As countless manufacturers and retailers scramble to address growing weakness in consumer spending, the market for apparel and non-apparel licensing opportunities is poised to flourish.

In fact, the global licensing industry is on track to break the $200 billion mark this year, with fashion second only to character-based licensing ($39.1 billion and $42.7 billion in 2006 retail sales, respectively).

For retailers, deals with consumer friendly brands serve as a welcomed source of foot traffic and, ultimately, sales in an otherwise slumping retail environment. Most recently, the industry has seen such collaborations as Marvel and Carrefour, Disney’s Hannah Montana and Wal-Mart, Avril Lavigne and Kohl’s, Hasbro and Steve & Barry’s, and Disney’s Camp Rock and Target, among countless others. Manufacturers have also jumped into the fray, from Reebok’s Kool-Aid sneaker collection to adidas’ Dale Earnhart, Jr. line of apparel.

And for Intellectual Properties owners such as Marvel and Nintendo, the benefit of licensing is two-fold, providing additional revenue streams while also enhancing brand awareness and reach through such products as sneakers, apparel, cologne and others.

Nowhere is the demand for apparel-based licensing opportunities more prevalent than the annual Licensing International Expo, to be held at New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center from June 10-12. Bringing together more than 6,000 properties/brands and 25,000 visitors from 82 countries, Licensing International Expo 2008 is certain to set the stage for the hottest upcoming trends in retail development, from major studios such as MGM and Sony looking to solidify licensing deals for future releases to Wayne Enterprises’ efforts to launch a John Wayne line of home products.

In addition to providing a forum for these and other deals, Licensing International Expo will also offer several education sessions for both industry veterans and novices alike. Included among this year’s Licensing University offerings include:

• Trends in Lifestyle, Homestyle and Fashion Licensing
• Retails’ Exclusives – The Dos and Don’ts
• The New Consumer, The New Retail and Licensing in the New World

More information on this year’s Licensing International Expo 2008 and a full list of its exhibitors can be found at www.licensingshow.com.

About Licensing International Expo

Now in its 28th year, Licensing International Expo 2008 (www.licensingexpo.com) is the most established and dominant licensing event in the world. The show is the global marketplace for leveraging brand and property equity and for developing new licensed consumer products. The Expo features 600 exhibitors, which represent more than 6,000 properties for consumer products, in categories including corporate brands, entertainment, sports, lifestyle, publishing, art and design and much more. Exhibitors include Fortune 500 consumer brands, Hollywood’s top movie studios, publishing giants, artists and designers, which all introduce their properties to the marketplace at the show. With 25,000 attendees from 82 countries representing the world’s leading retailers, manufacturers, agents and brand owners, Licensing International Expo 2008 is an opportunity for business expansion, whether the business is a new property, an exciting popular character or a classic brand. The Licensing International Expo 2008 provides a unique and diverse platform to judge the viability and compatibility of existing brands at a show which represents the worldwide licensing marketplace.