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Record-breaking Attendance Confirms July's Optimal Timing for Sourcing and
Licensing in Asia
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| Visitors
number reached 15,280 at the Hong Kong Licensing Show 2004 |
The 3rd
annual Hong Kong Licensing Show, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development
Council (HKTDC) from 6 to 8 July, recorded the best attendance rate ever.
The 3-day exhibition was held from 6th to 8th July and attracted a total of
15,280 visitors from 83 countries / regions. This represented an almost 100%
rise in number from 2003. The impressive increase in the number of visitors
reflected the shared synergy between the Licensing Show and the Summer Sourcing
Show, which were held concurrently. There was also strong showing from
retailers, wholesalers and traders to the Licensing Show, along with licensors,
licensees and licensing agents.
The Hong Kong Licensing Show featured more than 200 renowned brands, licensed
properties and licensing related services. The most popular properties were
animation and cartoon characters, followed by film characters, publishing and
online games. Exhibitor Mr. Patrick Tang of PMW-GB Agency, the licensing agent
for Warner Bros. In China/Hong Kong/Macau, said the excellent visitors' traffic
boosted his confidence in closing deals with potential partners met at the Show.
The annual, concurrently-held Conference, titled "Hong Kong on Asia: License to
Success", saw well-known industry players (such as Disney Consumer Products)
speaking on the latest developments and trends in the industry and sharing their
insights on licensing business in China. One of the speakers, Ms. Mandy Kwong of
ImagineX, remarked: "In 2003, the number of middle class (in Chinese mainland)
was about 110 million …. It is expected that by 2005, the figure will increase
to 200 million. Selecting the right location to start your business in the
mainland is a vital concern. With a good location, you are not only attracting
customers but also partners, who will be working closely with you to expand your
(licensing) business in China." Three subsequent workshops covered intellectual
property protection in China and the expanding role of licensing agent.
Another highlight of the Show was the first annual Premier Asian Licensing
Awards, initiated by the HKTDC and co-organized with the International Licensing
Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA). The winners were Walt Disney's
Princess Collection for "Best License of the Year", Grand Smart International
Development's production of Winnie the Pooh for "Best Licensee of the Year",
Warner Bros.' promotion of Harry Potter for "Best Licensing Agency of the Year",
and Shogakuken Production's Hamtaro for "Best New Property of the Year".
On 8 July, findings of an independent survey conducted by AC Nielsen were
released. The survey revealed that the Chinese mainland remains a key growth
market for the international licensing business and some respondents indicated a
preference for partnering with Hong Kong's licensing community to enter the
Chinese mainland, due to Hong Kong's unique strengths as a licensing hub for
Asia. One of the panelists at the Survey Press Conference Mr. Charles Riotto
said, " China market is what every single licensor focuses on and Hong Kong is
an excellent hub for them to go for the China market."
Ms. Rachel KY Chan, Director of Service Promotion of the HKTDC, summarized the
Hong Kong Licensing Show: "The 2004 Licensing Show has been a resounding success
and Hong Kong is poised to become the licensing hub of Asia and the gateway to
the Chinese mainland. With the opening of the Hong Kong Disney Theme Park in
2005, the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 and the
Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010, we will see a wealth of business opportunities to
the Hong Kong licensing community."
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