic, pants-wearing dinosaur is on a mission to share the message, and to help support children to recognise what abuse is.

#TalkPANTS is an annual campaign created by the NSPCC that gives parents, carers and teachers the support they need to explain the Underwear Rule to young children aged four to eight in a simple and age-appropriate way, without using any scary words or even mentioning sex. 

Each letter of PANTS provides a simple but valuable rule, highlighting that their body belongs to them, that they have a right to say no, and that they should tell an adult they trust if they’re worried or upset.

The licensing programme for Pantosaurus is launching with the agents for the brand, Edutainment Licensing, at the upcoming Festival Of Licensing.

The NSPCC worked with Aardman, best known for being the team behind the famous Wallace and Gromit films, to create the Pants song and video. Featuring Pantosaurus, his family and friends in animated games and dancing, the two-minute upbeat song and catchy lyrics convey the important message in a fun, engaging way that once heard, is never forgotten.

Through a £3 million total media spend across six annual campaigns, the measured awareness of #TalkPANTS and Pantosaurus has successfully reached 2.7 million parents and carers with more than 8 million video views. The PANTS song and video has been used in mass marketing campaigns, the most recent being in August 2020.

“Our licensing strategy for Pantosaurus is underpinned by the huge awareness of the #TalkPANTS campaign, identifying licensees which share the NSPCC brand values,” said Clive Gardiner, head of digital, NSPCC.

“Since COVID19, demand for the NSPCC’s services have reached an all-time high, and it has become necessary to rapidly adapt to the changed times and find new ways to build awareness, spread important messages and generate income so the NSPCC can continue to still be here for children. Working with exciting specialist partners through commercial licensing for the first time can help achieve this.”

Research has demonstrated that Pantosaurus products will help children learn and remember the PANTS rules at their own pace. Many children are visual learners, and licensed products will give parents and teachers an easy, natural way to bring Pantosaurus and his messages into everyday life without scary words.

“It’s better to have these chats little and often and adapt it as the child gets older,” said Denise Deane, owner at Edutainment Licensing. “It will help to reinforce the messages and make sure they remember them.”

Hasbro, Pokemon and Penguin Ventures among first exhibitors taking part in Festival of Licensing

Hasbro, The Pokemon Company, Penguin Ventures, and the Natural History Museum are among just some of the biggest names to be taking part in the new virtual Festival of Licensing running this October and taking the place of Brand Licensing Europe this year.

Brands from across the entertainment, publishing, gaming, sport, lifestyle, and heritage licensing fields have now confirmed their attendance and taken up their exhibition slots at the digital gathering which this year will run all online from October 6th to 29th. The event is to be hosted by Global Licensing Group in partnership with Licensing International.

Acamar Films, Chupa Chups, NBA Properties, Sega Europe, Start Licensing, and Yale are among those to have already registered to exhibit.

“Many great business opportunities have stemmed from the connections we have made at Brand Licensing Europe,” said Maxine Lister, head of licensing, Natural History Museum. “This year, especially, it is important for us to continue expanding our partnerships and develop new ways for the public to connect with the natural world through our 80 million specimens.

“We are thrilled to be taking part in Festival of Licensing and look forward to new business opportunities to evolve our licensing strategy.”

Registration for the four-week long celebration of global licensing also opens today at www.festivaloflicensing.com where attendees can opt to attend any or all of the Festival’s three regionally tailored events for Europe, Asia and the Americas, as well as the Licensing Leadership Summit:

  • Week 1: 6-8 October – Europe, powered by Brand Licensing Europe
  • Week 2: 14-15 October – Asia, powered by Licensing Expo China and Licensing Expo Japan
  • Week 3: 20-22 October – North America and Latin America, powered by Licensing Expo
  • Week 4: 28-29 October – Global C-suite virtual conference – Licensing Leadership Summit

“The feedback we have received about Festival of Licensing since announcing it just four weeks ago has been incredible and we are thrilled to be able to announce such an amazing first roster of exhibitors,” said Anna Knight, vice president, Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets. “This is only the beginning – we have another seven weeks till ‘doors open’ – so there will be a lot more news, and surprises, coming down the line.”

 

Exhibitors confirmed to date Include:

 

  • Acamar Films
  • Asgard Media
  • Bioworld
  • Brainbase
  • Brandgenuity
  • CAA-GBG
  • Chupa Chups, S.A Unipersonal
  • CPLG/Wildbrain
  • Crunchyroll Europe
  • Cyber Group Studios
  • Dependable Solutions
  • Design Plus
  • Edutainment
  • Hasbro
  • Herschend Entertainment Studios
  • J Patton
  • KOCCA
  • Licensing Works
  • LoCoco Licensing
  • Natural History Museum
  • NBA Properties Inc
  • Octane5
  • Opsec
  • Penguin Ventures
  • Pokemon
  • Sega Europe
  • Start Licensing
  • Tesa Scribos
  • UCLA
  • Xilam
  • Yale
  • Zolan Licensing Agency

Brands who are interested in exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities can visit www.festivaloflicensing.com for more information.

Funko, Ryan’s World, and MoMA among first Licensing Leadership Summit speakers confirmed

The first speakers for this year’s new-format Licensing Leadership Summit have been confirmed, with representatives from the Museum of Modern Art, Funko, Ryan’s World and more on the bill for the virtual event. The summit will be the closing event of this year’s all-virtual Festival of Licensing and will take place on October 28th and 29th 2020.

The summit is the only virtual conference to unite C-level executives from the world’s largest players across manufacturing, retail and brands to discuss, debate and collaborate on the future of brand licensing. It will take place in the last week of the four-week Festival of Licensing virtual event taking place throughout October.

Drawing from modern art and youth culture to tackle top brand licensing trends and topics such as TikTok, eSports and gaming, to evergreens like museum licensing, early Licensing Leadership Summit speakers will include:

Robin Sayetta, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) – Different by Design: MoMA’s Modern Approach to Museum Licensing

Lauren Winarski, Funko –I Want it Now!: Using the Fan to Expand Distribution

Stone Newman, Pocket.watch, and Shion Kaji, Ryan’s World – Influencers: Are they Delivering on their Brand Promise?

Chris Petrovic, Zynga – How Games Ate the Licensing World

Maca Rotter, Panaderia – Esports: The Hottest New Licensing Category

Greg Goodfried, UTA – Session on TikTok

Sid Kaufman, UTA, and Stevin John (Blippi), YouTube star – Digital Talent: The Future

Max Luthy, Trendwatching – Finding Opportunity in the Overwhelm: Key Trends in Consumerism

Connie Chang, C-Life Group, and Tonya Kirby, Retro Brands – What Do Licensees Want?

The Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, the organisation behind Licensing Leadership Summit and Festival of Licensing, is calling for additional speakers now and are asked to visit Call For Papers to submit for topics or speaking opportunities.

Amanda Cioletti, event and content director, Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets, said: “As with everything, if you look in the right places, there is always a silver lining. Transitioning Licensing Leadership Summit online and bringing live broadcast content to our attendees means our event is now more accessible than ever to a truly global C-suite audience, which means more diversity of speakers, more opportunities to connect and richer content on offer. We are excited for our speakers and content to reflect a world vision of the future of the brand licensing industry.”

Anna Knight, vice president, Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets, added: “The Licensing Leadership Summit will bring together leaders and decision makers from around the world with the experience, expertise and influence to shape the future of the industry. They will analyze the huge, world-changing events of 2020 including, of course, the impact of COVID-19, and draw on key learnings from the previous three weeks of Festival of Licensing to drive strategic direction for this sector in 2021.

“It is an unmissable two-day event for all senior leaders working directly or indirectly with the licensing industry to play a critical role in ensuring this sector is fighting fit for a future beyond the pandemic.”

Delegate information can be found at www.licensingleadershipsummit.com

Brand Licensing Europe 2020 to be all-virtual event called Festival of Licensing

Brand Licensing Europe will not be taking place in its physical form this year, but has transitioned to an all-virtual, four-week long global event called Festival of Licensing.

Running from October 6th to 29th this year, the large scale virtual gathering promises to be ‘the most inclusive global licensing event to date,’ and a ‘never-before-seen celebration of the business of brand licensing,’ that will be held in partnership with the industry trade association Licensing International.

Festival of Licensing builds off of the momentum of the Global Licensing Group’s Licensing Week Virtual event which took place in June this year in place of the Las Vegas Licensing Expo. The Festival of Licensing will comprise of four regionally tailored events in key licensing territories.

Week one will run 6th to 8th of October with its focus on the European market, powered by Brand Licensing Europe. Week two will be Asia focused running from 14th to 15th October and powered by Licensing Expo China and Licensing Expo Japan. Week three will be powered by Licensing Expo and will place its focus on the North America and Latin America markets, running from October 20th to 22nd. The fourth week will be a Global C-suite virtual conference, powered by the Licensing Leadership Summit and will be held on October 28th to 29th.

  • Week 1: 6-8 October – Europe, powered by Brand Licensing Europe
  • Week 2: 14-15 October – Asia, powered by Licensing Expo China and Licensing Expo Japan
  • Week 3: 20-22 October – North America and Latin America, powered by Licensing Expo
  • Week 4: 28-29 October – Global C-suite virtual conference – Licensing Leadership Summit

The first three events will be time-zoned around the respective territories they serve and deliver visitors and exhibitors the chance for IP discovery with exclusive brand and property showcases from up to 200 exhibitors and the virtual take on the annual License This! and Pitch the Brands competition finals.

Content wise, Festival of Licensing will host live keynote headliners from the world’s most influential brands that address the most pressing topics of the current and changing business environment, more than 100 hours of live and on-demand, territory and category specific content to guide businesses through the new consumer landscape, and a retailer only space with exclusive content and expert Q&A sessions.

While it won’t entertain the usual Hand and Flower networking sessions, the virtual event will offer ‘thousands of opportunities to meet, do business and strike deals’ through the Festival Matchmaking Service, enabling both pre-planned online video meetings and impromptu exhibitor booth drop ins.

Ticking the Experiences box, while the planned theme of fashion will be postponed until Brand Licensing Europe comes back in its physical form next year, the Festival will host Fully Licensed! a programme of special live daily evening entertainment and experiences in each region. It will also host Community & Wellbeing, a celebration of the global licensing industry, a wide range of career/business advice and mentoring, an industry fundraiser and wellbeing workshops focused on our physical, nutritional, creative, psychological and social needs.

The festival will conclude with Licensing Leadership Summit taking place 28th to 29th October. Originally scheduled as an in-person, senior-level, global gathering of the industry’s C-Suite and thought-leaders from brands, agents, manufacturing and retail, the new virtual offering will draw on key learnings from the previous three weeks and future-looking topics that will facilitate debate and shape the future of the global licensing industry.

Informa Markets’ Global Licensing Group Vice President, Anna Knight, said: “We are incredibly excited to announce Festival of Licensing and proud of the opportunities and experiences it offers to the global licensing industry. Although the decision to transition Brand Licensing Europe to an all-virtual event was a difficult one and we will miss seeing everyone at ExCeL this year, I’m proud that we have a comprehensive offering in its place and look forward to the European event kicking off Festival of Licensing.

“We have had great feedback from June’s Licensing Week Virtual, so we know that there is huge potential and appetite for industry connection during this challenging time when meeting face-to-face is difficult. Our partners are telling us that driving domestic and international connections, discovering new IP and brands and learning how to navigate the new consumer landscape are paramount to the health of forward-planning for the business of brand licensing, and Festival of Licensing will support all of these needs.

“We also want Festival of Licensing to offer amazing experiences for everyone who joins us. One of the joys of virtual is that it can make the previously impossible possible, and we plan to use the power of the platform to fuel the imagination, delight and inspire in a fitting celebration of this industry and the people within it.”

Maura Regan, President, Licensing International, added: “This global virtual event is an exciting platform to provide our members and the broader industry with the connections and tools to continue to move their business forward. Our industry is truly global, and this event promises to bring us all together (while apart) designed expressly to engage and facilitate smart business in real time, regardless of where in the world you may be.”

Brands who are interested in exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities should visit www.festivaloflicensing.com