From fresh strategies to ground-breaking partnerships, the Sanrio Summit in Melbourne set the stage for a new era of local brand expansions.
The licensing industry gathered in Melbourne on Monday March 3rd at Cargo Hall in South Wharf – joined by Sanrio executives from Japan and Europe; brought together a dynamic group of key brand partners & industry leaders for an exclusive event focused on celebrating the Sanrio brand success and more importantly the next big chapter in the Sanrio story. With thought-provoking presentations from Sanrio executives on upcoming new content, the summit enticed evolving strategies, new initiatives and collaborative opportunities that will drive the future licensing and brand engagement across both Hello Kitty and Friends and Mr. Men Little Miss.
Off the back of an incredible 50th Anniversary year for Hello Kitty in Australia and New Zealand in 2024 – Haven presented their strategic success, showcasing a myriad of local and global partnerships driven by their dedicated team and licensees – all beautifully executed by an impressive array of retailers. With 2025 showing no signs of slowing down – the Haven team are already building another incredible year of success, expanding on the next cadence of Sanrio characters; My Melody, Kuromi, Cinnamoroll and Pompompurin.
Mr. Men Little Miss is also set to surge in 2025/2026, with new content formats in development, as well as new local and global partnerships that showcase the true uniqueness of the brand: colourful, fun characters that play to personality types.
The 2025 Sanrio Licensing Awards were also presented at the event and a big congratulations to the following winners:
- Best Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary Promotion — Vicinity Centres: Chadstone Shopping Centre
- Best Softlines Licensee — Mitch Dowd
- Best Hardlines Licensee – Headstart
- Best Retail Execution — Cotton On
- Best Fashion Retailer — Jay Jays, and their supplier: Empire Apparel
