Tetris is my favorite game of all time. I play it in the waiting room of the doctor’s office, on the train, in restaurants waiting for my food to be served (which is probably a bit rude), on my lunch break, and any other time I have more than two idle minutes in my day. Or at least I did, until a water bottle exploded onto my Nintendo DS and I found out video games aren’t great swimmers. Anyone want to contribute to my new DS fund?

Anyway, you can imagine why this news, just in from Licensing Show, is pretty freakin’ awesome, at least to me.

Blue Planet Software, Inc., the company that manages the exclusive licensing rights to the Tetris brand, today announced that the company will be expanding the Tetris brand into merchandise licensing. The company madethe announcement from its debut appearance at Licensing Show with Licensing Works!

Created in 1984 by Russian-born mathematician Alexey Pajitnov, Tetris has become a success model for the gaming industry. Over its 25-year history, the Tetris game has been sold on almost every gaming platform and has been translated into more than 50 languages in over 50 countries. Currently, the Tetris game is available on over 30 platforms—from handheld games to computers to mobile phones to iPads—and Guinness World Records recently named Tetris one of the top 50 console games of all time.

The Tetris brand kicked off its 25th anniversary on June 6, 2009 with a media campaign that reached more than 1 billion impressions from coverage in over 60 countries. Google even changed its home page around the world and in every time zone to honor the gaming legend’s “birthday.” In addition, the game recently surpassed 100 million paid mobile downloads, making it the most popular mobile game of all time. The announcement was made with licensee EA Mobile in January of this year.

By expanding into merchandise licensing, the company hopes to broaden its demographic reach and further solidify brand awareness.

Tetris Holding, LLC is the owner of Tetris rights worldwide and The Tetris Company, LLC is its exclusive licensee. The Tetris Company, through its agent Blue Planet Software, Inc., licenses and manages the Tetris intellectual property and franchise worldwide. Today, Blue Planet Software continues to work with licensees to deliver top quality Tetris products that are relevant, fun, and challenging for its millions of players.

For the latest information about the Tetris brand and Tetris products, check out the website.

Here’s a video of the original Tetris on Nintendo Gameboy. The video is guaranteed to 1) make you feel really old, if you used to play on this version, as I did, and 2) get that awesome Tetris song stuck in your head. Enjoy!

–Jennifer Sinclair

Whew!

We just finished sending the April/May issue to the printer. It should be in your hands, faithful fans, in about two weeks, and up online sooner than that! Be sure to check it out for our Tribute to TV, Pet Licensing, and other great stories. Also check out our swanky new layout and design elements courtesy of the brilliant guidance of Toy Book Editor in Chief Jackie Breyer!

We’re now thinking about the Licensing Show issue—we’ll be in Vegas before you know it. Please send all awesome Licensing Show-related news, press releases, and artwork to Bryan Joiner at bjoiner@licensingbook.com or Jennifer Sinclair at jsinclair@licensingbook.com, or both of us, by May 3. We can’t wait to read them!

See you in Vegas, baby!

Key executives from Disney, LF USA, Hasbro, Mattel and Toys “R” Us will give their perspective on “The Future of Entertainment Licensing” in a keynote panel that will kick off the Licensing International Expo 2010, June 8 -10 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The panel will be held 9 – 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 8 and is free for all show attendees.

The discussion, moderated by Marty Brochstein, LIMA’s Senior Vice President of Industry Relations and Information, will cover current challenges and examine how ongoing changes in the entertainment and retail marketplaces will affect the licensing industry going forward. The panelists will also share their thoughts on what licensees and licensors need to do to adapt in today’s fast-paced business environment.

The following executives will take part in “The Future of Entertainment Licensing” keynote panel:

Rick Darling, President, LF USA
Karen Dodge, Senior VP, Chief Merchandising Officer, Toys “R” Us, Inc.
John Frascotti, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Hasbro, Inc.
Neil Friedman, President, Mattel Brands
Andy Mooney, Chairman, Disney Consumer Products

To register for “The Future of Entertainment Licensing” keynote panel, go online and click on the University tab at the top of the page or call (888) 644-2022.

Visitors to booth 2185 at the Licensing Expo in Vegas this June should watch their back—or neck. That’s because Vamplets, a new line of plush baby vampires, will be on the prowl for their next meal.

The 14,000 visitors to the show will be more than enough to quench their thirsts. In fact, when Vamplets realized there would be plenty of blood to go around, they decided to dispel stereotypes of vampires as self-serving, and do a good deed. They’re teaming with the Licensing International Expo and hosting a blood drive at the show. The drive, which will be run by and benefit the Las Vegas Blood Bank, comes at a great time, since summer is the slowest time for blood donations in Las Vegas.

At the show, the Vamplets hope they’ll be able to sink their teeth into a juicy licensing deal by catching the attention of influential vendors and dealmakers on the show floor.

For more information on Vamplets including store locations, funky facts, and offbeat animation for each baby vampire, visit the website.

Alan G. Hassenfeld, chairman of the executive committee and former chairman of the board of Hasbro, Inc., and the late Stephen Hassenfeld, CEO and chairman of the board until 1989, have been selected for induction into the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) Licensing Industry Hall of Fame.

The induction ceremony will take place on June 8 at the second annual LIMA Opening Night Awards Party at Licensing International Expo 2010, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Under the Hassenfelds’ leadership, Hasbro initiated significant changes in the way partners work together on new licensing opportunities. By creating a more simultaneous and collaborative creative process, Hasbro has given its programs a competitive edge by improving speed to market. Major licensing partners include Lucasfilm, Marvel, DreamWorks, Paramount, Universal, and Electronic Arts (EA).

Noted for their philanthropy, the Hassenfelds have been involved in literally hundreds of charitable and social causes. The Hasbro Children’s Foundation, founded by Stephen Hassenfeld in 1984, has contributed millions of dollars to children’s causes. Among other endeavors, Alan Hassenfeld is co-chair of the International Committee of Toy Industries (ICTI) Care Foundation, the global toy industry’s program to ensure the ethical manufacture of children’s products.

While we’re still recovering from the aftershock of Toy Fair (and of three consecutive snowstorms), we’re already thinking about Licensing Expo.

The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) has announced a lineup of more than 30 seminars for Licensing International Expo 2010, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, June 8 – 10.

Part of LIMA’s Licensing University program, the sessions cover a wide variety of topics for industry newcomers as well as those with many years of experience. With an emphasis on helping licensing professionals expand their knowledge base, the program will cover topics including retail and distribution strategies, legal and financial issues, social media, marketing challenges, and international expansion. The conference offers a strategic look at virtually all major industry segments, including corporate branding, art, sports, and fashion licensing as well as growth markets such as Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America.
The conference program runs from Sunday, June 6 through Wednesday, June 9. A free keynote session will once again be presented on Tuesday, the opening morning of the show. Details of the keynote will be announced in the coming weeks.
The seminar program kicks off on Sunday, June 6 with a presentation on “The State of Retail in the U.S.,” by Bentonville, AR-based retail consultant Carol Speickerman, followed by a retail tour of Las Vegas, hosted by Speickerman and LIMA. Speickerman will provide an overview of steps mass merchants are taking to differentiate themselves from the competition, including their use of proprietary brands. Immediately following the presentation, LIMA will host a tour of local retail outlets. Cost for the presentation and tour is $55 per participant until April 10; $75 per participant after April 10.
Monday, June 7, there will be  two sessions designed for newcomers to the licensing business. The introductory “Licensing for Beginners” panel, moderated by Rick Mallow, former licensing director for Elmer’s Products, Inc., will offer expert guidance on the fundamentals, from basic terminology and roles of licensors and licensees to when to use licensing strategically to grow a business. Additionally, Jed Ferdinand, an attorney with Grimes and Battersby, LLC, will present “Licensing Law for Beginners.”

Session highlights include:

Getting Your Brand Ready for Licensing – Learn how to evaluate whether a brand is ready for licensing and how to evolve internal structures and processes to support a licensing program. Moderator: Brooke Bridges, associate vice president, Beanstalk Group

Retail Strategies Beyond the Top Ten – Take a look at how key retailers are using brands, exclusives, and innovative strategies to prosper in the current economic climate. Moderator: Sean Heitkemper, vice president of business development, IMC Licensing

New Property Introductions – Learn how to launch a new intellectual property and build a meaningful licensing program at retail. Moderator: Marc Mostman, president, Most Management

Using Demographic Trends to Grow Your Licensing Business – Discover how demographic trends are creating new opportunities. Moderator: Stephen Reily, CEO and co-founder, IMC Licensing, and founder, Vibrant Nation

Deal Structures in the Interactive Gaming and Mobile World – Meet professionals from leading game publishers, retailers, manufacturers and agencies making game-based licensing a success. Moderator: Germaine Gioia, vice president of licensing, THQ

I Never Thought that Would Work: Unusual Success Stories – Explore challenges and opportunities in developing new categories. Moderator: Liz Kalodner, executive vice president and general manager, CBS Consumer Products

To view the complete 2010 seminar lineup and see which sessions are CLS-certified, visit the licensing expo website. You can register online, or by phone at (888) 644-2022. Sessions have limited seating and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

The seventh edition of the International Licensing Forum, known as the Kazachok Forum, will take place April 8-9 in Halle Freyssinet, in Paris.
The event will launch products and brands, conferences, and established business areas, making it an ideal event to find new contacts in Europe. The event will have a space dedicated to meetings for distributors—the Retail Lounge, plus a stand to present new products—the Trade Corner, as well as two mornings devoted to market analysis and the display of trends through lectures by recognized industry experts.

Registrations are open at the Kazachok Forum website until March 22.

The January/February issue of The Licensing Book is now online! In this issue, you’ll find:

• A feature on Nickelodeon at 30

• The hottest toys at Toy Fair

• The biggest news from around the industry

• A look at YMI Jeanswear

• Other features including People on the Move, Of Counsel with James Kipling, and a how-to-choose-a-property guide from brand development advisor David Niggli

We hope you like it. Check it out!

Whew. We’re back from Toy Fair, where, in addition to getting out on the show floor and seeing what there was to offer, we tweeted and re-tweeted about Toy Fair news and products that everyone else saw at the show. Were you on twitter during the show?

We saw everything from Hasbro’s Walking Iron Man to the Drip Drops, and everything in between. (We also saw a farting elephant that, although not licensed, was pretty freakin’ awesome). We hope many new partnerships were formed and that great new products were discovered.

What was the best thing you saw at Toy Fair? How did social media change how you experienced the show? How were attitudes, products, and prices different from last year? Leave some comments and let us know!

The Licensing Book’s booth, #1601, is THE place to be this Toy Fair! If you want to reach the industry, and consumers too, be sure to drop by with your licensing news so we can “tweet” your news to our followers (industry, mommy bloggers, consumers, and anyone who likes licensed toys) and to everyone at the Fair! Simply drop by with your news and we’ll get the word out for you! If you can whittle your news down to 140 characters or less we can blast it to the masses! Be sure to follow @LicensingBook so you can follow our newsfeed! Even if you’re not currently on Twitter and have no idea how to “tweet,” just show up and we’ll take care of getting your message out!