Licensing Expo 2020 Is Canceled, Event to Return Next Year

The spread of COVID-19 has taken another casualty on the trade show front.

Informa Markets’ Licensing Expo, originally planned for this month and later postponed until August, has been canceled. The annual event will return to Las Vegas from May 25-27, 2021.

“We’d like to thank all our customers and partners for their support, open discussions, and encouragement,” says Anna Knight, vice president, licensing, Informa Markets. “As everyone has been reminding us, the need to connect with partners, colleagues, and the licensing community is greater than ever, so, in partnership with Licensing International, we will be delivering a series of multi-platform events through the remainder of the year and more details of those will follow in the coming weeks.”

A new FAQ page for Licensing Expo attendees and exhibitors, including information on ticketing and exhibitor rollovers, can be found here.

While not intended as a direct replacement for Licensing Expo, Licensing Week Virtual is a five-day program set to take place next month.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.