The 17th HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show and eighth Asian Licensing Conference begin today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Delivering the remarks at the opening ceremony for the two events will be Matthew Cheung, Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, and Cai Jiacheng, Associate Inspector of the Department of Cultural and Tourism Industries, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China.

As the largest event of its kind in Asia, and second-largest in the world, the Hong Kong International Licensing Show runs from 7-9 Jan and features more than 1,000 brands and properties from over 400 exhibitors around the world. Exhibitors include top global licensors and licensing agents, including CAA-GBG Global Brands, IMG, Global Icons, Nickelodeon, Sanrio, Skynet and Perfetti Van Melle, and renowned lifestyle brands Chupa Chups® , HEAD and MotoGP ™. Art brands Leonardo3 Museum, Mulga and Jimmy Liao are all making their maiden appearance at the show.

Organised by the Innovative Entrepreneur Association and supported by CreateHK, the inaugural “Hong Kong Pavilion" is one of the highlights at the show this year. The pavilion features 40 Hong Kong young properties, including Shibainc and Messy Desk. Popular local brands, such as B.Duck, McMug & McDull, Happiplayground and Made In Hong Kong also have a presence at the event, showcasing the city’s boundless creativity.

Running concurrently with the Licensing Show, the Asian Licensing Conference on 7-8 Jan welcomes some 30 global licensing experts to share valuable industry insights and examine the fast-growing Asia and Mainland China markets. Jai Wu, Head of LPL Merchandise & Licensing, Riot Games China, and Eric Jou, APAC Business Development Partnership of ESL Gaming, will discuss e-sports licensing opportunities. Nancy Jiang, General Manager, Licensing, iQIYI; Yusan Lee, Executive Director, Jimmy S.P.A. Co., Ltd; and Susan Bolsover, Licensing and Consumer Products Director of Penguin Random House UK, will unveil the successful formulas for transforming content such as books, paintings, videos and games into IPs.

In the debut “Direct to Retail” Talk and “Licensee Dialogue” sessions, successful retailers and licensees in Asia, including Ron Chen, Jing Ji Circle General Manager, JD.com; Dicgo Chan, CEO, AZONA (HK) Ltd; Michelle Zhang, Innovation Strategy Director, Haier COSMO Mass Customization Platform; and Vivian Cheung, Marketing Director, Casablanca Group Ltd will share valuable insights and their cross-sector cooperation success stories.