The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) continues its webinar series on Wednesday, May 2, with “Making Strategic Sense of Social Media,” a discussion on social media strategies. The session will focus on utilizing LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other platforms to best effect for companies and brands.

Natalie Cupps, vice president of digital marketing and sales of LACED, will lead the webinar, discussing how to make all parts of digital marketing mesh into a reasonable and cost-effective plan of action. She also will provide valuable insight into the primary issues business leaders need to consider when developing an effective digital strategy for their properties and products.

The session will run from noon to 1:30 p.m. EST. It is free for for all members and $99 per site for non-members. To register or to learn more about LIMA, click here.

The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association’s (LIMA) Licensing University will open its doors at Licensing International Expo with a slate of more than 35 events and seminars. The program is offered over a five-day period, including all three days of the trade show. Presented by industry-leading experts, the interactive Licensing University sessions are specifically designed to deliver to players from all areas of the business—from newcomers to seasoned veterans—valuable, actionable insight on a broad range of important, bottom line-boosting opportunities. The program takes place from Sunday, June 10, through Thursday, June 14, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

LIMA’s Licensing University begins Sunday, June 10, with the third annual State of Retail Presentation and Store Safari, a half-day program that includes a luncheon presentation and retail field trip with retail expert Carol Spieckerman, president of newmarketbuilders. The session, which takes participants to a handpicked trio of Las Vegas-area stores to experience notable U.S. retailing trends, jumpstarts a full schedule of programs and panels that covers major industry categories, including corporate branding, legal, art, celebrity, sports, and digital licensing.

With nearly three dozen information-packed presentations, a sampling of the upcoming Licensing University program includes:

Keynote Address by Kathy Ireland: “Brand Building Through Licensing—My Journey From the Beach to the Boardroom and Beyond”
Super-model-turned-business-mogul Kathy Ireland delivers the Licensing International Expo 2012 keynote address on Tuesday, June 12. Ireland will discuss the principles on which her billion-dollar company was built, business lessons learned along the way, thoughts on the current state of the licensing business, and where it is headed.

Licensing for Beginners: The Building Blocks of Licensing Success
This session explores the building blocks needed to ready brands for licensing, including finding the best partners and properties, negotiating smart agreements, producing seamless brand extensions, and capitalizing on retail opportunities. Adina Avery-Grossman of Brandgenuity moderates the panel, which includes Teri Niadna, director, international consumer products, National Football League; Derrick Baca, VP of licensing and business development at Hybrid Apparel; Liz Kalodner, EVP and general manager at CBS Consumer Products; and Lloyd Mintz, president/founder of Nine Oaks Group.

Taking a Brand from Digital to Retail
From Angry Birds and Moshi Monsters to Talking Friends and Stardoll, popular entertainment properties don’t just come from movies, TV, and books anymore.  This session offers insight into the challenges involved in taking a brand from the digital domain to retail. Moderated by LIMA’s Marty Brochstein, the panel explores how to successfully translate properties from the computer and smartphone screen into physical product at retail. Panelists include Nicholas Bloom of The Beanstalk Group, global licensing agent for Talking Friends; Darran Garnham, chief business development officer/chief licensing officer for Mind Candy (Moshi Monsters); Mattias Miksche, co-founder and CEO of Stardoll Media; and Marc Mostman of Most Management LLC, U.S. licensing agent for Angry Birds.

Trends: Using Them to Successfully Compete in Art Licensing
This session discusses the importance of finding and tapping into trends when creating art and storyboards for products in categories such as home décor, paper, gift, stationery, and more. It also examines the difference between a trend and a fad, and when does a trend become an “evergreen.” Suzanne Cruise, president/owner of Suzanne Cruise Creative Services, leads the exploration with artists and licensing veterans Joan Beiriger and Gail Flores.

Licensing in Asia
This panel of experts and industry players will give participants a closer look at the many facets of the licensing business in Asia. The session will be moderated by Roger Berman, president of Japanese agency Zenworks, who will be joined by Yizan He, managing director, LMCA Brand Licensing & Consulting Co., Ltd. in China; Neal Rudge, partner of the Asian agency Pacific Licensing Studio; and Sid Shah, president of The Wild East Group, which specializes in licensing in India.

Getting Your Fair Share: How To Prevent Royalty Underpayments
Panelists discuss how companies can prevent underpayments and recoup payments owed. Moderator Joshua Kaufman of Venable LLP will be joined by Stuart Burns, partner in forensic accounting at HW Fisher & Co; Judy Ann Bird, director of Invotex Group; and CPA Anthony Curtis Elliott.

Identifying & Evaluating Opportunities of Licensed Properties for Your Brand or Company
This panel is designed to help participants learn how to identify strong properties, determine where they are in their lifecycle, and where will they be when it’s time to launch new products. Moderated by Alan I. Fine, president, KaleidOScope, panelists include Moss J. Kardener, OnStrategy Consultants; Andre Lake Mayer, vice president, licensing, Bandai America Inc.; Joshua Romm, vice president, IMG Licensing; and Peter Van Raalte, Partner Infinity Licensing, LLC.

To see the complete schedule of Licensing University sessions taking place leading up to and during Licensing Expo, and to register, click here.

The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) has announced the launch of  LIMANET, an opportunity network that gives licensing professionals real-time access to the people, companies, industries, and information they need to ensure the greatest return on investment for their business.

LIMA’s customizable new tool for the worldwide licensing community lets subscribers post information about products and services that they want to sell, buy, or find, and connects them directly with one another. The site requires users to register, but LIMANET is offered as a free service.

LIMANET will give subscribers the ability to receive customized alerts; create and manage their LIMANET account; post videos, shows, video games, and more to their homepage; and showcase intellectual properties, products, designs, artwork, and other materials on their homepage.

LIMANET will be available to everyone in the licensing community beginning July 1 with LIMA members having access to certain features. Subscribers and LIMA members’ affiliation will be identified with a LIMA logo on their LIMANET homepage.

The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) recently announced its inaugural Retail & Branding Conference: Driving Brand Impact Through Consumer Touchpoints. The half-day event, which will explore transformations in branding, collaboration and shopper-centric strategies, will be held Tuesday, September 13 at the Tribeca Grand Hotel in New York City. With participation limited to a maximum of 100 attendees, the conference is designed to encourage interactive discussion and dialogue about the future of retailing and branding. Each presentation will leave ample time for questions and answers.

Executives from HSN, Sears Holdings, Iconix Brand Group and newmarketbuilders will share their insights, including:

• Bill Brand, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, HSN, who will present a look at how HSN creates dynamic content and experiences to build sales. He will detail how a brand is developed and launched on HSN’s interactive platforms. Brand oversees HSN’s programming and marketing teams, direct strategy for the network’s lineup, and develops programming opportunities around HSN’s key merchandising initiatives.

• Jeff Fagel, Director of Brand Development at Sears Holdings, who will discuss how a legacy brand, Kmart, worked to change the way people perceive its own brand and those of its products. Fagel is responsible for strategic leadership across the Kmart brand and private label portfolio with a focus on customer, digital, social media and private label strategy.

• Yehuda Shmidman, Chief Operating Officer, Iconix Brand Group (presentation title and description to be announced). Shmidman heads  global business development for Iconix which owns, manages and markets a diverse collection of more than 25 consumer brands including Peanuts, Rocawwear, Bagley Mischka, Material Girl, Fieldcrest, and Joe Boxer.

• Carol Spieckerman, President of retail consulting group newmarketbuilders, who will give insights into how retailers have transformed themselves from mere “boxes with brands” into brands in their own right—and bricks and clicks are only part of their ever-expanding brand territory. She will delve into the new realities that will drive retail brand environments, decision-making processes, and opportunities in 2012 and beyond. Spieckerman is a recognized retail thought leader, strategist, and author and helps Fortune 500 brand, licensor, agency and retail supplier clients retool for retail’s new realities.

“With the LIMA Retail & Branding Conference we are creating an interactive forum in which stakeholders can share strategies on how best to engage with consumers,” says Charles Riotto, LIMA President. “Today’s digital environment requires marketers and retailers to re-evaluate many aspects of their businesses, and this event brings together retailers and brand marketers to discuss and analyze how we will communicate and sell to consumers in the future.”

The LIMA Retail & Branding Conference will be held from 11:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. and includes lunch and a post-conference networking reception. Cost to attend is:

Early Bird Price through August 12:

$449 – LIMA members
$649 – Non-LIMA members

After August 12

$499 – LIMA members
$699 – Non-LIMA members

For more information or to register, click here.

The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association presented Toy Story 3 with the Best Licensed Program of the Year Award last night at the Licensing Show in Las Vegas. The third installment of The Walt Disney Company’s animated comedy-adventure film series, Toy Story 3 was also honored in the entertainment award category. Additionally, Hello Kitty swept the Best Character or Toy Brand category, winning three awards.

In all, LIMA presented 15 International Licensing Excellence Awards recognizing the best and most successful licensed properties and products in seven categories: Art/Design, Character/Toy, Corporate, Film/Television/Celebrity/Entertainment, Sports, Promotion, and Retailer. Nominations were solicited worldwide from across the licensing industry, and winners were chosen by a vote of the LIMA membership.

This year’s International Licensing Excellence Award winners included many recognizable brands such as Lego, Victoria and Albert Museum, Animal Planet, NASCAR, and Hello Kitty, as well as Boots, the first retailer outside the U.S. to be honored. In fact, more than a quarter of the entries were from non-U.S. companies, emphasizing the global reach of licensing.

“It is extremely gratifying to see the breadth and quality of the programs created by the licensing community from around the globe,” says Charles Riotto, president of LIMA. “The more than 220 entries represent the best of the best, and the association is proud to honor the winners for their ingenuity and for demonstrating licensing industry expertise.”

All awards are based on calendar year 2010. The winners, by category, are:

Art

• Best Art/Design Program: Victoria and Albert Museum (by Victoria and Albert Museum/V&A Enterprises)
• Best Art/Design Licensee: Dom Pérignon (for Andy Warhol)

Character/Toy Brand

• Best Character/Toy Brand Program: Hello Kitty (by Sanrio, Inc.)
• Best Character/Toy Brand Licensee: Hard Goods – Smart USA (for Hello Kitty)
• Best Character/Toy Brand Licensee: Soft Goods – Loungefly (for Hello Kitty)

Corporate

• Best Corporate Brand Program: Animal Planet (by Discovery Communications/The Joester Loria Group)
• Best Corporate Brand Licensee: Shabby Chic for Simply Shabby Chic at Target

Film, Television, Celebrity, or Entertainment

• Best Film, Television, Celebrity or Entertainment Program: Toy Story 3 (by The Walt Disney Company)
• Best Film, Television, Celebrity or Entertainment Licensee: Hard Goods – Lego (for Harry Potter)
• Best Film, Television, Celebrity or Entertainment Licensee: Soft Goods – Awake, Inc. (for Glee)

Sports and Sports-Themed Entertainment

• Best Sports Program: NASCAR Team Properties (by NASCAR and Teams)
• Best Sports Licensee: Jakks Pacific, Inc. (for Ultimate Fighting Championship)

Promotion

• Best Licensed Promotion: Dove Glee (for All by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.)

Retailer

• Best Retailer: Boots (for Strictly Come Dancing)

Overall Best Licensed Program of the Year

• Toy Story 3 (by The Walt Disney Company)

LIMA announced 69 nominees from around the world for the annual LIMA International Licensing Excellence Awards. The awards, which recognize creativity and performance in trademark licensing, will be announced at LIMA’s Opening Night Awards Ceremony on June 14 during Licensing International Expo 2011 in Las Vegas.

Categories for the awards include Art or Design; Character or Toy; Corporate, Film, Television, Celebrity or Entertainment; Sports or Sports-themed Entertainment; Licensed Promotion; and Retailer of the Year.

The Overall Best Licensed Program of the Year award will also be presented. Finalists include Hello Kitty Sanrio, Inc.; JCB JC Bamford Excavators Ltd./JCB.; Consumer Products; Justin Bieber Bravado International Group; PGA Tour PGA Tour, Inc.; The Stanley Works Beanstalk (agent for The Stanley Works); Toy Story 3 The Walt Disney Company; and Victoria and Albert Museum Victoria and Albert Museum/V&A Enterprises.

Voting is open to LIMA members until May 13. The full list of nominees is below:

Best Art or Design Program of the Year

Andy Warhol
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts

Artkey’s Qi Baishi
Artkey Co., Ltd.

Shopaholic, Too
Designs by Lolita, Inc./Out of the Box Licensing

The Smiley Pop Art Style Collection
The Smiley Company

Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum/V&A Enterprises

Best Art or Design Licensee of the Year

Creative Tops
Victoria and Albert Museum/ceramics

Dom Pérignon
Andy Warhol/champagne

Santa Barbara Design Studio
Lolita/glassware

Smiley Factory Ltd.
SmileyWorld Vintage/apparel

Best Character or Toy Brand Program of the Year

Hello Kitty
Sanrio, Inc.

Minnie Mouse
The Walt Disney Company

Peppa Pig
eOne Entertainment

Skelanimals
Skelanimals, LLC/Art Impressions, Inc.

Best Character or Toy Brand Licensee of the Year – Hard Goods

Fisher-Price, Inc.
TRIO DC Super Friends Batcave

JAKKS Pacific, Inc.
Big Buck Hunter Pro/TV games & Wii title

Kellogg Company
Scrabble/Cheez-It

PPW Toys
Mr. Potato Head Affinity Program

smart USA
Hello Kitty/car wraps for the smart fortwo

Best Character or Toy Brand Licensee of the Year – Soft Goods

São Paulo Alpargatas S.A./Havaianas
Woody Woodpecker/flip flops

Jay Franco & Sons, Inc.
Mickey Mouse/bath program

Loungefly
Hello Kitty/junior accessories

Best Corporate Brand Program of the Year

Animal Planet
Discovery Communications/The Joester Loria Group

ASPCA Private Label Brand
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

JCB
J C Bamford Excavators Limited/JCB Consumer Products

Jelly Belly
Jelly Belly/The Licensing Company

The Stanley Works
Stanley Black & Decker/The Beanstalk Group, LLC

Best Corporate Brand Licensee of the Year

Baccus Global, LLC
The Stanley Works/lighting & 12 volt automotive accessories

Ginsey Home Solutions (aka Ginsey Industries, Inc.)
Rubbermaid/designer bath mat collection

Nouveau Eyewear
Umbro/ophthalmic eyewear

Sakar International, Inc.
Kodak/family of products

Shabby Chic
Simply Shabby Chic at Target/bedding, bath, window

Best Film, Television, Celebrity, or Entertainment Program of the Year

Dora the Explorer
Nickelodeon Consumer Products

How to Train Your Dragon
DreamWorks Animation

Justin Bieber
Bravado International Group

Toy Story 3
The Walt Disney Company

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Summit Entertainment/Striker Entertainment

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Universal Orlando Resort/Warner Bros. Consumer Products

Best Film, Television, Celebrity, or Entertainment Licensee of the Year – Hard Goods

The Bridge Direct, Inc., dba The Bridge
Justin Bieber/dolls

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Karaoke Revolution Glee

Learning Curve Brands
Chuggington/die-cast toys

LEGO
Harry Potter/construction sets & Hogwarts board game

Rubie’s Costume Co., Inc.
Lady Gaga/costumes & accessories

Best Film, Television, Celebrity, or Entertainment Licensee of the Year – Soft Goods

Awake, Inc
Glee/apparel

Jay Franco & Sons, Inc.
Toy Story 3/bedding, bath & beach

Mighty Fine
Alice in Wonderland/apparel

Mighty Fine
Toy Story 3/apparel

National Entertainment Collectibles Association, Inc.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse/apparel & accessories

Best Sports or Sports-Themed Entertainment Program of the Year

2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic
National Hockey League

ESPN
ESPN

NASCAR Team Properties
NASCAR and Teams

PGA Tour
PGA Tour, Inc.

Best Sports or Sports-Themed Entertainment Licensee of the Year

Cycle Force Group
Tour de France/bicycles & accessories

JAKKS Pacific, Inc.
Ultimate Fighting Championship/action figures, playsets & role play

K’NEX
NASCAR/building sets

PB Teen
NFL/bedding

Sportcraft
ESPN/indoor & outdoor recreation

Best Licensed Promotion of the Year

Burger King’s The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Ultimate Experience
Summit Entertainment/Striker Entertainment

Chuggington Traffic Safety Cross-Platform Promotion
Ludorum/Super RTL

Dove Glee For All
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.

Gillette Fusion ProGlide Limited Edition Armed Forces Licensed Razor Program
U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard

Green’s Free Irwins Apron
Irwin Family

Mr. Happy Should’ve Gone to Specsavers
Chorion

SGI Apparel & Kohl’s Bakugan Gift with Purchase Program
Nelvana Enterprises/Cartoon Network Enterprises

Best Retailer of the Year

Boots
Strictly Come Dancing

Forever 21
Minnie Mouse

Lowe’s
Sesame Street

Target
Toy Story 3

Wal-Mart
Toy Story 3

Wal-Mart
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) has announced its sponsorship of the Brand & Character Licensing Zone at the Creative Market Tokyo 2010 trade fair taking place at Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Center) October 13-15. Creative Market Tokyo (CMT) is a rebranding of the Licensing Asia and Tokyo Contents Market held last year. CMT is a one-stop solution trade fair offering a range of creative content featuring new and upcoming properties as well as long-established classics. CMT is an official Japanese government-backed CoFesta (Japan International Contents Festival) event. Co-Festa is the world’s largest comprehensive content festival encompassing games, animation, manga, characters, broadcasting, music, film, fashion, and design. Through CoFesta, CMT will benefit from extensive PR and exposure. New initiatives for CMT’s Brand & Character Licensing Zone include enhanced on-site presentation facilities for property launches, licensee meetings and press briefings, a property display gallery area, and a pre-show e-mail PR service to the trade fair visitor database. Returning programs for 2010 include the licensing awards ceremony, seminars, and complementary distribution of the licensing “Yellow Pages” directory. With a record attendance of nearly 10,000 trade visitors in 2009, CMT is the ideal platform for presenting properties to the Japanese licensing community. LIMA members that exhibit will receive a discount from the exhibition fee. More information on the Brand & Character Licensing Zone at CMT, including downloadable exhibition pamphlets and application forms in English, are available online. Alternatively, please contact the Creative Market Tokyo Brand & Character Licensing Zone Secretariat (Phone: +(81) 3 5282 8105 Fax: +(81) 3 5282 8478 Email: lcsasia@convention-info.net). For information on LIMA Japan, contact info@limajapan.org.

At Licensing Show, LIMA presented 16 International Licensing Excellence Awards recognizing the best and most successful licensed properties and products in seven categories: Art, Character/Toy, Corporate, Film/Television/Celebrity/Entertainment, Sports and Sports-Themed Entertainment, Promotion, and Retailer. Nominations were solicited from across the licensing industry and winners chosen by a vote of the LIMA membership.

All awards are based on calendar year 2009. The winners, by category, are:

ART

Best Art Program: Paul Frank

Best Art Licensee: LF USA’s Kids Headquarters Investments Division (for Paul Frank Apparel)

CHARACTER/TOY BRAND

Best Character/Toy Brand Program: Barbie (Mattel, Inc.)

Best Character/Toy Brand Licensee – Hard Goods: Digital Blue (for LEGO electronics)

Best Character/Toy Brand Licensee – Soft Goods: Mighty Fine (for Peanuts T-shirts)

CORPORATE

Best Corporate Brand Program: Food Network

Best Corporate Brand Licensee – Hard Goods: Creative Designs International, a Division of JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (for Black & Decker Junior role-play products)

Best Corporate Brand Licensee – Soft Goods: adidas Originals (for Vespa footwear and apparel)

FILM, TELEVISION, CELEBRITY OR ENTERTAINMENT

Best Film, Television, Celebrity or Entertainment Program: The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Best Film, Television, Celebrity or Entertainment Licensee – Hard Goods: Cardinal Industries, Inc. (for The Twilight Saga: New Moon The Movie Board Game)

Best Film, Television, Celebrity or Entertainment Licensee – Soft Goods: National Entertainment Collectibles Association (for The Twilight Saga: New Moon apparel and accessories)

SPORTS AND SPORTS-THEMED ENTERTAINMENT

Best Sports and Sports-Themed Entertainment Program: ESPN

Best Sports and Sports-Themed Entertainment Licensee: Electronic Arts (for FIFA videogames)

PROMOTION

Best Licensed Promotion: Scrabble at Subway (Hasbro, Inc.)

RETAILER

Best Retailer: Nordstrom (for The Twilight Saga: New Moon)

OVERALL BEST LICENSED PROGRAM OF THE YEAR

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Summit Entertainment, LLC)