Las Vegas, NV – Licensing Expo, the world’s leading event dedicated to licensing, brand extension and collaborations, today announces its second keynote featuring Wondery Chief Brand Officer Nicole Blake to discuss franchise development opportunities from podcast intellectual properties (IP) alongside acclaimed How I Built This and Wow in the World co-creator and host, Guy Raz, as podcasts signal the next hotbed for brand extensions.

The keynote, to be held Wednesday, May 22, “Is Podcasting Where the Next Hit Franchise Will Come From? Sounds Like It.”, will explore how Wondery Kids, along with Raz and the rest of the team, are evolving Wow in the World, a top kids’ and family series created by Tinkercast, from a podcast into a global lifestyle brand. Blake, a franchise development veteran known for spearheading growth for global juggernauts like Harry Potter and Thomas & Friends, will examine how Wondery is blazing trails by applying a Hollywood-style approach to franchise building and Consumer Products to develop podcast IP.

Raz, renowned for in-depth interviews of hundreds of inventors and CEOs on the top-rated podcast How I Built This, and a co-founder of Tinkercast—named “Most Innovative Company” in 2024 by Fast Company— provides unique insights into how companies can create a culture of innovation and wow-worthy stories about how Wow in the World, the #1 podcast for kids and their grown-ups, is going from podcast to play. How I Built This features interviews with entrepreneurs as they share the origin stories of some of the world’s biggest companies and most iconic brands.

Amanda Cioletti, Vice President Content and Strategy, Informa Markets Global Licensing Group notes, “Licensing Expo is the global stage to highlight the multifaceted business of licensing and one of the areas we have identified for discovery and growth is from the podcasting space. Wow in the World’s origin story is a fantastic example of the endless opportunities audio-based properties have in the consumer product space, as Blake and Raz, each respectively celebrated for their industry leading perspectives and expertise, challenge us to think about licensing in a fresh way – like from podcasting.”

“We are incredibly excited to be working with some of the best companies in the industry to grow podcasts like Wow in the World into true lifestyle programs with touchpoints across audio, live events, consumer products and more,” said Nicole Blake. “We believe podcasts hold as much potential for franchise building as traditional Hollywood IP and are thrilled that the licensing industry is eager to explore audio-first IPs’ untapped opportunities with us.”

“Our kid and grown-up listeners are so committed to what we do and are constantly looking for deeper ways to connect with Wow in the World. Creating products that align with our values and our audiences’ was a natural step for us to take and we couldn’t ask for better partners than the experts at Wondery Kids as we enter the Consumer Products space,” said Raz.

Entertainment brand giants such as Nickelodeon, Disney, Moonbug and more continue to invest in the podcast space. The global podcasting market, valued at $2.22 billion, is estimated to grow significantly over the next few years, making it the perfect fit for the business of brand licensing and consumer products.

Licensing Expo will take place May 21-23 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. For more information or to register to attend or exhibit at Licensing Expo 2024, visit LicensingExpo.com.

About Licensing Expo
Launched in 1980, Licensing Expo is the world’s largest and most influential annual tradeshow dedicated to licensing and brand extension. Every year, more than 5,000 brands and 16,000 retailers, licensees, manufacturers, distributors, and licensing agents attend Licensing Expo from more than 70 countries. Licensing Expo is a part of the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, 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. Connect with Licensing Expo and join the conversation on LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.

About Global Licensing Group
The Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, a subsidiary of Informa plc (LON:INF), 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 Shanghai and License Global. Global Licensing Group events are sponsored by Licensing International.