SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Licensing Group, the licensing industry's leading tradeshow organizer and media partner, today announced an exclusive collaboration with the National Retail Federation for the NRF 2019: Retail's Big Show taking place January 13 – 15 in New York City. Together, the Global Licensing Group and NRF will showcase the immense value licensing offers the retail industry and educate retailers on how to forge strategic relationships to reach a wider audience and engage their consumers.
"NRF's Retail's Big Show is a dynamic event that we are extremely proud to be a part of," UBM Senior Vice President of the Global Licensing Group Jessica Blue said. "Retailers have always been a vital pillar within the licensing ecosystem. Every year, we are fortunate to see growth in our industry, which is made possible by the strategic partnerships and unique products shaped by retailers. We're thrilled to work alongside NRF to promote licensing amongst a wider retail audience and help retailers drive both in-store and online traffic by delivering experiences consumers seek."
Global retail sales from licensed goods and services in 2017 grew to $271.6 billion, a 3.3 percent increase over 2016, according to the 2018 LIMA Annual Global Licensing Industry Survey. Consumers are looking to connect with products in more engaging ways. Brand licensing has proven to be a lucrative strategy for retailers by meeting their customer's need for exclusive product and experiential offerings.
The Global Licensing Group's presence at NRF 2019 will help promote licensing as a valuable business strategy in the evolving retail landscape, one that is central to consumer's increasing expectations around unique selection and experience. To demonstrate the power of licensing, the Global Licensing Group will be joined by Licensing Expo exhibitors Sesame Street and Build-A-Bear Workshop, where each will hold an experiential activation showcasing licensed products.
"We are excited to collaborate with the Global Licensing Group, who have established themselves as the foremost authority in brand licensing worldwide and have made a huge impact on the retail industry," NRF Senior Vice President of Conferences Susan Newman said. "The Global Licensing Group's commitment to the education and promotion of strategic licensing programs for retailers embodies our mission to support retailers and help them cater to their consumer's evolving expectations."
NRF 2019: Retail's Big Show sets the tone and focus in retail for the next year. Retailers can evaluate best-in-class experiences and services, learn from the biggest players transforming the industry and develop non-traditional strategies. As consumers seek to connect with brands and products in more immersive ways, the timely collaboration between NRF and the Global Licensing Group will showcase how licensing programs can drive the consumer experience and inject an emotional connection with brands and products.
The showcase will be held inside the NRF 2019 Expo Hall and open to all retail attendees of the event. For more information about NRF 2019: Retail's Big Show, please visit https://www.nrfbigshow.nrf.com.
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About The Global Licensing Group
The Global Licensing Group at UBM is the licensing industry's leading tradeshow organizer and media partner. Its mission is to provide licensing opportunities around the world by bringing brands and products together. The following events and information products are produced for the licensing industry by the Global Licensing Group at UBM: Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Japan, Licensing Expo China, NYC Licensing Summit, License Global magazine and License Global Daily E-News. Global Licensing Group events are sponsored by the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA).
About NRF
The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association. Based in Washington, D.C., NRF represents discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation's largest private-sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation's economy. NRF.com.
SOURCE The Global Licensing Group
