Licensing Expo to return to Las Vegas as in-person trade show in May

The Licensing Expo, the world’s largest licensing trade show, will return to Las Vegas May 24-26 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, event organizers announced.

The show, which attracts more than 5,000 brands and 16,000 retailers, licensees, manufacturers, distributors and licensing agents from more than 70 countries, hasn’t been held live in two years as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Past shows before the pandemic have drawn 25,000 people.

Organized by Informa Markets in partnership with the industry trade association Licensing International, the expo will reconvene for its 40th live edition with several new health and safety procedures in place.

“While we are still living and working during a pandemic, the health and safety of everyone attending Licensing Expo will remain our No. 1 priority, and this year’s event has been specifically designed to account for varying levels of attendee comfort with a range of options to suit, whether that’s a preference for one-on-one interaction or to maintain physical distance,” Anna Knight, vice president of licensing for Informa Markets, said in a Friday news release.

All Licensing Expo participants will be required to wear a face mask while indoors at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center and must present proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Mask wearing will be monitored by the Informa organizing team, which is also recommending that participants take a COVID-19 test before leaving their destination to travel to Las Vegas.

Onsite testing will be available off the show floor at the participants’ expense, and that can be used to enter the show or to fulfil any international or domestic pre-departure testing requirements.

Several companies and institutions have announced plans to attend this year’s show. They include ViacomCBS, Hasbro, Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Mattel, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Lego, Joester Loria Group, Beanstalk, Buzzfeed, The Pokémon Company, NFL Players Association, Games Workshop, Peanuts Worldwide, Bandai Namco Entertainment America, Frida Kahlo, Yale University, MGM Studios, Spin Master, BBC Studios, Crayola Properties, BrandComply fueled by Octane5, and TOPPS/Garbage Pail Kids.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.