Next Monday will see the Licensing Industry arrive at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Convention Centre. Since last year there has been a lot that has happened, not only in the licensing business but also in the world generally. We have seen Amazon launch their business as a serious retail contender in Australia, we saw the introduction of the first ever LIMA (now Licensing International) Licensing Awards in Australia & New Zealand and most recently, prior to Licensing Expo, we have seen The Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) rebrand as Licensing International.
Our latest edition of The Bugg Report Magazine, which will be available at Licensing Expo in the Media Zone on Tuesday the 4th of June as well as a digital magazine online, brings some great content to our readers and there are some really exciting new brands entering the business on a global scale. We have HeadStart who are working on developing their own brands and content including hairdooz, Micro Wheels and Best Furry Friends. We also had the chance to catch up with Alex Blaikie from ESL Gaming in Australia to learn all about esports and how many fans they have all around the world. It is a really interesting interview and something that is well worth reading as esports and ESL offer a huge amount of opportunity to the licensing business. Also on the agenda is an interview with Will De Pippo from Sesame Workshop, which looks at everything that is happening in the company all around the world! Interestingly Sesame Street will make their way into the circus this September and we spoke to Keith Brown from Showtime Attractions who told us all about this exciting new activation and what it means for Sesame Street, Showtime Attractions and fans all around Australia. Brands which have been developed in Australia and are now looking at the world stage include Mizzie The Kangaroo, Squatter, Bean About and The Wiggles. We have some great interviews and updates on these brands so please check them out. Some other interviews to check out are with Jacques and Marcel from MJM Australia, Debra Joester from Joester Loria Group and Sally Coates from Vimwood Australia. We also have a selection of articles as well which include Wide Eyes News from the Tube, According to Downsey and guest column looking at what customers want in the products they purchase in 2019. And finally we have market wrap from the NFLPA, Black Mint Licensing, Lisle Licensing and Centa IP.
We hope you get the chance to grab a copy and that you enjoy this edition of The Bugg Report Magazine and if you have a moment check out our Instagram page @buggreport where we will be posting some pictures and updates from Licensing Expo or subscribe to our email updates at www.buggreport.com.au to hear the latest from us throughout the show on all things brands and licensing.
