With the steady development of China’s licensing market in recent years, the Licensing Expo Shanghai (LEC) has successfully held seven editions to date, expanding its exhibition area and scale from 10,463 square meters in 2017 to 48,000 square meters in 2024.

The 8th Licensing Expo Shanghai (LEC) will be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai from July 16th to 18th, 2025. The scale will continue to expand, covering two exhibition halls (Hall 1.1 & Hall 2.1), with an expected exhibition area of 50,000 square meters, gathering over 400 exhibitors and showcasing more than 1,800 globally renowned IPs.

*Time Limited Free Tickets for Licensing Expo Shanghai

Pre-registration for visitors is now open. By completing the pre-registration before 23:59:59 on July 15th, you can receive a free exhibition ticket. If you complete the registration between July 16th and 18th, you will need to purchase an entrance ticket for 100 RMB.Don’t forget to claim your free ticket!

Las Vegas, USA | London, UK | Shanghai, China

The Licensing Expo is a renowned exhibition in the global licensing industry, hosted by Informa Markets. It has been successfully held in various locations such as China, the United States, the United Kingdom. Additionally, it is the publisher of the influential licensing industry publication, “License! Global”.

I.  The Data Of Licensing Market in China And Globally

The retail sales of licensed merchandise and services worldwide grew to USD 356.5 billion in 2023, representing a year-on-year increase of 4.59% ⬆ compared to 2022.

In 2023, the retail sales of licensed merchandise and services in China reached USD 13.77 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 9.6% ⬆ compared to 2022.

Data Source: Licensing International ——2024 Global Licensing Survey

II.  Over 400 International Top Licensors And Licensing Agents, Covering More Than 1,800 IPs.

*Above are some of the exhibited IPs in 2024

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*Above are some of the exhibitors for 2024.

*Time Limited Free Tickets for Licensing Expo Shanghai

III.  Why Exhibit？

• Enhance brand value and product value
• Resonate with consumers
• Enhance differentiated competition
• IP attracts traffic and forms fission-like spreading.

Licensing refers to the process where a licensor grants a licensee, through a contract, the right to use trademarks, brands, images, or other intellectual properties (IPs) owned or represented by the licensor, in exchange for a licensing fee, which constitutes a portion of the sales revenue of the licensed products. When executed properly, this process can enhance brand awareness and create additional profit opportunities.

IV. Enrich Innovative Activities, An Annual Event That All Licensing Professionals Around The World Must Attend

China Licensing Conference

The China Licensing Conference (CLC) is one of the most important events held concurrently with the Licensing Expo China Shanghai (LEC), taking place annually on the day before the exhibition. As a landmark platform for authoritative dialogues between the Chinese and global licensing industries, the conference boasts its forward-looking, insightful, and pioneering features. It aims to share the current status and trends of the licensing industry both globally and in China, providing authoritative data reports, forward-thinking content inspiration, perfect social networking platforms, and high-standard service experiences to attendees. This, in turn, promotes exchanges between the domestic and overseas licensing industries and fosters diverse innovation and development in the global and Chinese licensing industries. The highly anticipated conference is also the focus of attention for opinion leaders both within and outside the industry every year, where they gather to discuss hot topics, understand industry frontiers, and explore future development trends.

In 2024, with the theme of “Convergence and Integration,” the conference successfully held one data report session, six keynote speeches, and two roundtable discussions, with a total of 16 industry leaders delivering their fascinating insights. The event was fully attended, attracting 518 outstanding industry elites from various fields.

Matchmaking Service

The Business Matching function of LEC provides exhibitors and visitors with one-on-one pre-show meeting appointment services. Its purpose is to break down cross-industry communication barriers, enhance interactive experiences, provide customers with more business opportunities, and facilitate precise and efficient connections and transactions between licensors and licensees, thereby improving exhibition and visit efficiency and contributing to industry development. In 2024, a total of 24,422 business matching meetings were initiated, a year-on-year increase of 6%, with 8,006 successful matches.

China Licensing Awards

(Year 2025 – Ongoing…)

Since its inception in 2017, the China Licensing Awards have been held annually, now celebrating its eighth consecutive year. The awards are designed to foster innovation, expansion, and resourcefulness within China’s licensing industry, enhancing communication and development across the sector. Recognized as the most credible and impactful annual event in China’s licensing field, the competition has consistently drawn enthusiastic participation from the industry, since its release in February. In 2024, the competition attracted nominations from 125 leading companies, including licensors, licensees, and licensing agents who submitting over 525 projects.The winners of the 15 annual awards were announced at the event, following rigorous evaluations by a professional jury panel and industry leaders.

• “IP+X” Business Matching Activities
• Media Conference
• Key Buyers
• IP Promotion Workshops
• IP Characters Costume Parade
• IP Cross-over Exhibition Area
• China Licensing Industry Seminars

V.  About Global Licensing Group
The Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets 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 Informa Markets: Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Japan, Licensing Expo Shanghai, The Licensing Leadership Summit, License Global magazine, License Global Daily E-News and The Licensing Mixtape podcast. Global Licensing Group events are sponsored by Licensing International.

*Time Limited Free Tickets for Licensing Expo Shanghai