TIM LESMEISTER - Trade Show Executive

Special Report
Part V of a
ten-part report
on building
attendance at
trade shows
How the Licensing Show Emerged as
The Global Destination
for the Licensing Industry
By Sandi Cain, News Editor
License to Deal. Licensing International Expo is a global gathering place for a market that is still maturing.
Digital communications make brands recognizable worldwide.
The Licensing International Expo has
grown in each of the last five years, but
like other shows, it faces a recessionstrapped
economy that is challenging
even the best marketers in growing
attendance for 2009.
But this show is different,
according to Georgiann Decenzo,
executive vice president, licensing,
market development and Europe, for
Advanstar Communications, Inc.
“Licensing is in its adolescence in
the U.S. but in its infancy overseas,”
she said. As a result, there’s a growing
interest from international companies
to promote their content in the U.S.
A populace increasingly enamored
of all things digital also spurs licensing
demand. The focus on “I” is the key:
iTunes, iPods, iPhones – they’re all
a part of the digital revolution that’s
turning every household into a true
Circuit City with a seemingly insatiable
appetite for new video games or Wii
workouts for all ages. Even Sesame Street
is licensing its episodes and educational
computer games.
In a quirky way, the U.S.
entertainment industry contributes
to the globalization of licensing as
various overseas brands like Teletubbies
and Pokemon were introduced to the
American public during entertainment
industry strikes. Decenzo said the
international market presence was
heavy during the writers’ strike in
22 March 2009 Trade Show Executive www.TradeShowExecutive.com