Las Vegas, NV (May 31, 2023) – Licensing Expo, the largest global influential event dedicated to licensing, IP extension and brand collaborations, shares its intentional initiatives across the three-day show selected specifically to engage guests through interaction and purpose, while serving the global community at the 2023 expo, to take place June 13-15 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. 

“It is critical that as we converge together in Las Vegas for Licensing Expo, we take the time to collectively recognize that our brands can make a difference in others daily lives. Within the Global Licensing Group, we are always striving to find ways to engage and generate action that will add value for our audience and find purpose in serving others,” notes Ella Haynes, Event Director, Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets.  

Licensing Expo, Crayola, and the Ronald McDonald House® are partnering in a “Spread Kindness” campaign for the Day of Purpose. On Thursday from 1-2 p.m. in the South Seas Ballrooms, children from the Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) of Greater Las Vegas will get creative with Crayola “Colors of Kindness” coloring activities. The Crayola crayons and coloring books have special-edition words of kindness, encouraging everyone to create with love. Additionally, the kids will have a special meet and greet with CARRIE, JJ, and MIKEY from Laser provided through the Mascot Company. The mission of RMHC® of Greater Las Vegas is to create and support programs that directly improve the health, education, and well-being of children in our community. The Ronald McDonald House is the cornerstone RHMC program and provides temporary housing for families who travel to Las Vegas to receive critical medical treatment for their children.  

June marks the celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month. In support, Licensing Expo will host a Pride Café on the show floor alongside nonprofit the It Gets Better Project, to support LGBTQ+ youth through donations, aiming to uplift, empower and connect LGBTQ+ young people around the globe. The Café will host an on-site representative, educational materials and scannable QR codes for visitors and exhibitors to donate. Guests are also able to donate ahead of the event through the It Gets Better dedicated Licensing Expo portal. 

Famous Canadian bridalwear designer, Justina McCaffrey and Operation Prom National Network (OPNN), are partnering to raise awareness of the needs of at-risk youth as teens and families struggle to afford the experience of the important milestone of prom. The initiative combines a giveaway of a custom-made Justina McCaffrey bridal gown or suit, valued at $20,000, facilitated by McCaffrey’s licensing agency Cronus Global, with support from Global Licensing Group. Licensing Expo attendees will have the opportunity to access the drawing homepage in the Fashion Showroom Café and at the Cronus Global Booth #E196. Operation Prom National Network, founded in 2005 by former event planner Noel D’Allacco, has grown to 17 locations nationwide and now serves as a resource for students, parents and schools to find organizations and community groups that can provide free formal wear to teens in need.  OPNN is open to all and will not turn away any student from events or services regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. To date, OPNN has helped thousands of students attend their prom at little or no cost. 

This year Licensing Expo in collaboration with Dangling Carrot Creative and Magic Wheelchair, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing custom youth wheelchairs to families at no cost, will be surprising a special guest with a customized reimagined wheelchair. Join us at the Spotlight Booth, #J170, on Wednesday June 14th from 10:15-10:30 a.m. for the unveiling of this special child’s favorite IP brought to life. 

Throughout the three-day event, Licensing Expo also introduces the “License to Move” program, which aims to encourage individuals to physical commitments of activity such as a dedicated run, walk, or cycle across small distances with charitable donations. In partnership with licensing industry charity partner The Light Fund, all proceeds directly benefit annually selected international beneficiaries across social, well-being, community and economic programs. At the event, guests will be able to submit daily step counts into the leader board and donate on-site. Since 2004, The Light Fund is a registered charity run by individuals throughout the licensing industry, which raises funds to support children and adults, with over $2 million generated for hundreds of different charity projects. 

Lastly, with Sustainability as a core pillar of impact with Informa Markets Global Licensing Group, Licensing Expo will partner with international publication Products of Change to host Industry Framework discussions, an agenda-setting resource to help licensors, licensees, agents, manufacturers, service providers, and retailers create a clear-cut pathway to sustainable development with a step-by-step process and skill set to implement incremental and impactful change across our businesses and the products we make. Two years in the making, the Industry Framework is a co-collaborative project that utilizes cross-sector expertise to develop a practical set of future-fit guidelines, for the industry, by the industry 

To learn more about philanthropic resources at Licensing Expo, please visit www.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.   

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, Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit and License Global. Global Licensing Group events are sponsored by Licensing International.   

Media Contact:
Jordan Douglas 
Informa Markets Licensing PR 
licensingpr@informa.com