To assignment editor:
Reminder
Licensing Show and Conference move online
Helping companies capture licensing opportunities amid volatility
7 January 2021 – In light of the continuing global pandemic, the 19th HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show (HKILS) and 10th Asian Licensing Conference (ALC), both organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), will run as online events from 11 to 15 January 2021.
HKILS Online brings together key industry players
HKILS Online will gather some 250 exhibitors including top global licensors/agents and renowned brands, along with individual artists such as Sing Sing Rabbit (a music intellectual property, or IP, from Hong Kong), CATART (a painting IP from Japan) and Shaogao (a comic IP from Taiwan) who will showcase their original creations. In addition, several governments – including from Mainland China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan – will be promoting their own unique homegrown IPs.
The “IP Discovery” Channel is a new feature at HKILS Online, providing entertaining videos and stories featuring specific IPs with the aim of generating more business opportunities for the companies concerned. Despite many businesses being hit hard by the global pandemic, ground-breaking initiatives and business innovations continue to be created in the licensing industry, often involving cross-sector and cross-regional cooperation. The Virtual Business Matching Service offered through HKILS Online will be in high demand by companies from various sectors that are keen to explore cooperation with suitable IPs to help them upgrade their businesses and expand their markets during the current difficult environment.
An online press conference will be held on 8 January (Friday) to introduce HKILS Online and give an overview of the outlook for the licensing industry. The following exhibitors, buyers and speakers will be on hand to share their valuable insights on creating new business opportunities amid the current volatility:
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Founded in 1961, Mainetti Group is an Italian manufacturer and supplier of garment hangers and product packaging. In May this year it launched MainettiCare, a new range of personal protective equipment (PPE) to help mitigate risks associated with COVID-19. Its latest product range features "Made in Hong Kong" disposable masks, produced in collaboration with local manufacturers, and partnerships with B.Duck and Astro Boy to launch licensed masks. |
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Matrix is a corporate and promotion gift supplier that has designed exclusive PPE gifts for corporations during the pandemic, selling almost 2.7 million hand sanitisers to local customers. Through its website, GiftU, the company has become an e-commerce pioneer in the gift sector. Its “Funhub” service allows corporations to customise their gifts using IPs created by local illustrators. Matrix is now the master licensee for many renowned global brands. |
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Founded in Taiwan, Pinkoi is now the leading e-commerce platform for original design products from Asia, attracting more than 25,000 regional designers and selling to 93 countries and regions, including Japan, Mainland China, Hong Kong and Thailand. In 2019, Pinkoi launched crossover projects with Hong Kong heritage brands and opened the Pinkoi SPACE in The Mills in Tsuen Wan, which provides a new online-to-offline retail business model. |
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Sing Sing Rabbit is a local singer-songwriter whose songs were licensed to the famous Japanese music mobile game “Cytus II”. Her new single, My Happy Pancake Shop, will premiere on the “IP Discovery” Channel during HKILS Online. Sing Sing Rabbit has worked with different international brands, aiming to enter the designer toy sector, including a partnership with six local and Japanese artists to produce characters for “The Seven Bubbles” created by Inscape Studio. |
We cordially invite you or your representatives to cover the above-mentioned events. Details are as follows:
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Date: |
8 January 2021 (Friday) |
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Time: |
3pm |
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Host: |
Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director, Hong Kong Trade Development Council |
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Guests: |
Paul Tai, Regional Director, Mainetti Group Ray Leung, Founder & CEO, Matrix Cathy Tang, HKMO deputy regional leader, Pinkoi Sing Sing Rabbit |
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Language: |
Cantonese (questions in Mandarin are welcome) |
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Register Link: |
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Remark: |
To view the press conference broadcast, media representatives are required to pre-register by 7 January to receive a confirmation email with an access link. Media can access the virtual press conference link at 2.45pm for testing and are reminded to back-up the email containing the login details. |
ALC Online features sharing from 40 industry experts
ALC Online will provide four video-on-demand viewing channels, including “Expert Sharing: Arts and Culture”, “Expert Sharing: Digital Entertainment”, “Entrepreneur Dialogue” and “Licensing Academy”, allowing participants to view the full conference programme at their own convenience.
A total of 40 speakers, including representatives from global brands and industry experts, will share their thoughts during the conference. They include representatives from the Andy Warhol Foundation, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and the Science Museum, who will share on how they incorporate arts and culture IPs into lifestyle merchandise that permeates people’s everyday lives. Meanwhile, representatives from Activision Blizzard, the BBC, Banijay, BuzzFeed, KAKAO Friends and United Talent Agency will unveil the immense growth prospects and future development of licensing in areas such as gaming, e-sports, digital/social media, influencers and digital entertainment.
Members of the media wishing to interview speakers, exhibitors or buyers can email interview requests to christine.kam@hktdc.org or janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org. For more details of both events, please visit: www.licensing.hktdc.com.
Media enquiries
Please contact the HKTDC’s Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Christine Kam Tel: (852) 2584 4514 Email: christine.kam@hktdc.org
Janet Chan Tel: (852) 2584 4369 Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org