LONDON, 11 October 2016 – UBM, together with the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA) and Alifish, the licensing and entertainment business unit of Alibaba, announce a strategic partnership to strengthen the Chinese licensing industry.
UBM, organizers of the worlds’ largest licensing trade shows and publishers of the most widely-read trade publication; LIMA, the leading industry association for global licensing, and Alifish, will work together for online licensing match-making and trading to support the development of China’s brand, art and character licensing industry through online training, live events and education programmes. The three organisations will leverage their unique strengths to better service the licensing community.
“China’s licensing industry is the fastest growing licensing market in the world. We are excited to collaborate with LIMA and Alifish to facilitate business connections between licensors, agents, licensees and retailers in China,” says Jessica Blue, Senior Vice President, Licensing, UBM.
“I am confident this cooperative agreement between LIMA, UBM and Alifish will be a driving force for the continued rapid growth of the licensing business in China. It is a powerful convergence to have the world’s primary licensing trade organisation, the largest trade show organiser in the US and Asia, and the leading e-commerce platform in China come together,” said Charles Riotto, President of LIMA. “This alliance is sure to create significant business opportunities for both domestic companies and international properties, and better enable consumers to connect with and enjoy the trusted brands they love.”
“With our powerful e-commerce ecosystem, we are able to bring together key stakeholders – from consumers to retailers – to this collaboration. Working with industry leaders such as UBM and LIMA helps to extend our ecosystem to the benefit of all participants along the licensee value chain,” said Hong Ying, General Manager of Alifish, Alibaba Group’s Licensing and Entertainment Business Unit.
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Christina Jordan, cjordan@licensing.org, + 1 646-744-3741
Press Materials: http://www.licensingexpo.com/licensing-expo/content/press-1
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About Licensing Expo (www.licensingexpo.com)
Now in its 37th year, Licensing Expo is the world’s largest and most influential annual trade show dedicated to licensing and brand extension. The show floor is merchandised into three zones: Characters and Entertainment; Art and Design; and Brands and Agents. More than 16,150 retailers, licensees, manufacturers, distributors and licensing agents attend the Expo from more than 90 countries. Licensing Expo is owned and organized by UBM Americas and is sponsored by the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA). UBM Americas also owns and operates License! Global magazine and Brand Licensing Europe.
About UBM Asia (www.ubmasia.com)
Owned by UBM plc listed on the London Stock Exchange, UBM Asia is Asia's leading exhibition organiser and the biggest commercial organiser in mainland China, India and Malaysia. Established with its headquarters in Hong Kong and subsidiary companies across Asia and in the US, UBM Asia has a strong global network of 30 offices and 1,300 staff in 24 major cities. We operate in 20 market sectors with 230 exhibitions and conferences, 23 trade publications, 20 online products for over 1,000,000 quality exhibitors, visitors, conference delegates, advertisers and subscribers from all over the world.
About UBM Americas
UBM Americas, a part of UBM plc, is the largest business-to-business events and trade show organizer in the U.S. Through a range of aligned interactive physical and digital environments, UBM Americas increases business effectiveness for both customers and audiences by cultivating meaningful experiences, knowledge and connections. UBM Americas has offices spanning North and South America, and serves a variety of specialist industries with dedicated events and marketing services covering everything from fashion, tech and life sciences to advanced manufacturing, cruise shipping, specialty chemicals, powersports and automotive, concrete, hospitality, cargo transportation and more. For more information, visit: www.ubmamericas.com.
About LIMA
LIMA – the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association – is the leading trade organization for the global licensing industry. Founded in 1985, LIMA’s mission is to foster the growth and expansion of licensing around the world and create greater awareness of the benefits of licensing to the business community at large. Members in over 35 countries enjoy access to an array of benefits, including LIMANET – licensing’s interactive, global directory – extensive educational programming, and worldwide networking events. LIMA is the exclusive sponsor of Licensing Expo, in addition to shows in London, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Visit licensing.org for more information.
About Alifish (ip.alibaba.com)
Alifish is an online copyright trading platform of Alibaba Group, offering online licensing match-making and business management services for IP owners and brand merchants. It provides a one-stop online licensing solution, including match-making powered by big data, sophisticated identification of potential licensees, licensing transaction, online licensing management, sales data tracking, and automatic royalty collection for its users. As of September 2016, IP owners use Alifish as a fast track to access over 100,000 selected brands and more than 400 million active buyers within the Alibaba Group ecosystem. At the same time, Alifish provides brand merchants access to an abundant supply of popular copyrighted items to enhance their merchandise and marketing strategies.
