Page 17 - Toy & Hobby Magazine NovDec20Jan21_Mag

ABOVE: Virtual meetings have been a feature of 2020.
LEFT: Cheers! To virtual business.
LICENSING WEEK VIRTUAL & FESTIVAL OF LICENSING
As explored by Toy & Hobby Retailer in our special Licensing Edition, Licensing Week Virtual was one of the first licensing-based digital shows, which replaced the annual Las Vegas Licensing Expo.
Organisers, Informa Markets, launched the show after just 10 weeks of prep, Global Licensing Group VP Anna Knight says.
“Our ability to produce an event of this scale in a few weeks’ time is the result of an all-hands- on-deck global effort, not only from the Global Licensing Group, but the depth of support received from our partners, specifically industry trade association Licensing International, and the licensing community,” she explains.
This support allowed the business to create a strong virtual show, securing more than 4000 global attendees, Knight adds.
“The level of engagement across all five days
of the conference and exhibition was strong and consistent, securing 4,477 attendees globally from the US, UK, Mexico, and more, with attendees spending, on average, 23 hours on the event platform.
“The calibre of speakers across the toy and entertainment industry – ViacomCBS Consumer Products, BuzzFeed Tasty, Sesame Workshop, Peanuts Worldwide, and more – coupled with the immense opportunity licensing poses
right now as consumers are investing in and showcasing loyalty to brands amid pandemic, attracted noted attendees from Build a Bear Workshop, C&A, Selfridges, Target, Toys R Us, among other world-renowned retailers.
“Most striking, however, was the 3000+ virtual video meetings scheduled throughout the event reinforcing the foundational importance of business connections to the permanence of the licensing industry,” she says.
to make genuine connections on the platform. “The PowerStation team had a packed
schedule and made more meaningful connections at Europe week – resulting in a deal already being signed with plenty more in the pipeline. We [were especially] looking forward to seeing what the Americas show would bring for us as an exhibitor,” she says.
2020 TOY & GAME INTERNATIONAL
INNOVATION SUMMIT
People of Play’s 2020 Toy & Game International Innovation Summit provided attendees a final opportunity to connect with each other while engaging with a rich collection of content.
The event, which took place from 16-20 November 2020 saw 200 speakers from 17 countries share their insights across 35 panels.
Following on from
the success of Licensing Week Virtual, Global Licensing Group expanded its capabilities, launching the month-long Festival of Licensing in October.
In fact, I was invited to speak on the State of “Most striking, was the 3000+
Each week of the show covered a different region of the world,
offering exhibitors and attendees the opportunity to network and conduct business with a global audience.
Taking the place of Brand Licensing Europe, the festival generated some 25,000 meeting requests from more than 300 exhibitors and brands including Barbie, Cheetos and FC Barcelona.
Speaking on participating in the show, exhibitor PowerStation Studios global account director Claire Bradbury says that the business was able
the Industry: What’s Working Now panel, to share successful strategies from the Australian retail, manufacturer and toy media sectors.
Speaking on the strategies discussed, moderator and global toy trend hunter Reyne Rice says that the insights can be replicated in other markets.
“We gathered over 115 years of experience, with a group of six esteemed international trend experts, editors and publishers to discuss what’s working now, during the pandemic. Together, our regional and global insights reflect real and current solutions.” she says. ❉
virtual meetings scheduled throughout the event.”
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER / JANUARY 2021 TOY & HOBBY RETAILER 17