Licensing China – a Shenzhen success story
With nearly 1500 exhibitors from eight countries and 72,000 visitors from 79 countries and regions, Licensing China, held at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Centre, once again proved a success, highlighting licensing opportunities in the Greater Bay Area.
According to the Shanghai Daily, China has now surpassed Germany as the world’s 4th largest licensing market, after the US, UK and Japan.
This year’s show was, once again, co-located with Toy & Hobby China and Baby & Stoller China. Located in Hall 16, the 6th edition of the fair enriched its offerings by broadening the exhibiting IP categories to include animation & character licensing, brand licensing, celebrity licensing, culture & art licensing, sports licensing and licensed products. Three returning pavilions formed part of the show, organised by Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), New Taipei City Computer Association (NTCA) and Taiwan Character Brand Licensing Association (TCBLA).
Meanwhile, AirAsia, Inter Milan, the Monkey King and other renowned IPs made their debuts as exhibiting brands. With more trendy toys and collectibles at Toy & Hobby China this year, exhibitors at Licensing China were able to profit from new opportunities for cross-industry IP collaborations and partnerships.
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Exhibiting at the Malaysian company’s first-ever licensing fair, AirAsia Brand Co’s CEO, Mr Rudy Khaw, highlighted the valuable opportunities gained through the cross-sector platform: “We received around 100 leads on the first day alone. Many of the buyers interested in our AirAsia Buds IP recreation and merchandise are mostly from China, but also from India, Canada, Europe and more. Seeing toys, hobby collections, baby strollers and so on all within the same space, I can see where there is relevance, and contacts and connections for potential licensors like ourselves. We get to connect with people across different industries, different sectors, and across age groups, and it can help expose us to more opportunities.”
On the licensee side, with almost 1,000 different licenses in its portfolio, American brand Funko aimed to strengthen its brand visibility at the show. Mr Andy Clempson, Vice President, Sales – Asia Pacific of Funko Far East Limited, exhibiting within the new zone, commented: “I think the rebranded fair is absolutely perfect for us, which was another great reason for us to launch here for the first time this year. Promoting our Funko and Loungefly accessory brands, we are attracting buyers. In terms of trendy toys and pop culture, this fair is a great avenue for future development.”
Mr Chao Cai, General Manager of Beijing Xiyou Meta Technology Development Co Ltd and Director of the Monkey King IP said, “As China’s manufacturing hub, Shenzhen’s thriving pop culture toy industry attracts highly pragmatic buyers seeking tangible collaborations. We’ve already engaged with dozens of manufacturers over the past two days. We’ve mainly met domestic buyers, but international clients – particularly from Southeast Asia, the Middle East and more – account for 20% to 30% of potential partnerships. The Monkey King IP is already well-recognised in Southeast Asia, demonstrating the strong cultural influence of Chinese culture across the region.”
Finally, the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) confirmed the success of the show. “During the three-day fairs, the business amount at the Korean Pavilion reached $34 million, more than doubling compared to last year. This achievement not only reaffirms the immense popularity of K-Character IP in the Chinese market but also demonstrates the strong competitiveness of Korea’s cultural content industry in the global market.”
Next year’s Licensing China will be held on 7 – 9 April, once again at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Centre – the world’s largest exhibition venue.
For information, visit https://licensing-china.hk.messefrankfurt.com/shenzhen/en.html
