Character & Entertainment Brands Take Spotlight at Licensing Expo

SANTA MONICA: Among the character and entertainment brands being showcased at this year’s Licensing Expo in Las Vegas are Alvin and the Chipmunks, Garfield, Minions, My Little Pony, The Smurfs and SpongeBob SquarePants.

Other brands being put in the spotlight include Angry Birds, Dr. Seuss, Hot Wheels, Sonic the Hedgehog, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Thomas & Friends, Transformers and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Some of these characters will take part in the annual Licensing Expo Character Parade, held at select times throughout the show.

Jessica Blue, the senior VP of licensing at UBM, said: “Licensed products account for $241.5 billion in total retail sales worldwide, with 44.4 percent of that from character entertainment brands. Licensing Expo provides an opportunity for these brands to showcase new concepts and evergreen franchises, to update existing partners and find new ones.”

Pete Yoder, the VP of Cartoon Network Enterprises for North America, added: “Each year, Licensing Expo is a critical event on Cartoon Network’s planning calendar. It provides the perfect platform to showcase our ever-broadening portfolio of hit brands, whether at our highly anticipated partner summit, or our impactful presence on the show floor. This year, we look forward to celebrating our successful launch of The Powerpuff Girls, making key announcements around global franchises like Ben 10 and Adventure Time, and introducing Adult Swim’s breakout hit Rick and Morty to the licensing community.”