Licensing Expo Highlights Trend-Driven Apparel in Latest Show

Fashion was the theme of the show for 2023, as Licensing Expo hosted a new perspective on trend-driven apparel and drove the conversation of what licensing means in the apparel industry.

TRADE SHOW REPORTS

Christian Chensvold, Associate Editor | Thursday, June 29, 2023

The real money isn’t in what you create, it’s in what is created out of your creation. Namely, licensing.

Licensing Expo is the leading global event for licensing, IP, collaborations and brand extensions and experienced another far-reaching show June 13–15 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Organized by the Informa Markets Global Licensing Group and sponsored by the industry association Licensing International, the show drew nearly 12,000 unique attendees, a 13 percent increase over 2022’s total attendance and a return to numbers close to 2019’s pre-pandemic edition. The annual event also recorded the highest-quality attendance to date, with 60 percent of visitors being C-suite or director-level executives, coming in at 47 percent over 2019.

Over 1,150 retailers attended, including buyers from Walmart, Forever21, PacSun, Tilly’s, Ross, Hot Topic, Inditex, Bershka, Macy’s, Amazon, Kohl’s, Target, Fanatics, TJX Companies Inc., Lush, Coach and Primark.

The show saw over 6,800 meetings booked and hosted through its official matchmaking platform, which connected thousands of brands across entertainment, sports, gaming, publishing, automotive, toys, corporate brands, art, nonprofit and more.

“Amid increased attendance and a strong retailer presence, we saw significant business being done at this year’s Licensing Expo,” said Maura Regan, president of Licensing International. “Once again we saw firsthand how important it is for professionals from around the world to gather together.”

Fashion was the theme of the show for 2023, as Licensing Expo hosted a new perspective on trend-driven apparel and drove the conversation of what licensing means in the apparel industry. Over 60 brands were on display in the fashion showrooms including Emporio Armani, Crocs, Vans, Kathy Ireland, Butter Goods, Burberry and Lacoste, highlighting fashion products and new brand collaborations.