News Releases

NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- An impressive roster of brand licensing and retail thought leaders will take the stage at the third annual NYC Summit: The Business of Brand Licensing networking event and conference.

Among the first wave of speakers to be announced are:

• Rosa Zeegers, National Geographic's EVP of consumer products and experiences, will discuss how National Geographic keeps this iconic, 130-year-old brand relevant for today's consumers through innovative experiences and premium retail activations.
• A special session focusing on social influencers, featuring actor, author, entrepreneur and one of the biggest digital stars today, Jake Paul. Paul will be joined by his manager and business partner Kevin Gould of Kombo Ventures and his licensing agent Ross Misher of Brand Central to offer insight into how to harness the power of today's digital celebrities. Also participating in this session will be Gil Eyal, founder of HYPR! Brands, the world's largest influencer search and discovery directory and the market leader for in-depth influencer audience analytics.
• Alix Kram, VP of global consumer products at Warner Music Group, who manages a portfolio that includes some of the biggest names in music from the Grateful Dead to Wiz Khalifa.
• Josh Goodstadt, EVP of licensing for the National Basketball Players, Inc., the newly created subsidiary of the National Basketball Players' Association, charged with managing group licensing and other business opportunities for NBA players, who will take part in a panel discussing the current state of the sports licensing business and managing athletes.
• Charlotte Clisby, a co-founder and chief commercial officer of Evode Group, whose subsidiary Merchmaker offers a print-on-demand solution that works within the constraints of traditional wholesale, allowing brands such as Nickelodeon, WWE and CBS to get product in the hands of fans fast.
• With more speakers to be announced soon!

The NYC Summit will take place February 20, 2018 at the Convene event venue in New York City's Times Square. The 2017 NYC Summit, which took place earlier this year, saw speakers from 20 leading companies including PepsiCo, Activision Blizzard, CAA-GBG and Tesco address a sold-out crowd of close to 400 licensing industry executives. Registration is now open for the 2018 NYC Summit, with a special Early Bird price of $795 and $695 for LIMA members available through Dec. 15.

The 2018 NYC Summit will again focus on the full scope of the business of brand licensing with a roster of speakers across media, sports, toys and retail. Topics will range from the evolution of gaming brands and how to get in on the SVOD action to how respond to trends at the speed of social media and re-envisioning retail for the digital world.

"Every year at the NYC Summit we gather the top minds in brand licensing and retail to discuss the topics that are on everyone's mind–this year, that is clearly the rapidly shifting worlds of media and retail," says Steven Ekstract, group publisher, License Global magazine, developer of the NYC Summit. "At the 2018 Summit, we'll be hosting executives at the forefront of these changes who are helping to shape the new media and retail landscape, whether it be through SVOD, e-commerce innovations, eSports or tapping into the power of social media. As it has been for the past two years, this is a must-attend event for any executive looking to keep their business ahead of the curve."

The NYC Summit is developed by License Global magazine (www.licensemag.com), part of the Global Licensing Group at UBM – the trade show organizer of Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo China and Licensing Expo Japan. The event is presented in partnership with LIMA, the brand licensing industry's leading trade organization. Sponsors already signed on to this year's event include JPatton, OpSec and Trevco. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available for companies looking to connect with the high-level executives who attend the NYC Summit. Please contact Sharon Weisman for additional details (sharon.weisman@ubm.com).

For more information about the event and to register, please visit www.nyclicensingsummit.com.

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About NYC Licensing Summit
The NYC Licensing Summit, which takes place every spring in New York City, is developed by License Global magazine and organized by the Global Licensing Group at UBM. This conference and networking event brings together executives and thought leaders from the brand licensing industry's largest players, including licensees, retailers, agents, service providers and licensors. Presented in partnership with the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association, this intimate gathering is designed to complement the UBM Global Licensing Group's larger events and information products, which include Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Japan, Licensing Expo China and License Global magazine. The NYC Licensing Summit is organized by UBM plc. UBM is the largest pure-play B2B Events organizer in the world. Our 3,750+ people, based in more than 20 countries, serve more than 50 different sectors. Our deep knowledge and passion for these sectors allow us to create valuable experiences which enable our customers to succeed. Please visit www.ubm.com for the latest news and information about UBM.

About Global Licensing Group
The Global Licensing Group at UBM is the global licensing industry's leading tradeshow organizer and media partner. Its mission is to provide opportunities around the world to bring brands and products together to explore and cement licensing partnerships. The following events and information products are produced for the licensing industry by the Global Licensing Group: Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Japan, Licensing Expo China, NYC Summit, License Global magazine, License Global Daily E-news and License TV.

About License Global
License Global magazine, published by UBM Americas, is the leading news source for the brand licensing industry, delivering award-winning editorial content covering trends, analysis and special reports about the global brand licensing and retail marketplace. Through its print edition, website, daily e-newsletter and LicenseTV video platform, License Global reaches a total monthly audience of 90,000 global executives. The magazine also serves as the official publication for the sector's two largest trade events, Licensing Expo in May and Brand Licensing Europe in October and hosts the NYC Brand Licensing Summit every spring in New York City.

About LIMA
LIMA – the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association – is the leading trade organization for the global licensing industry.  LIMA's mission is to foster the growth and expansion of licensing around the world, raise the level of professionalism for licensing practitioners, and create greater awareness of the benefits of licensing to the business community at large.  Founded in 1985, LIMA maintains offices in the United States (headquarters), Australia, Brazil (ABRAL) China, Germany, Japan, Mexico and the United Kingdom, with representatives in Canada, France, India, Italy, Korea, Russia and the Middle East.  Over 1200 member companies in 40 countries enjoy access to an array of benefits, including extensive educational programming and worldwide networking events.  LIMA is the exclusive sponsor of events organized by UBM's Global Licensing Group:  Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Japan, Licensing Expo China, and NYC Summit.  Visit licensing.org for more information and to utilize licensing's definitive online resource. 

SOURCE License Global magazine