Contents 1. About the Conference 會議資料 Welcome Message 04 Introduction of HKTDC 05 HKTDC Worldwide Network Programme 議程 Overall Programme 10 Conf

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2 Contents 1. About the Conference 會議資料 Welcome Message 04 Introduction of HKTDC 05 HKTDC Worldwide Network Programme 議程 Overall Programme 10 Conference Programme Speakers 演講嘉賓 8 January 2018 Opening Session 22 Plenary Session (I) Creating Brand Excitements with Location-based 25 Entertainment Licensing ( ) Plenary Session (II) Building World-Class 29 Corporate Brands through Licensing ( ) Breakout Session (I) Digital Transformation of Licensing 33 ( ) Breakout Session (II) The Rising Diverse Business Opportunities 37 of Licensing in Japan ( ) 9 January 2018 China Thematic Session The Changing Lifestyle of China 42 Licensing Workshop (I) Licensing Essentials: 47 Encompassing Business Development ( ) Licensing Workshop (II) IP and Legal Fundamentals for Licensing 52 ( ) 4. Partner and Supporting Organisations 合作伙伴及支持機構 Conference Participants 會議參加者 Hong Kong International Licensing Show - Event Highlights 66 香港國際授權展 - 精彩活動 7. Hong Kong International Licensing Show - Meet the VIP Buyers 70 香港國際授權展 - VIP 買家交流會 8. Insights 市場動態 Notes 備忘錄 89

3 2 About the Conference

4 Welcome Message Introduction of HKTDC Ms Margaret Fong 方舜文 Executive Director Hong Kong Trade Development Council A warm welcome to the seventh edition of the Asian Licensing Conference As the largest event of its kind in the region, this annual event brings together international experts to explore opportunities in the booming licensing industry in the region s licensing hub, Hong Kong. According to the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association, global retail sales of licensed goods grew by 4.4 per cent to US$262.9 billion in 2016 while sales in Asia jumped 8.8 per cent, with the region accounting for 11 per cent of the world s total market share. The Chinese mainland is now Asia s second-largest market for licensed merchandise, yet it only makes up less than three per cent of the global market share, reflecting the huge growth potential of the mainland market. While Hong Kong serves as the gateway to the Chinese mainland, its robust legal system, respect for intellectual property rights, extensive business expertise also make the city an ideal platform for global brands and top licensors to tap market opportunities across the region. This year, we are proud to present some 30 renowned international speakers during the two-day conference. Some of the highlights include the two plenary sessions on the first day, which will discuss the growing opportunities in location-based entertainment licensing, as well as corporate brand licensing. Asia is fully plugged into the digital era, where tech-savvy consumers are driving demand for licensed products in such sectors as entertainment, fashion, art, culture and new media. The breakout session on opening day will examine how licensing has been transformed in the digital age. I would also like to draw your attention to the two regional thematic sessions, which focus on the vast and varied licensing opportunities in Asia s two largest licensing markets, the Chinese mainland and Japan. There will also be an introductory workshop on the licensing model and its operation, and a separate session exploring key IP and legal fundamentals of licensing. The Asian Licensing Conference is held concurrently with the Hong Kong International Licensing Show, which this year features over 380 exhibitors and more than 1000 brands and properties, including top global licensors such as Nickelodeon, Sanrio, Smilely, Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox. These twin industry events together present the perfect platform to network and explore all aspects of the Asian licensing industry. I wish you all a fruitful experience at the conference and a rewarding year ahead. A statutory body established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based services providers, traders, and manufacturers. With a global network of more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China and throughout Asia. To help companies explore and expand global business frontiers through Hong Kong, the HKTDC organises more than 300 promotional activities annually, including international exhibitions, conferences and business missions. Asia provides the dominant engine for growth of the global licensing industry, with companies increasingly aware of the value that licensing can bring to their brands coupled with soaring demand for licensed products among consumers in the region, and especially the Chinese mainland. Hong Kong s trusted common law system and robust protection of intellectual property rights makes the city an ideal hub in Asia for the international licensing industry to converge. The Asian Licensing Conference (ALC) is an annual gathering of business leaders and licensing experts from around the world to analyse industry trends and share best practices on tapping promising markets in Asia. Together with the concurrent Hong Kong International Licensing Show, the twin events form a vibrant platform for licensees and licensors to connect and explore opportunities for business partnership , % 8.8% 11% 3% 30 (location-based entertainment) Nickelodeon Sanrio Smilely (Warner Brothers) (20th Century Fox) 4 5

5 HKTDC Worldwide Network HONG KONG Head Office 38/F, Office Tower, Convention Plaza, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong 1 38 Tel : (852) Fax : (852) hktdc@hktdc.org Website : ASIA Bangkok Tel : 66 (2) Fax : 66 (2) bangkok.office@hktdc.org Beijing Tel : 86 (10) Fax : 86 (10) beijing.office@hktdc.org Chengdu Tel : 86 (28) Fax : 86 (28) chengdu.office@hktdc.org Chongqing Tel : 86 (23) Fax : 86 (23) chongqing.office@hktdc.org Dalian Tel : 86 (411) Fax : 86 (411) dalian.office@hktdc.org Delhi Tel : 91 (11) Fax : 91 (11) delhi.consultant@hktdc.org Fuzhou Tel : 86 (591) Fax : 86 (591) fuzhou.office@hktdc.org Guangzhou Tel : 86 (20) Fax : 86 (20) guangzhou.office@hktdc.org Hangzhou Tel : 86 (571) Fax : 86 (571) hangzhou.office@hktdc.org Ho Chi Minh City Tel : (84) Fax : (84) hochiminh.city.office@hktdc.org Jakarta Tel : 62 (21) Fax : 62 (21) jakarta.office@hktdc.org Kuala Lumpur Tel : 60 (3) Fax : 60 (3) kuala.lumpur.office@hktdc.org Mumbai Tel : 91 (22) Fax : 91 (22) mumbai.consultant@hktdc.org Nanjing Tel : 86 (25) Fax : 86 (25) nanjing.office@hktdc.org Osaka Tel : 81 (6) Fax : 81 (6) osaka.office@hktdc.org Qingdao Tel : 86 (532) Fax : 86 (532) qingdao.office@hktdc.org Republic of Korea - Seoul Tel : 82 (2) Fax : 82 (2) seoul.office@hktdc.org Shanghai Tel : 86 (21) Fax : 86 (21) shanghai.office@hktdc.org Shenzhen Tel : 86 (755) Fax : 86 (755) shenzhen.office@hktdc.org Singapore Tel : (65) Fax : (65) singapore.office@hktdc.org Taipei Tel : 886 (2) Fax : 886 (2) taipei.office@hktdc.org Tokyo Tel : 81 (3) Fax : 81 (3) tokyo.office@hktdc.org Wuhan Tel : 86 (27) Fax : 86 (27) wuhan.office@hktdc.org Xian Tel : 86 (29) Fax : 86 (29) xian.office@hktdc.org AUSTRALIA Sydney Tel : 61 (2) Fax : 61 (2) sydney.office@hktdc.org EUROPE Spain - Barcelona Tel : 34 (93) Fax : 34 (93) barcelona.consultant@hktdc.org Hungary - Budapest Tel : 36 (1) Fax : 36 (1) budapest.consultant@hktdc.org Germany - Frankfurt Tel : 49 (69) Fax : 49 (69) frankfurt.office@hktdc.org Turkey - Istanbul Tel : 90 (212) Fax : 90 (212) istanbul.consultant@hktdc.org United Kingdom - London Tel : 44 (20) Fax : 44 (20) london.office@hktdc.org Italy - Milan Tel : 39 (2) Fax : 39 (2) milan.office@hktdc.org Russia - Moscow Tel : 7 (495) Fax : 7 (495) moscow.consultant@hktdc.org France - Paris Tel : 33 (1) Fax : 33 (1) paris.office@hktdc.org Czech Repulic - Prague Tel : 420 (2) prague.consultant@hktdc.org Sweden - Stockholm Tel : 46 (8) Fax : 46 (8) stockholm.consultant@hk-sweden.org Warsaw Tel : 48 (22) Fax : 48 (22) warsaw.consultant@hktdc.org MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA United Arab Emirates - Dubai Tel : 971 (4) Fax : 971 (4) dubai.office@hktdc.org South Africa - Johannesburg Tel : 27 (10) Fax : 27 (10) johannesburg.consultant@hktdc.org THE U.S. AND CANADA The United States - Chicago Tel : 1 (312) Fax : 1 (312) chicago.office@hktdc.org The United States - Los Angeles Tel : 1 (213) Fax : 1 (213) los.angeles.office@hktdc.org The United States - New York Tel : 1 (212) Fax : 1 (212) new.york.office@hktdc.org Canada - Toronto Tel : 1 (416) Fax : 1 (416) toronto.office@hktdc.org LATIN AMERICA Mexico - Mexico City Tel : 52 (55) mexico.city.consultant@hktdc.org Chile - Santiago Tel : 56 (2) Fax : 56 (2) santiago.consultant@hktdc.org Brazil - Sao Paulo Tel : 55 (11) Fax : 55 (11) sao.paulo.consultant@hktdc.org For more information, visit: : 6 7

6 8 Programme

7 Overall Programme 8 January 2018 (Monday) ( ) 09:30 09:45 Meeting Room N201 Opening Session 09:30 09:45 N201 09:45 11:00 Meeting Room N201 11:00 11:15 Coffee Break 11:15 12:30 Meeting Room N201 12:45 14:15 Grand Hall Foyer, Level 3 Plenary Session (I) Creating Brand Excitements with Location-based Entertainment Licensing Plenary Session (II) Building World-Class Corporate Brands through Licensing Networking Reception 14:30 16:00 Breakout Session (I) Digital Transformation of Licensing Breakout Session (II) The Rising Diverse Business Opportunities of Licensing in Japan 09:45 11:00 N201 11:00 11:15 11:15 12:30 N201 12:45 14:15 ( ) ( ) 14:30 16:00 ( ) N201 ( ) N Meeting Room N201 Meeting Room N ( ) 9 January 2018 (Tuesday) 10:30 12:30 N201 10:30 12:30 Meeting Room N201 China Thematic Session The Changing Lifestyle of China 14:00 15:30 N201 ( ) 14:00 15:30 Meeting Room N201 Licensing Workshop (I) Licensing Essentials: Encompassing Business Development 15:45 17:15 N201 ( ) 15:45 17:15 Meeting Room N201 Licensing Workshop (II) IP and Legal Fundamentals for Licensing * The above programme is subject to change without prior notice. * 10 11

8 Conference Programme Day 1-8 January 2018 (Monday) Meeting Room N200 Series, HKCEC 09:30 l 09:45 Meeting Room N201 09:45 l 11:00 Meeting Room N201 11:00 l 11:15 Opening Session Welcome Remarks Mr Benjamin Chau Acting Executive Director, Hong Kong Trade Development Council Opening Remarks Mr Yung Wai-hung, Philip, JP Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Commerce, Industry and Tourism), Hong Kong Special Administration Region of the People's Republic of China Mr Li Jiangang Deputy Director General, Department of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs, Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China Plenary Sessions Plenary Session (I) Creating Brand Excitements with Location-based Entertainment Licensing Location-based Entertainment (LBE) Licensing has created a new form of consumer engagement, bringing brand excitements and reinforcing customer loyalty in the completely immersive environments yearround. Today, licensors do not only tap into theme park operations, but also use LBE Licensing to expand their top-performance franchises to the entire resort destinations, including rides, attractions, shopping and entertainment. Such location-based and interactive brand experiences have also drawn in fans of the franchises to the location, which in turn, helps drive tourism for the region. In this Plenary Session, senior executives from top global brands will share their winning strategies on LBE Licensing. Panel Chair: Mr Charles Riotto President, International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA) Speakers: Ms Roz Nowicki Executive Vice President, Peanuts Worldwide LLC Mr Jack Yew Vice President, Location Based Experiences Asia, Viacom International Media Networks Mr Eric Lee Director of Location Based Entertainment, Turner Asia Pacific Coffee Break 11:15 l 12:30 Meeting Room N201 12:45 l 14:15 Grand Hall Foyer, Level 3 14:30 l 16:00 Meeting Room N201 Plenary Session (II) Building World-Class Corporate Brands through Licensing Corporate brand owners have become increasingly aware that licensing can help them extend brand awareness, reach out to new consumers, reinforce brand values and build customer loyalty. Successful licensing strategies can take the corporate trademarks to new markets and new sectors, generating new revenue streams. Join the established corporates and industry experts to learn how Brand Licensing is being embraced as part of strategic brand development or even elevated as a form of business development for corporate management. Panel Chair: Mr Charles Riotto President, International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA) Speakers: Mr Ciarán Coyle Global Vice President and Head of Global Brand Licensing, Electrolux Mr Jay Asher Partner, Brandgenuity Mr Greg Winters Manager, Licensing Programs, Boy Scouts of America Networking Reception Breakout Sessions Breakout Session (I) Digital Transformation of Licensing The emergence of new media, the rise of on-demand entertainment and the more powerful mobile devices have changed many aspects of our daily lives. Our communication, work and shopping are now infused with gaming elements. "Gamification" has become a popular global trend and winning strategy for brands to engage customers. In this Breakout Session, digital and gaming brands will share their success in licensing. Global brands will also unveil their business transformation in the digital era. Panel Chair: Mr Steven Ekstract Global Publisher, License! Global Magazine Speakers: Mr Philippe Bost Vice President, International Consumer Products, Activision Blizzard Mr Aurelien Palasse Head of Licensing & Publishing, Ubisoft Mr Jerry Chu Licensing Director, Microsoft * The above programme is subject to change without prior notice. * The above programme is subject to change without prior notice

9 Conference Programme 14:30 l 16:00 Meeting Room N Breakout Session (II) The Rising Diverse Business Opportunities of Licensing in Japan The scale of the Japan's licensing market makes is the largest in Asia and the third largest worldwide. Japan was seemingly a relative early starter in licensing, with an industry going back about 60 years. During this time, Japan has matured in its own unique way benefitting both licensors and licensees. Nowadays, we see an abundance of intellectual properties such as animation, games, toys, fashion, education, live action and picture books geared not just to children, but also to adults. Various business strategies are used in precise marketing, tailored to the target across consumer products and services, digital, and location-based entertainment. Different factors are found to make up the strength of Japan's licensing business. These include evergreen popular characters that are globally active, an abundance of original comic works, and an advanced media infrastructure. In this session, the speakers will share their insights on these strengths and mechanisms. They will also offer thoughts about the diversity of animation and live action IP, as well as provide their expertise and opinions on licensing opportunities in Asia. Panel Chair: Ms Kaori Taniguchi General Manager, LIMA Japan Speakers: Mr Takahiro Noda Content Division Director, Asatsu-DK Inc. Ms Junko Mokuno Corporate Officer, Corporate Marketing, Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd Mr Daisuke Tebayashi Manager, Preschool Education - Global Division & Character Development - Global Development, Benesse Corporation Mr Ben Kato President, Ingram Co., Ltd. Day 2-9 January 2018 (Tuesday) Meeting Room N200 Series, HKCEC 10:30 l 12:30 Meeting Room N201 China Thematic Session The Changing Lifestyle of China Leading the world in internet and mobile penetration as well as the use of online shopping and online gaming, China has become the trendsetter for the adoption of high-tech services. The young, educated and affluent middle-class consumers, while observing "balanced" lives, are seeking to enjoy leisure and entertainment. Indeed, the mainland's consumer market is evolving at a rapid speed with habits and expectations constantly changing. This has posed both challenges and opportunities to those brands tapping the mainland market. Join the industry experts to examine the licensing opportunities in games, digital entertainment and animation of the mainland market. Panel Chair: Ms Tani Wong Managing Director, LIMA China Speakers: Mr Galen Gao Jing Ji Circle Agency Leader, JD.com Mr Jared Ren Licensing Vice President, iqiyi Mr Aaron Huang Licensing Director, China Literature Limited Ms Daisy Shang General Manager, Fantawild Animation Inc. 14:00 l 15:30 Meeting Room N201 15:45 l 17:15 Meeting Room N201 The Licensing Workshops Licensing Workshop (I) Licensing Essentials: Encompassing Business Development This workshop will provide a basic introduction to the licensing model and its operations. Licensors and brand-owners will find useful hands-on advice to embark on or grow their licensing business. For licensees and manufacturers/retailers/traders, who are interested in leveraging licensing to upgrade their product or services and expand their markets, the workshop offers practical advice to help them identify potential licensors and licensing agents. Panel Chair: Mr Steven Ekstract Global Publisher, License! Global Magazine Speakers: Ms Elaine Chiu Senior Vice President - China, Global Brands Group Asia Limited (CAA-GBG) Ms Claire Gilchrist Vice President, Hasbro Consumer Products - Asia Pacific Mr Alexis Bautista Chief Executive Officer, Kokonuzz Media Group Mr Herbert Yang Chief Executive Officer, Century Innovative Technology Limited Licensing Workshop (II) IP and Legal Fundamentals for Licensing Legal professionals and experts will cover contract establishments and exits, IP registration and protection related to licensing in Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, and the international market, especially in emerging markets. Licensors, licensees and licensing agents will gain a thorough understanding on key legal issues, such as on exclusivity, territorial restrictions, royalty calculations, contractual period, renewal options and quality control, etc. Panel Chair: Ms Anita Leung Consultant, David Lo & Partners Speakers: Ms Charmaine Koo Partner, Deacons Mr Joseph Chow Partner, Wellington Legal Mr Rentaro Muto Partner, Fred Kan & Co. * The above programme is subject to change without prior notice. * The above programme is subject to change without prior notice

10 Conference Programme N200 09:30 l 09:45 N201 09:45 l 11:00 N201 11:00 l 11:15 11:15 l 12:30 N201 ( ) : Charles Riotto (LIMA) Roz Nowicki Peanuts Worldwide LLC Eric Lee ( ) : Charles Riotto (LIMA) Ciarán Coyle Jay Asher Brandgenuity Greg Winters 12:45 l 14:15 14:30 l 16:00 N201 14:30 l 16:00 N206-8 ( ) : Steven Ekstract License! Global Philippe Bost Aurelien Palasse Jerry Chu 60 ( ) : (LIMA) Takahiro Noda Asatsu-DK Inc. Junko Mokuno Daisuke Tebayashi Ben Kato Ingram Co., Ltd. * * 16 17

11 Conference Programme - N200 10:30 l 12:30 N201 : LIMA IP 15:45 l 17:15 N201 ( ) ( ) : 焄 錬 14:00 l 15:30 N201 ( ) : Steven Ekstract License! Global Claire Gilchrist Alexis Bautista Kokonuzz Media Group * * 18 19

12 Speakers 20 21

13 Opening Session Welcome Remarks Opening Session Opening Remarks Mr Benjamin Chau 周啟良 Acting Executive Director Hong Kong Trade Development Council Mr Yung Wai-hung, Philip, JP 容偉雄太平紳士 Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Commerce, Industry and Tourism), Hong Kong Special Administration Region of the People's Republic of China Benjamin Chau Kai-Leung is a Deputy Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the statutory organisation responsible for promoting Hong Kong's external trade. Mr Chau was a banker before joining the HKTDC in In a career spanning more than 25 years, he has been involved in a great variety of trade promotion activities, specialising in China trade promotion. He worked in the HKTDC's Beijing and Shanghai branch offices from 1986 to 1988, and has organised numerous Hong Kong pavilions and exhibitions on the Chinese mainland. Mr Chau has led the HKTDC s Exhibitions and Exhibition Services divisions since 1997, building the HKTDC s fair portfolio to more than 30 annual exhibitions. Under his leadership, it forms 10 largest marketplaces of their kind in Asia, with four being the largest marketplaces in the world. In 2004, Mr Chau was also appointed to head the HKTDC s Trade Publications Department, which publishes more than 20 print and online product magazines and industry supplements a year. In 2006, the E-Commerce Department was added to his portfolio, to better integrate the HKTDC s exhibitions, publications and online marketplace. From 2007 to 2009, Mr Chau oversaw both the Product Promotion and Service Promotion Divisions, spearheading the HKTDC s manufacturing and service industries promotions on the mainland and overseas. The extensive programme includes more than 200 projects a year designed to enhance Hong Kong's role as Asia's leading sourcing centre and to help Hong Kong companies tap into business opportunities around the world. During this period, Mr Chau also oversaw the HKTDC s Design Gallery. With three retail outlets in Hong Kong and numerous branches on the Chinese mainland, Design Gallery promotes Hong Kong designers and creative excellence in product design. Mr Chau assumed the office of Deputy Executive Director on 4 January He has been elected as a member of the UFI Board of Directors since November Mr Yung joined the civil service in He has served in various bureaux and departments including the Housing Department, the former General Duties Branch, the former Constitutional Affairs Branch, the former City and New Territories Administration (later renamed as the Home Affairs Department), the former Chief Secretary's Office, the former Chief Executive (Designate)'s Office, the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, the Financial Secretary's Office and the Trade and Industry Department. He was Deputy Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (Commerce and Industry) from July 2004 to August 2006, Deputy Secretary for Environment, Transport and Works (Transport) (later retitled as Deputy Secretary for Transport and Housing (Transport)) from August 2006 to January 2010, and Commissioner for Tourism in February On 27 December 2014, Mr Yung was appointed the Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Commerce, Industry and Tourism), responsible for the development of policies relating to Hong Kong s external commercial relations and commercial relations with the Mainland, tourism, investment promotion, intellectual property protection, industry support, trade facilitation, competition policy, consumer protection, wine-related business, postal services and meteorological services

14 Opening Session Opening Remarks Plenary Session (I) Creating Brand Excitements with Location-based Entertainment Licensing - Panel Chair Mr Li Jiangang 李健鋼 Deputy Director General Department of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs, Ministry of Culture of the People s Republic of China Mr Charles Riotto President International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA) (LIMA) Graduated from Beijing Foreign Language Institute (Beijing Foreign Studies University) with B.A.s of French language and literature as well as international cultural exchange, and acquired MPA Master s Degrees from China National School of Administration and Peking University. He served as a director in the Department of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs, Ministry of Culture of the People s Republic of China from 2002 to 2006, and worked in Chinese Embassy in Senegal, Chinese mission to UNESCO and the Consulate-General of The People's Republic Of China in Sydney. Since 2015, he acted as the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs, Ministry of Culture of the People s Republic of China. MPA Charles M. Riotto is President and CEO of the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association (LIMA), the world s leading trade group for licensing professionals, with over 1,200 member companies worldwide. LIMA is recognized globally as the authoritative voice of the licensing industry. Since 1997, Riotto has been in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Association. He oversees all LIMA programming around the world, serves as an industry spokesperson to the trade and consumer media, and manages LIMA s relationships with global trade show organizers in licensing and related industries. He is also responsible for interacting with the Board of Directors, which is represented by some of the world s largest corporations, entertainment studios and sports organizations. Under Riotto s leadership, LIMA s global footprint has expanded significantly, with international membership growth of more than 90 percent. He has established LIMA offices in London, Munich, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Melbourne and Mexico City, as well as representation in five additional countries. Riotto s global plan for growing the industry includes a far-ranging program of educational conferences, seminars, webinars, networking events and research projects under the LIMA umbrella or through strategic partnerships. A full menu of programs is in progress in North and South America, Europe and Asia. This has been instrumental in the industry s unprecedented recent growth. In 2016, revenues from the sales of licensed merchandise reached an estimated US$262.9 billion worldwide, an annual global growth rate of 4.4%. Prior to joining LIMA in 1997, Riotto served as Executive Director of the International Recording Media Association and previously as Marketing Director and Executive Director of the Toy Manufacturers of America, Inc. He is currently Chairman-Elect of the New York Society of Association Executives. Charles M. Riotto (LIMA) 1,200 LIMA 1997 Riotto LIMA LIMA Riotto LIMA 90% LIMA LIMA Riotto , % 1997 LIMA Riotto Toy Manufacturers of America, Inc

15 Plenary Session (I) Creating Brand Excitements with Location-based Entertainment Licensing - Speakers Plenary Session (I) Creating Brand Excitements with Location-based Entertainment Licensing - Speakers Ms Roz Nowicki Executive Vice President, Peanuts Worldwide LLC Peanuts Worldwide LLC Mr Jack Yew Vice President, Location Based Experiences Asia Viacom International Media Networks Rosalind Roz Nowicki is a visionary executive known for driving integrated consumer programs that achieve both high visibility and strong metrics. Throughout her over 25-year career in the licensing industry, Roz has demonstrated outstanding marketing instincts, an innovative spirit, strong leadership and a profound commitment to organizational growth. In her current role as Executive Vice President of Peanuts Worldwide she oversees all elements of the global Peanuts business, leading a team in New York and leading licensing agencies around the globe. Roz is charged with strategically growing the global marketing, licensing and content areas; ensuring steady growth for this nearly 70 year old classic brand. In her last role as Executive Vice President, Global Sales & Retail at Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products, Nowicki was responsible for overseeing licensing sales and retail programs on a global scale for Fox s diverse film and television portfolio. Prior to Fox, Roz served as Executive Vice President, Global Marketing & Licensing at 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. During her 12+ years at the company, she was responsible for introducing the Yu-Gi-Oh! brand to all markets outside of Asia and successfully grew the franchise to over $4 billion at retail. Roz s additional career achievements include oversight of highly successful consumer products programs for Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Company and Guess. Roz began her career in retail product development and merchandising and received her BA in Political Science from San Diego State University. As Vice President of Location Based Experiences Asia, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), Jack Yew oversees the expansion of location-based leisure entertainment across the VIMN brands of Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and MTV in the Asia region. He is a 12-year veteran of the company who manages the sales, development, marketing, merchandising, and strategic planning of the location-based leisure function, as well as international licensing partnerships. Jack holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Nottingham. (VIMN) VIMN (Nickelodeon) Nick Jr. MTV 12 Rosalind "Roz" Nowicki Roz 25 Peanuts Roz 70 Nowicki Roz 4Kids Roz Guess Roz 26 27

16 Plenary Session (I) Creating Brand Excitements with Location-based Entertainment Licensing - Speakers Plenary Session (II) - Building World-Class Corporate Brands through Licensing - Panel Chair Mr Eric Lee Director of Location Based Entertainment, Turner Asia Pacific Mr Charles Riotto President International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA) (LIMA) Eric Lee is Turner s director location-based entertainment (LBE) for the Asia-Pacific region. He is charged with developing consumer-facing experiences such as waterparks, theme parks, branded retail and entertainment spaces. These environments utilize Cartoon Network s global kids IP such as The Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, We Bare Bears and Adventure Time, as well as Turner s other youth-focused brands including Tuzki. The appointment comes at a period of growth for both the industry and Turner s extensive portfolio of IP. There are a number of LBE projects already in the pipeline, including Family Entertainment Centers and Retail- Dining-Entertainment experiences. And existing attractions are Cartoon Network Amazone, a waterpark in Thailand which opened in 2014, and a series of Tuzki- and Cartoon Network-branded retail stores, restaurant and cafés around the region. Mr Lee joined Turner from Rovio Entertainment in Europe, where he held the position of Director for Global LBE. There, he worked with large-scale licensing deals and led innovative projects such as the first ever Angry Birds 4D film and Angry Birds VR experience. He has also held roles at Jack Rouse Associates and JBJ Associates, and has worked on projects such as Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, SABIC Hall of Life in Saudi Arabia, Sochi Theme Park in Russia, and Angry Birds parks in the UK, Russia and Qatar. Eric Lee (The Powerpuff Girls) Ben 10 (We Bare Bears) (Adventure Time) (Tuzki) 2014 Cartoon Network Amazone (Tuzki) Rovio 4D Jack Rouse Associates JBJ Associates SABIC Hall of Life Charles M. Riotto is President and CEO of the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association (LIMA), the world s leading trade group for licensing professionals, with over 1,200 member companies worldwide. LIMA is recognized globally as the authoritative voice of the licensing industry. Since 1997, Riotto has been in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Association. He oversees all LIMA programming around the world, serves as an industry spokesperson to the trade and consumer media, and manages LIMA s relationships with global trade show organizers in licensing and related industries. He is also responsible for interacting with the Board of Directors, which is represented by some of the world s largest corporations, entertainment studios and sports organizations. Under Riotto s leadership, LIMA s global footprint has expanded significantly, with international membership growth of more than 90 percent. He has established LIMA offices in London, Munich, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Melbourne and Mexico City, as well as representation in five additional countries. Riotto s global plan for growing the industry includes a far-ranging program of educational conferences, seminars, webinars, networking events and research projects under the LIMA umbrella or through strategic partnerships. A full menu of programs is in progress in North and South America, Europe and Asia. This has been instrumental in the industry s unprecedented recent growth. In 2016, revenues from the sales of licensed merchandise reached an estimated US$262.9 billion worldwide, an annual global growth rate of 4.4%. Prior to joining LIMA in 1997, Riotto served as Executive Director of the International Recording Media Association and previously as Marketing Director and Executive Director of the Toy Manufacturers of America, Inc. He is currently Chairman-Elect of the New York Society of Association Executives. Charles M. Riotto (LIMA) 1,200 LIMA 1997 Riotto LIMA LIMA Riotto LIMA 90% LIMA LIMA Riotto , % 1997 LIMA Riotto Toy Manufacturers of America, Inc

17 Plenary Session (II) - Building World-Class Corporate Brands through Licensing - Speakers Plenary Session (II) - Building World-Class Corporate Brands through Licensing - Speakers Mr Ciarán Coyle Global Vice President & Head of Global Brand Licensing, Electrolux Mr Jay Asher Partner Brandgenuity Brandgenuity Ciarán is based in Electrolux s North American Headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina and oversees the company s extensive global licensing business, across multiple brands in over 75 countries. The Electrolux brand portfolio ranks 20th among the world s top licensors with a retail value of circa USD 3.25 billion. Besides the Electrolux mark, the Group s portfolio includes more than 70 brands, including AEG, Frigidaire, Kelvinator, Arthur Martin, Philco and Zanussi. Prior to joining Electrolux, Ciarán was President, Europe & Asia Pacific at Omnicom-owned Beanstalk, a leading global Brand Licensing Agency and consultancy. At Beanstalk, Ciarán was responsible for the oversight and development of the agency s business in Europe and Asia Pacific, representing numerous global brands and celebrities including Harley-Davidson, Jack Daniel s, Stanley Black & Decker, Procter & Gamble, Paris Hilton, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo. Ciarán currently serves as Chairman of the Board of LIMA (Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association) and also chairs the International Strategy Committee. He is a past member of the Advisory Board of Cambridge University s Judge Business School and a past Chairman of Cambridge Alumni in Management (global network with members in 65 countries). He is also a current member of the UK Institute of Directors and a founding advisory board member of both Licensing.biz and Total Brand Licensing. Ciarán is a qualified teacher and earned a BA honours degree in Linguistic Science, a Master s degree in Applied Linguistics, and an MBA from Cambridge University. Ciarán 75 Jay Asher is a founding partner of Brandgenuity, a global brand licensing agency with offices in New York, London, Munich and Hong Kong. Brandgenuity develops, executes and manages strategic licensing programs through a full suite of services for owners of famous corporate trademarks and entertainment properties. A multiple LIMA awardwinner, Brandgenuity is ranked among the Top 15 Global Licensing Agencies of 2017 by License Global Magazine. Jay has spent over 25 years of his career in licensing and has represented some of the world s most famous entertainment and corporate brands including Harley-Davidson, ARM & HAMMER, Staples, Viacom (MTV, Comedy Central), Hawaiian Tropic, Playtex, MGM Studios, BMW, Ford and many more. He has also launched brands into location-based entertainment categories as well as into services. Jay is an alumnus of Boston University. He currently sits on the LIMA board of trustees. Jay Asher Brandgenuity Brandgenuity Brandgenuity LIMA License Global Magazine 2017 Jay 25 Harley-Davidson ARM & HAMMER Staples Viacom MTV Comedy Central Hawaiian Tropic Playtex MGM StudiosBMW Ford Jay Boston University LIMA AEG Frigidaire Kelvinator Arthur Martin Philco Zanussi Ciarán Omnicom Beanstalk Beanstalk Ciarán Harley- Davidson Jack Daniel s Stanley Black & Decker Procter & Gamble Paris Hilton Ford Jaguar Land Rover Volvo Ciarán (LIMA) 65 Institute of Directors Licensing.biz Total Brand Licensing Ciarán 30 31

18 Plenary Session (II) - Building World-Class Corporate Brands through Licensing - Speakers Breakout Session (I) - Digital Transformation of Licensing - Panel Chair Mr Greg Winters Manager, Licensing Programs Boy Scouts of America Mr Steven Ekstract Group Publisher License! Global Magazine License! Global As Manager, Licensing Programs, Greg Winters leads all trademark licensing initiatives for the Boy Scouts of America, one of the United State of America s largest non-profit youth organizations. In this role, Mr. Winters is directly responsible for the organization s trademark licensed product program retail brand strategy in working with over 130 licensees for a broad portfolio of products ranging from apparel, accessories, food and beverage, crafts and hobby, gift and novelties, publishing, sporting goods, and toys. Additionally, he oversees a team of licensing professionals to create licensed product opportunities to reconnect with more than 50 million Scouting alumni at retail and helps to serve more than 280 local councils nationally. Scouting is a year-round program in the United States uniquely designed to meet the needs of young people and their families. The program offers fun and challenging activities that promote character development and physical fitness. Since joining the Boy Scouts of America in 2007, the trademark licensing program has grown from $6 million dollars in retail licensed product sales annually at the end of 2006 to more than $75 million dollars in retail licensed product sales annually at the end of 2016 under his leadership. Previously, Mr. Winters held various product licensing roles working with manufacturers producing licensed product(s) for major brands in the sporting, corporate, and entertainment industries. Greg Winters Winters 130 5, Winters ,500 Steven Ekstract is a founder and the Group Publisher of License! Global magazine, the leading business publication for the Global licensing business. In addition to License! Global magazine, Ekstract is also the publisher of The License! Show Dailies for Licensing Expo; License! Show Dailies for Brand Licensing Europe; The daily License! Global enews; License! Global s Weekly European Update and Executive Producer of LicenseTV. Beyond his oversight of magazines, supplements, website and online information products, Ekstract speaks extensively on Licensing at conferences around the world. Ekstract is also the publisher and a contributor to Licensing for Dummies an industry trade paperback published by John Wiley & Sons. Ekstract is a seasoned publishing executive, having held senior management positions with Premiere magazine and The Hollywood Reporter before founding License! Global in Ekstract is a recipient of The UJA Federation s Licensing Industry leadership award and Advanstar Communications Chairman s Award. He is a graduate of the United Nations International School in New York; The American University in Washington, D.C. and has a post-graduate degree from The Media Management Center at Northwestern University. He is Alumni Ambassador for the United Nations International School. Steven Ekstract License! Global License! Global Ekstract (Licensing Expo) (Brand Licensing Europe) The License! Show DailiesLicense! Global enewslicense! Global Weekly European Update LicenseTV Ekstract (John Wiley & Sons.) Licensing for Dummies Ekstract 1997 License! Global Premiere (The Hollywood Reporter) Ekstract UJA (The UJA Federation s Licensing Industry leadership award) Advanstar (Advanstar Communications Chairman s Award) ( ) Winters 32 33

19 Breakout Session (I) - Digital Transformation of Licensing - Speakers Breakout Session (I) - Digital Transformation of Licensing - Speakers Mr Philippe Bost Vice President, International Consumer Products Activision Blizzard Mr Aurelien Palasse Head of Licensing & Publishing Ubisoft Philippe Bost is the Vice President, International Consumer Products for Activision Blizzard, the world s largest interactive entertainment and video game company. With over twenty years of consumer products experience, Philippe has worked in nearly every part of the industry. He has deep expertise in licensing, product development, manufacturing, category management, brand management, marketing, and retail execution in both hardlines and softlines products. Prior to Activision Blizzard, he served as Mattel s Regional Senior Director for South America Consumer Products and as Managing Director for Disney Consumer Products for Spain and Portugal. Philippe Bost Philippe (Mattel) Aurelien Palasse is leading the overall mobile publishing and consumer product activities for Ubisoft for the Greater China territories. He s managing the business, marketing and live operations of Ubisoft s mobile games in China. Ubisoft Mobile is releasing a dozen games a year, including titles based on the group s biggest franchises such as Rayman, Trials, Assassin s Creed, new creations such as Hungry Shark, or major Entertainment IP such as DreamWork s Trolls. Palasse s department includes a production team in charge of culturalizing these games to ensure that they are adapted to the China market s specificities and to the local publishing partners needs. Aurelien Palasse s division is also collaborating locally with top development studios to create original games and content made from the ground up for Chinese players, based on Ubisoft most popular I.P. such as Might & Magic and Assassin s Creed. On the consumer product side, he is responsible for expanding the distribution of the UbiCollectibles line-up of products in China, and for bringing in new licensing deals for textile, toys, books and other products based on Ubisoft s main I.P. Palasse has accumulated over 15 years of entrepreneurial experience in the game industry since starting a video game store franchise in France back in the 2000s. Before joining Ubisoft, he launched Inno-Wear in Zurich, Switzerland, the first European video game merchandising company to provide licensing services for industry leaders such as Microsoft, Nintendo, Activision Blizzard, EA Bioware, Capcom, and Square Enix. Aurelien Palasse 10 Trials Palasse Aurelien Palasse 2000 Palasse 15 Inno-Wear EA Bioware 34 35

20 Breakout Session (I) - Digital Transformation of Licensing - Speakers Breakout Session (II) - The Rising Diverse Business Opportunities of Licensing in Japan - Panel Chair Mr Jerry Chu Licensing Director, Microsoft Ms Kaori Taniguchi General Manager LIMA Japan International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA) Jerry Chu, Licensing Director for consumer products at Microsoft, is charged with global brand licensing for Gears of War XBOX video games, esports sponsorships, and development of go-to-market plans for consumer/retail initiatives across both digital and physical platforms. Jerry Chu XBOX With 21 years hands-on experience in the licensing industry, Kaori Taniguchi possesses a wide-ranging knowledge across all facets of the business including licensor and licensee management, merchandising, marketing, production, and other aspects of IP rights. Her industry career started in 1997 at Tomen Fashion Express, a licensing agency and planning subsidiary of Tomen Corporation, one of the largest trading companies in Japan. Her responsibilities included management, strategy, and development of in-house and third-party brands; licensing sales, negotiation and contract drafting; product concept development, IP research, and client/licensee management. Since 2012, Kaori has headed up the LIMA Japan office as General Manager and serves on its local Board of Directors. At LIMA Japan, besides maintaining a strong network of Japanese licensors, licensing agents and licensees, Kaori offers expertise in developing licensing education programs. She plans or participates in about 30 licensing business seminars and workshops in Japan every year (LIMA) LIMA

21 Breakout Session (II) - The Rising Diverse Business Opportunities of Licensing in Japan - Speakers Breakout Session (II) - The Rising Diverse Business Opportunities of Licensing in Japan - Speakers Mr Takahiro Noda Content Division Director Asatsu-DK Inc. Asatsu-DK Inc. Ms Junko Mokuno Corporate Officer, Corporate Marketing, Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd Mr Takahiro Noda is the division director of content division of Asatsu-DK Inc. (ADK), the third largest Advertising Agency in Japan. ADK has been recognized as one of the most important companies which pioneered the Japanese Anime Industry since the 1960 s and is still currently involved in many of the major works now. Mr Noda joined ADK as a sales member and has been in charge of many global clients as an account director whereby he provided professional services such as product development support, brand development and marketing communication strategies to clients. Building on his experience in global advertisement, Mr Noda joined the content business sector in In his current capacity, he is leading marketing activities of each intellectual property (IP) from Japan to the world. He is also the director in the following ADK group companies in contents business industry: d-rights (rights management company), EIKEN (Studio) and IMMG (rights sales company). As part of the ADK group, Mr Noda is contributing to the value enhancement of Japanese anime contents. Takahiro NodaAsatsu-DK Inc. (ADK) ADK Takahiro NodaADK Ms Junko Mokuno is Corporate Officer of Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., overseeing the company s marketing and brand management. Ms Mokuno has 15 years-over experiences in the area of marketing and new business development in the entertainment industry. Some achievements that she took the leadership role include launching mobile services and e-commerce at Pokemon Company and managing CRM initiatives and marketing at Walt Disney Japan. Prior to these roles, she worked as a management consultant at strategic management consulting firm, where she provided strong knowledge and expertise to develop business strategy for IT/high tech companies. Ms Mokuno holds MBA from University of Washington, Michael G. Foster School of Business, as well as bachelor of science from Tokyo Institute of Technology. Junko Mokuno Junko Mokuno 15 / Junko Mokuno Michael G. Foster School of Business Takahiro Noda 2016 ADKd-rights (), EIKEN () IMMG ( )ADK 38 39

22 Breakout Session (II) - The Rising Diverse Business Opportunities of Licensing in Japan - Speakers Breakout Session (II) - The Rising Diverse Business Opportunities of Licensing in Japan - Speakers Mr Daisuke Tebayashi Manager Preschool Education - Global Division Character Development - Global Department, Benesse Corporation Mr Ben Kato President Ingram Co., Ltd. Ingram Co., Ltd. Daisuke Tebayashi joined Benesse Corporation, one of Japan s leading educational companies, in Tebayashi s responsibilities cover the marketing of commercial educational services. After working on junior-high school student programs, since 2000 Tebayashi has been involved in launching concert and theme park-related businesses for Kodomo Challenge, Benesse s flagship home educational subscription service for preschoolers, and its main character Shimajiro. Today, he plays a primary role in developing and activating new products and services including preschool English-language education and direct marketing programs. Currently, Tebayashi is responsible for increasing Benesse Corporation s business through the integration of its core preschool home education service, which has over 2 million subscribers worldwide, with TV programming, film, digital services and licensing initiatives. Starting in Japan, the Shimajiro TV series is now available in China, Korea, Taiwan and Indonesia through linear broadcasts and video streaming services. Benesse Corporation continues to proactively develop new business in global markets including trial broadcasts of Shimajiro on terrestrial TV in Turkey, and creating educational apps with award-winning Ireland-based apps developer Story Toys. Daisuke Tebayashi 1993 Tebayashi Tebayashi 2000Kodomo Challenge Tebayashi Story Toys Born in Graduated from Waseda Univ. Joined to Kyoiku sha Ltd Joined to the editorial office of Science Magazine Newton 1989 Left the office Established Etna Shuppan, Published Guinness Book Left Etna Shuppan 1992 Established Sogen sha Ltd To present Entity conversion from Sogen sha Ltd. to Ingram Co., Ltd. Public Appointments Board member of LIMA Japan (Expired on March, 2017) Board member of International NGO, AAR Japan (Association for Aid and Relief, Japan) Representative director of NPO, PEACE PROJECT Representative of ISKA (International Sport Kickboxing Association) JAPAN (Expired on May, 2017) Kyoiku sha Ltd "Newton" 1989 Etna Shuppan (Etna) Etna Shuppan (Etna) 1992 Sogen sha Ltd. () 1993 Sogen sha Ltd. () Ingram Co., Ltd. (LIMA) (2017 3) AAR () PEACE PROJECT ( ) ISKA (International Sport Kickboxing Association) (2017 5) 40 41

23 China Thematic Session - The Changing Lifestyle of China - Panel Chair China Thematic Session - The Changing Lifestyle of China - Speakers Ms Tani Wong Managing Director, LIMA China International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA) (LIMA) Mr Galen Gao Jing Ji Circle Agency Leader JD.com Tani is a veteran in the licensing business with in-depth knowledge about licensors, licensees and various aspects of licensing. To recognize her dedication and service to the licensing industry, she was awarded the 20 Most Outstanding Licensing Practioners at The China Beijing International Cultural & Creative Industry Expo in 2013 and She heads up LIMA China offices in Hong Kong and Guangzhou since In addition, she is running a licensing consulting company. She joined Warner Bros. in She managed all aspects of licensing business including merchandise, publishing, promotions and events for Asia and successfully led the licensing team to maximize the revenue potential via participation in blockbuster movies, and to strengthen evergreen properties through implementation of new business initiatives. She also focused her time on coaching licensing agents and ensuring that best practices were shared within the region to have a win-win business situation. Mr Galen Gao was born in Since 2002, he worked at SONY Music Entertainment China. He then joined JD.com in 2010, and has more than 10 years of practical experiences in managing the entertainment industry. He was initially responsible for the business of JD Music, which is still the largest distribution and sales channel of physical records in China now. Mr. Gao was relocated to JD Financial Group and in charge of entertainment crowd funding business. It is also currently a pinoneer in the crowd funding industry. He is leading the IP integration business of JD Entertainment now, and is developing and planning JD Jingjiquan IP Prior to that, Tani worked at Consumer Products of The Walt Disney Company where she concreted her experience and expertise in the capacity of marketing and category sales. The working years in Disney Consumer Products had cultivated her enthusiasm of licensing in later years LIMA LIMA

24 China Thematic Session - The Changing Lifestyle of China - Speakers China Thematic Session - The Changing Lifestyle of China - Speakers Mr Jared Ren Licensing Vice President iqiyi IP Mr Aaron Huang Licensing Director China Literature Limited Jared joined iqiyi in 2016 as VP of Corporate Strategy Planning BU. Now in his new role as Vice President of IP Value-added Service BU, he oversees diversified licensing business spanning product licensing, digital licensing and offline entertainment business. Jared started his sales management role in He was the National Sales GM of Sohu Video and Deputy GM of Ku6 (East Asia), before when he also managed key accounts as Microsoft, Intel, and Pepsi in McCANN and Euro RSCG. Jared has over 10 years' experience integrated marketing, branding consultancy and digital marketing. In 2012, Aaron joined Shengda Cloudary and was responsible for publishing and comic adaptation licensing business of online literature. After the merger of Shengda Cloudary and Tencent Literature in 2015, He continued to be responsible for the same business at the Copyright Marketing Center. From the beginning of 2015, he led the team to develop online literature overseas authorization business. At present, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan in Asia have formed a large scale and produced stable returns. Outside Asia, the team has authorized original novels for digital and paper-based book publishing in UK, US, France, Russia, Turkey, Spain and other countries. In 2017, under his planning, China Literature participated in the London Book Fair and ATF for the first time, which made the online literature content and business mode of China Literature more and more influential overseas IP A ATF

25 China Thematic Session - The Changing Lifestyle of China - Speakers Licensing Workshop (I) - Licensing Essentials: Encompassing Business Development - Panel Chair Ms Daisy Shang General Manager Fantawild Animation Inc. Mr Steven Ekstract Group Publisher License! Global Magazine License! Global Under Daisy's leadership, over 30 animation programs and 4 feature films, including the Boonie Bears franchise, have been produced, achieving great success. Fantawild's Cartoons are not only broadcast on more than 200 TV channels in China, but also distributed to more than 100 countries including America and Italy, aired on Nickelodeon, Disney, Sony, Netflix, and other internationally renowned networks, forming a global distribution network. As the chief producer of the Boonie Bears TV series and films, Daisy has successfully built Boonie Bears into the No.1 animation brand in China. It now holds the No.1 rating position nationwide, sets a record for the highest ratings on CCTV Children s Channel, and ranks as the top animation on Chinese video platforms. From 2014 to 2017, the four theatrical films of Boonie Bears series have grossed 1.4 billion RMB (over 200 million USD) in China, shattering many records of the industry. These films have been released in many countries and regions such as Turkey, Russia, South Korea, Latin America, and South Africa and received excellent ratings. Meanwhile, Daisy has established Fantawild s licensees system, which brings great value to its licensees. Now, over 3,000 SKUs of consumer products are created by more than 200 licensees, covering over 20 categories and grossed over 320 Million USD in annual sales Steven Ekstract is a founder and the Group Publisher of License! Global magazine, the leading business publication for the Global licensing business. In addition to License! Global magazine, Ekstract is also the publisher of The License! Show Dailies for Licensing Expo; License! Show Dailies for Brand Licensing Europe; The daily License! Global enews; License! Global s Weekly European Update and Executive Producer of LicenseTV. Beyond his oversight of magazines, supplements, website and online information products, Ekstract speaks extensively on Licensing at conferences around the world. Ekstract is also the publisher and a contributor to Licensing for Dummies an industry trade paperback published by John Wiley & Sons. Ekstract is a seasoned publishing executive, having held senior management positions with Premiere magazine and The Hollywood Reporter before founding License! Global in Ekstract is a recipient of The UJA Federation s Licensing Industry leadership award and Advanstar Communications Chairman s Award. He is a graduate of the United Nations International School in New York; The American University in Washington, D.C. and has a post-graduate degree from The Media Management Center at Northwestern University. He is Alumni Ambassador for the United Nations International School. Steven Ekstract License! Global License! Global Ekstract (Licensing Expo) (Brand Licensing Europe) The License! Show DailiesLicense! Global enewslicense! Global Weekly European Update LicenseTV Ekstract (John Wiley & Sons.) Licensing for Dummies Ekstract 1997 License! Global Premiere (The Hollywood Reporter) Ekstract UJA (The UJA Federation s Licensing Industry leadership award) Advanstar (Advanstar Communications Chairman s Award) ( ) 46 47

26 Licensing Workshop (I) - Licensing Essentials: Encompassing Business Development - Speakers Licensing Workshop (I) - Licensing Essentials: Encompassing Business Development - Speakers Ms Elaine Chiu Senior Vice President China Global Brands Group Asia Limited (CAA-GBG) Ms Claire Gilchrist Vice President, Hasbro Consumer Products - Asia Pacific Elaine Chiu has over 13 years of brand licensing experience. Currently, she is the Senior Vice President of CAA- GBG China, a global licensing agency for international well-known brands including Playboy, Coca Cola, Crocs, Line Friends, Peanuts, Miffy etc. Over the past decade, she was responsible for implementing licensing strategies and operations for International licensing brands, providing integrated supports and problem-resolution services to licensing partners in China to ensure that the values and attributes inherent in the licensing brands are maintained as well as maximize opportunities in China Prior to that, she worked for Promotional Partner Worldwide (PPW) and International Management Group (IMG), the leading licensing agencies for numerous international licensing brands in Greater China, including Discovery Channel, Peppa Pig, The Smurfs, Pepsi, Cosmopolitan, Sesame Street, Arnold Palmer etc., she deeply believes in the extended values created by licensing programs regardless of internationally renowned brands or young and upcoming brands. - Playboy Coca Cola Crocs Line Friends PeanutsMiffy PPW IMG Peppa Pig Smurfs Pepsi Cosmopolitan Sesame Street Arnold Palmer Claire is responsible for Hasbro s Consumer Products business across Asia Pacific. Claire works with Hasbro s global and regional business leaders coordinating and overseeing growth opportunities for Hasbro s brand portfolio across the region. Prior to Hasbro, Claire worked for Mattel in several roles most recently as Vice President of Mattel Consumer Products for Asia Pacific. Prior to Mattel, Claire worked for The Walt Disney Company, holding roles in both Europe and North America for The Disney Stores and Disney Consumer Products. Claire was educated in West Africa and England. Claire currently resides in in Hong Kong. Claire Claire Mattel Mattel Claire Mattel The Walt Disney Company The Disney Stores Disney Consumer Products Claire Claire 48 49

27 Licensing Workshop (I) - Licensing Essentials: Encompassing Business Development - Speakers Licensing Workshop (I) - Licensing Essentials: Encompassing Business Development - Speakers Mr Alexis Bautista Chief Executive Officer Kokonuzz Media Group Kokonuzz Media Group Mr Herbert Yang Chief Executive Officer Century Innovative Technology Limited Serial Entrepreneur since 2007 with a solid career on Business Management and a strong focus on International Marketing and Sales. Currently combines his role as Founder & CEO of Kokonuzz Media Group (Transmedia entertainment developer and licensor building global entertainment franchises through traditional and disruptive media), with his role as Co-founder of DNA LAB International (developing high-impact consulting services for worldrenowned companies and brands within the Lifestyle industry). Herbert has been a serial entrepreneur and corporate executive in technology/entertainment startups and global MNC. He cofounded several startups in China and Silicon Valley spanning across consumer mobile social network, animation film, and fashion big data. Before that he was CFO of China Mobile's 12580, CFO of Zhang Yimou's Impression Arts and VP of Finance for GE Capital Boston. Herbert holds a bachelor degree from National University of Singapore and master degree from the Graduate School of Business of Stanford University. Bautista 2007 Kokonuzz Media Group DNA LAB International Kokonuzz Media Group DNA LAB International Impression Arts GE Capital 50 51

28 Licensing Workshop (II) - IP and Legal Fundamentals for Licensing - Panel Chair Licensing Workshop (II) - IP and Legal Fundamentals for Licensing - Speakers Ms Anita Leung 焄 Consultant David Lo & Partners Ms Charmaine Koo Partner Deacons Anita has been a legal practitioner for more than 25 years, advising both local and multinational companies on the full spectrum of both contentious and non-contentious intellectual property and information technology work, including mergers, acquisition and commercialization of IP assets, internal IP audits, pre-ipo due diligence, joint ventures, research collaboration, licensing, franchising and distribution. She provides clients with strategic brand integrity programs involving regional and cross-border enforcement of IP rights at all levels, litigating on copyright, trademark, design and patent disputes. Anita also assists clients on data privacy and cybersecurity issues, both locally and regionally, and the development and execution of diverse legal initiatives to manage the legal risks faced by companies in the Greater China and Asia Pacific region. Prior to joining David Lo and Partners as a consultant, Anita was a partner with two top international law firms in Hong Kong, Jones Day and Baker & McKenzie. Anita sits on the BIP Asia Forum Steering Committee of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and is the past President of Licensing Executives Society China (Hong Kong Sub-Chapter) from 2013 to She is also a member of the Working Committee of the Intellectual Property Rights Protection Alliance, the Intellectual Property Committee of the Hong Kong Law Society and a Council Member of the Federation of Woman Lawyers. 25 ; ( ) Charmaine Koo is co-head of Deacons Intellectual Property Department and Head of the firm s commercial IP, IP litigation and enforcement, and entertainment and media practice groups in Hong Kong. Charmaine advises on all aspects of commercial IP, including the structure and documentation of complex commercial transactions, licensing, franchising, distribution, cobranding as well as IT, technology, media, entertainment and advertising agreements. She also has extensive experience advising on copyright, data protection and personal data privacy. Charmaine represents many of the world s leading brands, advertising agencies, entertainment businesses, ISPs and content providers in relation to a wide range of innovative IP or internet issues. Her significant licensing matters include advising a leading educational toy manufacturer on trademark and product design licensing, co-branding and distribution agreements; an international apparel and accessories brand-management and retail-distribution network on license and distribution agreements for Southeast Asia with a well-known French footwear and apparel group; a media services and post-production company on a license for surround sound technology throughout Asia; a lingerie manufacturer on a joint venture and license agreement with an Oscar-winning Hollywood actress; and one of the world s most influential developers and providers of digital entertainment content on licensing IPRs in games software. She has won many awards and been recognised as a leading IP practitioner by many global industry publications and directories. Charmaine Koo Charmaine Charmaine Charmaine 52 53

29 Licensing Workshop (II) - IP and Legal Fundamentals for Licensing - Speakers Licensing Workshop (II) - IP and Legal Fundamentals for Licensing - Speakers Mr Joseph Chow Partner Wellington Legal Mr Rentaro Muto Partner Fred Kan & Co. Joseph Chow was admitted in Hong Kong as a solicitor in October He is a partner and one of the co-founders of Wellington Legal, a medium sized law firm in Hong Kong. Joseph has a wealth of experience in general commercial transactions, securities laws, regulatory matters, and protection of intellectual property rights. He is particularly experienced in advising corporations and start-ups in developing comprehensive and cost effective intellectual property rights protection strategies. Joseph is a regular speaker on intellectual property laws in conferences and is the honorary legal advisor to the Hong Kong Brand Development Council. Joseph graduated with a law degree (LL.B) from City University of Hong Kong in 1996 and completed his PCLL in University of Hong Kong in Apart from his legal practice, Joseph is also an active member in the licensing industry. He has his own design teams in Japan and Taiwan to create original characters and comics and he is also the exclusive agent in HK and Mainland China for a few characters from Japan and Korea. Joseph is fluent in English, Cantonese and Putonghua, and conversational in Japanese. Mr Rentaro Muto is one of the head of the firm s Japanese practice. He is responsible for advising Japanese clients in Japan, Hong Kong and Mainland China on Hong Kong laws. He is an all round player and has advised Japanese clients across various area of legal matters including banking, finance, conveyancing, logistics, probate, international trade, insurance, intellectual property, real property and construction, criminal, tenancy, personal injuries, employment, commercial, investment and cross-border dispute resolution. Muto is a frequent speaker in talks and seminars relating to the area of Japanese doing business in Hong Kong and Mainland. He gave talks at Tokyo and Osaka of Hong Kong Trade Development Council and he travels frequently to his firm s office in Tokyo meeting directly with clients (PCLL) 54 55

30 56 Partner and Supporting Organisations

31 Partner and Supporting Organisations Content Partner : Supporting Organisations : Asian Licensing Association The Hong Kong Group of the Asian Patent Attorneys Association Association of Sino Enterprises Promotion Design Council of Hong Kong Diamond Federation of Hong Kong, China Limited Federation of Hong Kong Brands Federation of Hong Kong Industries Hong Kong (SME) Economic and Trade Promotional Association Limited Hong Kong Apparel Society Ltd Hong Kong Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (HKAAPA) Hong Kong Brand Development Council Hong Kong Chiu Chow Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong Design Centre Hong Kong Designers Association Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association Hong Kong Economic & Trade Association Hong Kong Furniture Association Hong Kong Greater China SME Alliance Association Hong Kong Institute of Patent Attorneys Limited Hong Kong Institute of Professional Photographers Hong Kong Jade Association Hong Kong Jewellers' & Goldsmiths' Association Hong Kong Jewellery & Jade Manufacturers Association Hong Kong Jewelry Manufacturers' Association Hong Kong Knitwear Exporters & Manufacturers Asscociation Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association Ltd. Hong Kong Promotion Association For Small and Medium Ltd. Hong Kong Publishing Professionals Society The Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society Limited Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association Hong Kong SME Development Federation Ltd. Hong Kong Toys Council Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Ltd. Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association Knitwear Innovation and Design Society Limited Licensing Executives Society China, Hong Kong Sub-Chapter Movie Producers and Distributors Association of Hong Kong Limited New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong Hong Kong Porcelain Merchants Association Limited SME Global Alliance Limited The Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong Ltd The Australian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macau The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong The Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries Ltd. The Hong Kong Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry The Hong Kong Exporters' Association The Hong Kong General Chamber of Small and Medium Business The Hong Kong Hide & Leather Traders' Association Ltd. The Hong Kong Institute of Patent Practitioners The Hong Kong Netrepreneurs Association The International Chamber of Commerce - Hong Kong - The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong & Macao The Law Society of Hong Kong The Small and Medium Law Firms Association of Hong Kong The Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong Limited The Toys Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong 58 59

32 60 Conference Participants

33 Conference Participants For the full list of Asian Licensing Conference participants this year, please scan the QR code below, or visit the following link: aspx?eventid=573a62cd-3c3d-4627-a870-60a603a33d3b&langid=1 aspx?eventid=573a62cd-3c3d-4627-a870-60a603a33d3b&langid=2 62

34 64 Hong Kong International Licensing Show - Event Highlights -

35 Hong Kong International Licensing Show - Event Highlights - Grand Hall Foyer Performance Stage Mezzanine 4 Performance Stage 4 8 January 2018 (Monday) ( ) 11:00-12:00 Puzle Bear Party 15:30-17:30 Presentation by Taiwan Exhibitors 9 January 2018 (Tuesday) ( ) 10:00-12:00 Chinese mainland Pavilion Event 12:30-13:00 Mascot Stage Play and Dance Show by Fantawild Animation Inc. 15:30-17:30 Presentation by Taiwan Exhibitors 8 January 2018 (Monday) ( ) 14:00-14:30 Introduction to CHIC-KEN personalizable CHIC-KEN 15:00-15:30 Meet the VIP Buyers VIP 15:30-16:00 Meet the VIP Buyers VIP Media Sphere Commucations Ltd 9 January 2018 (Tuesday) ( ) 10:15-11:00 Kumamon Dance Performance Kumamon 11:00-11:30 Meet the VIP Buyers VIP ABR Holdings Ltd 11:30-12:00 Meet the VIP Buyers VIP Jollibee Food Corporation 13:00-13:30 Presentation by Nearko Limited Nearko Limited 13:30-14:00 Dance Performance by China Animation Media Production Limited 14:00-14:30 Meet the VIP Buyers VIP 14:30-15:00 Meet the VIP Buyers VIP 15:00-15:30 Meet the VIP Buyers VIP 15:30-16:00 Meet the VIP Buyers VIP Profiles of the VIP Buyers are available on p VIP * Subject to change as of 23 December * Subject to change as of 23 December

36 68 Hong Kong International Licensing Show - Meet the VIP Buyers - VIP

37 Hong Kong International Licensing Show - Meet the VIP Buyers - VIP First-ever "Meet the VIP Buyers" event is organised to create more networking and business matching opportunities. VIP buyers will share their licensing business and sourcing needs follow by a networking session. Participating companies: Media Sphere Communications Ltd. Media Sphere Communications Ltd. (MSC) is a subsidiary company of Want-Want China Times Media Group, established in Over last two decades, we have been curated hundreds of international exhibitions, events and performances. Our services include exhibitions, events and performances curation, artistic merchandising creation and corporation sponsorship management. With efforts and leading creativity, MSC has become a major curator in artistic and entertainment fields in Taiwan, the performance are always highly praised and appreciated by the consuming public. MSC developed our museum selection and we wish to gather all the best museums/ artists around the world. Create a platform for museums to communicate, cooperate, and allow more people to see the majestic of the world. MSC have extensive experience by collaborating art exhibition and projects with many different museums all around the world. Our cooperative partners included The British Museum, National Geographic Society, Musee du Louvre,, Berlin State Museums, Amsterdam Museum, MOMA, Chi Mei Museum and National Palace Museum. ABR Holdings Ltd ABR Holdings Ltd, a public listed group in Singapore, manages a portfolio of F&B brands in Singapore and the region. It began as the owner and operator of Swensen's restaurants in 1979 and has grown to be a leading brand in the family casual dining sector. Its own brands include Sticky Wings, Season, Tip Top, Chilli Padi. While other F&B brands operated by ABR include Hello Kitty Orchid Garden, Earle Swensen's, Tip Top Curry Puffs, Sticky Wings, Yogen Fruz, Season, Season's Café and Chilli Padi. Jollibee Food Corporation Jollibee is the largest fast food chain the Philippines, operating a nationwide network of over 1000 stores. A dominant market reader in the Philippines, Jollibee enjoys the lion's share of the local markets that is more than all the other multinational brands combined. The company has also embarked on an aggressive international expansion in the USA, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Saud Arabia, Qatar and Brunei. VIP VIP : B2C 56.3% BATJ Forbes 2017 Mix 2 PC APP , 1/ APP APP * Please refer to the schedule of "Event Highlights"on p " " CCFA( ) * Event will be conducted in English or Mandarin, no simultaneous interpretation will be provided, * Information as of 23 December

38 72 Insights

39 Connecting Brands and Products amid the Golden Era The Asia licensing market is hitting its stride. While the global licensing industry has been growing steadily in recent years, the Asian sector, and especially the burgeoning China market, which is growing at a far faster pace. And now the international licensing industry has placed its focus firmly on this region. According to New York-based LIMA Annual Global Licensing Industry Survey 2017 Report, from 2015 to 2016 Asia recorded a roaring increase of 8.82% in retail sales of licensed merchandise, nearly twice as much as the global growth of 4.44% - during the same time period. The annual HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show, held every January, is therefore an ideally positioned platform for industry players to seize the ample opportunities to optimise their business. The show has also received tremendous support from national and regional governments: mainland China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan. Each will have their own dedicated pavilion, offering one-stop station to assist industry professionals interested in licensing opportunities in particular countries and regions. As Asia's licensing hub, Hong Kong is at the forefront of crucial licensing related activities including IP trading and legal protection, as well as being a one-stop platform for business players who seek a range of products such as toys and accessories. On course to promote Hong Kong as the all-inclusive regional hub where agencies, retailers and manufacturers gather to collaborate, the Hong Kong International Licensing Show will play host again to the Asian Licensing Conference (ALC), the largest licensing conference in Asia. The conference will be discussing the latest hot topics of the industry by renowned speakers from around the world. Among these topics will be location-based entertainment, corporate brand licensing and digital licensing. There will also be workshops on the basic and legal aspects of licensing, so that the ALC will provide a full educational experience

40 Hong Kong - Center of the Asian Licensing World By Steven Ekstract The importance of Hong Kong as a hub for the global licensing business can be seen through its centralized location and easy access to all the major markets in Asia as well as the ease of doing business with the Chinese Mainland. Hong Kong's greatest strength is as the top destination in all of Asia to establish copyright protection for brands. An exhibitor in Hong Kong this year is Global Licensing Agency LMCA (The Fifth largest in the world based on ranking in License Global), According to LMCA's Chief Marketing Officer, Ted Curtain "Since opening our Asian Headquarters in Shanghai, our presence has continued to grow, taking advantage of extensive local manufacturing and distribution knowledge to support our global clients' strategic brand extension licensing initiatives. In 2015, we formed LMCA Oasis Lifestyle Asia (LOLA) to tap into LMCA's 30 year experience and strategic approach to licensing with OASIS expertise in lifestyle and entertainment brands. LOLA will bring to the HKILS Airwalk, Frye, Mr. Bean, Oddbods, Entertainment Art's "Need for Speed" and other exciting brands." In addition to these top global agents, visitors to HKILS can expect to see top global kids entertainment licensor Nickelodeon. Claire O'Connor, Vice President, Consumer Products and Retail Marketing APAC, Viacom International Media Networks remarks, "In Asia Pacific, our Nickelodeon preschool titles are growing from strength to strength. In particular, there is strong momentum for PAW Patrol, arising from the success of the pups on the channel, to retail, digital, and through to live experiences and events. Other titles such as Nella the Princess Knight, Blaze and the Monster Machines and Shimmer and Shine also continue to reach new heights and it'll be a priority to identify new opportunities to form deeper connections with our fans." "Evergreens such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer will remain in the spotlight and in 2018, other localized content will be added to remain fresh and relevant to fans. Lastly, with retail a core building block in the consumer products business, we are advancing in the tween retail market. This is through a collaboration with social media star JoJo Siwa, to introduce her signature fashion style to tweens in this region. Hence, we are excited to leverage the Hong Kong International Licensing Show as a platform to amplify our current hits and our next big wins to audiences in the Asia Pacific." Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) will be making their trade presentation, which is a closed door by invitation only event, at the HKILS this year. "The HK International Licensing Show is one of the important events for the industry in Asia, attracting a lot of visitors and key industry players from different countries," said Bianca Lee, Managing Director, Asia (ex-japan), WBCP. "We have been working closely with the HK Trade Development Council for many years to generate exposure for our priority franchises at this annual event." "Warner Bros. Consumer Products is the licensor for a wide portfolio of famous entertainment brands, including DC Comics, classic animation franchises such as the Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, and the Wizarding World of J.K. Rowling." Digital Brands creating strong consumer demand One of the newest and fastest growth categories in licensing are digital brands. In particular, video games have a very strong fan base which creates significant demand for product extensions from toys and collectibles, to apparel and accessories. At this year's HKILS, attendees of the Asia Licensing Conference can hear more about digital brand licensing in a session featuring key licensing executives from Activision/Blizzard, Microsoft's Xbox Division and Ubisoft who will be sharing their successes. According to Aurelien Palasse, Head of Publishing & Licensing for UBISOFT "Our major IPs which are resonating globally including in China global Rabbids & Assassin's Creed so we do work with local agents in the region to help us develop the business. The recent success of the Rabbids TV show across the online video channels in China is pushing opportunities on Plush for example but also & mall event, amusement park or F&B cooperation. In China specifically we do also have IP such as Heroes of Might & Magic or Hungry Shark that we are considering to collaborate with local partner on "content creation" such as web TV or web novel, extremely popular in the region. We do also develop specific gaming content on mobile for these IPs as well. Of course we do also release multiple publishing books including in China with our partner New Star and Jie li." 76 77

41 Chinese Animation Go Global Sino-Korean-HK Collaboration Despite a latecomer, Chinese animation industry has been growing steadily. Animation is not only a way to extend the presence of characters, it is also part of the characters' digital transformation. In China, characters now account for more than 60% of the retail sales of licensed merchandise, with the market show huge growth potential. Animal characters are by no means the only popular figures among the audiences. KungFood, an original cartoon series by the Yi Animation, features food protagonists like bun and sushi, as it depicts the adventure of the savoury friends. As online films have been a prominent trend, KungFood was piloted on the internet when it premiered online in The show achieved immense popularity, and attracted feature film deals from keen investors. Nicholas Zhong, Business Development Manager of the company remarks that the animation IP with food protagonists stands out for its originality. Characters of European, African and Asian foods are introduced into the story to cater to the international market. The series has been broadcast on mainstream TV channels and platforms internationally. He mentions that there is great demand for cartoon characters targeted at family audiences. "In the past, Mainland Chinese clients preferred foreign animation characters, but since recent years with the great box office and the rise of Chinese animation and comics, clients are shifting towards Chinese creativity." Business opportunities for Chinese cartoon merchandise are fast blooming. Boonie Bears, which has been the most viewed animation series on various Mainland TV channels for an extended period. As Allen Lo, Director of International Marketing Centre of Fantawild notes "the living standard of Mainland citizens are rising and it propels the demand for 'intellectual products'. As a result, cartoon characters targeted at family audiences are widely popular, which leads to the development of licensed merchandise of the series." As there are new licensed animation characters hitting the market every year, it can be a challenge for a character to stand out and stay ahead of the competition. To discover the star characters of tomorrow, Shanghai Suntree Cultural Creativity Co Ltd has teamed up with a Korean animation company to jointly develop the animation IP character Adoonga, who is embarking on the Mainland market with numerous achievements after gaining popularity in Korea. The company is actively tapping into the Asian market by extending Adoonga primarily in China and elsewhere in the world. It is the first project that the company has been involved in from the initial design stage. In a bid to explore licensing opportunities in Asia-Pacific and Greater China region, the company has appointed the industry veteran Focus Licensing Ltd as the sole licensing agent in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan while leveraging its network and expertise to develop a wider variety of quality merchandises and licensed projects. While jointly expanding Adoonga with Focus Licensing Ltd, both companies would also actively look into licensing its brand not only to the Mainland market, but also to the global market and continuing to introduce more foreign brands and properties to the Mainland market. They also believe that Hong Kong is a great platform as it has always been a gateway to the Mainland

42 Frenzy Over Japan's Elite Brands Adiverse merchandise mix enables Japan's character properties to delight their fans all the time, also thanks to the nation's robust foundation of anime, manga, entertainment, online games and publishing industries alongside its global licensing network. Credited with creating hot characters, Japan also prides itself on translating characters into brands which have scaled up the country's licensing market with the highest per capita value in Asia. "Japan's market likes characters, and therefore many products originate from characters," says Junko Mokuno, Corporate Officer, Marketing & Brand Management of Tsuburaya Productions Co Ltd, which is best known for its original Ultraman TV series that has made the classic superhero Ultraman into a legendary label. Cross-generation Asset According to Mokuno, character properties have been predominantly used in Japan's licensing sector. "The key to success is to strengthen the brand, not just characters. For that, contents play a very important role, which create an affinity with the brand. Despite difficulties of brand-building, a strong brand is the fundamental of the business." This explains why the studio keeps rolling out new TV and show productions to sustain Ultraman's popularity. With collectibles on offer, Astro Boy is another ever-popular Japan's character property that withstands the test of time. "Japan's famous anime and manga titles play a critical role in raising strong brand awareness in the international market," remarks Alice Tang, Managing Director, AT Licensing & Merchandising Limited. Representing Astro Boy, Black Jack, Jungle Emperor Leo and other hit titles, the company is a licensing agency of Tezuka Productions in Asia (excluding Japan and Korea). Tang finds that the Hong Kong International Licensing Show is a platform that facilitates business collaborations with potential licensed manufacturers-cum-distributors. "Growing in scale year-on-year, the exhibition is Asia's showcase of licensed products. Although more and more South East Asian exhibitors line up there, the expanding licensing sector is large enough to accommodate different players in the market." A Slice of Edutainment Segment Character properties have been a key asset in Asia's edutainment segment. China's newly installed two-child policy plus the rise of a large middle-income group in the Chinese cities as well as a high birth rate in Indonesia and growing importance of education for kids in South Korea give a boost to the region's growth of edutainment segment. As one of Japan's educational giants, Benesse Corporation's title character Shimajiro has been making inroads into Asia's preschool education. The Shimajiro TV series is now available in China, South Korea, Taiwan and Indonesia. Edutainment materials featuring characters are attractive to kids. But now consumers want far more than that. "Coto (experience) consumption is growing. Consumers tend to spend money on things to seek value in experience," comment Daisuke Tebayashi, Manager, Preschool Education-Global Division, Character Development-Global Department of Benesse Corporation. All in all, with a long history of animation and comic development and export, Japan's characters have strong values in licensing deals that reaffirms the country's status as Asia's largest licensing market. China and other rival nations are catching up that competition may reshape the sector in the coming years. Capturing Niche Markets Tang adds, "Classic characters like Astro Boy have a sea of hardcore fans who grow up with the brands. As a wider range of manufacturers tap into the licensing business, more new and exciting licensed products come into the market which draw purchases from grownups. As for Astro Boy, the brand has already offered a large assortment of products. But we still look to launch niche licensed products to bring surprise to consumers. Say, Astro Boy's licensed pregnancy attires have been recently rolled out." 80 81

43 Illustrative Characters Innovative Licensing In recent years, local illustration has blossomed by riding on the momentum of social media platforms. There are emerging illustrators who rose to fame with their wryly humorous comics, and others who capitalise on the new trends of current platforms. All this has opened up new directions for cartoon character licensing. Hong Kong female illustrator Yan Ip launched her Facebook page Plastic Thing in 2013, and garnered acclaim with her four-frame comic strips. While her illustration depicts the happenings in women's lives and presents a humorous reflection of today's Hong Kong society, her page has accumulated over 200,000 followers in two years' time. With the growing popularity from the social media, she also gained many licensing collaboration opportunities and recently extending from local brands to international ones. Alexis Bautista, a Hong Kong-based illustrator from Barcelona, launched the brand Kokonuzz in 2013 and has since engaged multiple licensees for licensing cooperation around the world. Kokonuzz features animal protagonists with characters such as Kino, a hard-working pig, Luppo, a lazy wolf, or Fin, an ambitious shark. Alexis Bautista is currently working on a collaboration to co-produce an animated series, Bacon Nation, which will further expand the character's global presence. Kokonuzz has expanded from illustration into different media. Besides cartoon, it is also tapping into mobile phone platforms and VR games. "We see a great potential in licensing as we continue to grow our brand and create further content for our characters" Bautista stressed. Illustration licensing is not only limited to cartoon characters. Young Hong Kong illustrator Andrew Yeung, who studied illustration in the US, specialises in illustration without specific characters. He once introduced Hong Kong-styled delicacies including the stuffed three treasures and salted fish as the protagonists of an illustration series and has appeared in fashion design, as well as being featured on the walls in a design show. He expected to expand his illustration to more innovative licensing platforms in future. Human characters with strong personalities can be touching too. Being expressive about his feelings, "A-boy" is a homegrown boy character property that has shot to fame. "Creating a moving character is an ingredient of success. Staying focused on creation as well as being passionate, insistent and persistent come next," remarks the artist b.wing who originated the character in 2003 and published many illustration books since To go beyond the traditional licensing, b.wing has recently joined hands with a local toy company Soap Studio to redesign the Justice League characters and turn them from evil to naughty and innocent children in her own style. While social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are tools for fun, leisure and communication between people all over the world, young illustrators are at one end good at leveraging them to gain popularity and convert their "likes" into business opportunities through innovative character licensing. At the other, they have been exploring various channels to expand their creativity in character licensing. 82

44 Hong Kong Celebs Bring Love Via Licensing Characters speak. More than simply graphics, they can be a messenger of some inspiring visions. Not limited to global superhero idols, some Hong Kong's homegrown characters can also enchant their fans with their lovely mission. Storytelling for Edutainment Bodhi is a pet-inspired character who delivers the value of courage and respect. "Universally embraced, animal characters are a powerful tool in storytelling. Parents like to teach their children about morality through heartwarming animal stories," says Herbert Yang, CEO of Century Innovative Technology, a Hong Kong-based edutainment company. Started as a charity project in 2006, Bodhi was based on Hong Kong Celeb Poman Lo's real dog which was so well received that the project turned out to become a real business with a focus on TV animation production and education. With Season 4 on air, Bodhi and Friends' TV anime series has made the title among the Top 10 local animation brands in China. A huge base of audience has also contributed to the brand's success in edutainment licensed products with big names, such as Scholastic, Mattel and Skoolbo. Bodhi will capitalise on Hong Kong's geographical location to grow its licensing business. "Hong Kong is close to China, especially Shenzhen where there are a lot of toy or other types of licensed manufacturers seeking opportunities. The city is also a hub that we can access to the international market," remarks Herbert Yang. Social Business Established in 2017, Cash and Family is another uplifting label founded by Hong Kong Celeb Cally Kwong and radio disc jockey Ho Ka Lo. "The late- Bichon Frisé owned by Cally, Cash was an animal doctor, and he paid home visits to the elderly people. Pets are the bridge of communications between humans. Therefore, we came up with the idea of building a character featuring his loving heart to live his spirit and deliver positive messages," says Ho Ka Lo. "Whenever I travel overseas, I always spot a wide variety of licensed products from Hong Kong brands. This indicates the overseas popularity of homegrown brands." Ho continues, "As Asia's licensing hub, Hong Kong is a gateway to the Chinese mainland. So, I think the exhibition must be a valuable platform where brand owners meet their Asian partners." 84 85

45 THE LICENSING SECTOR S PREMIER PUBLICATION License Global is the most reliable daily source for brand licensing and retail news, data, analysis and trends. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Electrolux Group brands include: As a subscriber to License Global you will gain access to the news you need, five times a week. Visit LICENSEMAG.COM today! 86 Hear Ciarán Coyle, Global VP and Head of Global Brand Licensing at Electrolux, speak on Building World Class Corporate Brands Through Licensing! Asian Licensing Conference, January 8, 2018 Electrolux Global Brand Licensing Group Publisher Steven Ekstract steven.ekstract@ubm.com

46 Notes 備忘錄 89