Licensing surges in '98.

What do Scooby Doo, the Pillsbury Doughboy and Popsicle sticks have in common? All will share an address from June 9 to June 11, when the licensing industry's annual conference and exposition hits New York's Jacob K. Javits Center. And these notables names are just drops in the show's ever-widening bucket. "The licensing universe has expanded enormously," said Show Director Diane Stone, and, indeed, the numbers for Licensing '98 International support Stone's claim that the $110 billion-a-year industry is "getting more and more diverse, creative and active."

Organizers are expecting at least 400 exhibitors at the upcoming show - a jump of nearly 35 percent from the show's first Javits appearance in 1996 - and roughly 15,000 total attendees, up from the 13,100 that attended Licensing '97 International. The activity will occupy 255,000 square feet of floor space, an increase of more than 25 percent over last year. An Art and Design Licensing Gallery will make its debut at the show, and freshmen Texaco, the National Hot Rod Association and the book series "Chicken Soup for the Soul" are joining such mainstays as Warner Bros., Nickelodeon and the Children's Television Workshop. In all, nearly 5,000 properties are expected to descend on the Javits Center in June.

All this activity can be attributed to a number of industry trends. Charles Riotto, executive director of the convention's sponsor, the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA), pointed to increasingly heavy activity in brand and product licensing and emphasized a general shift in "attitude" about what constitutes a licensable product. He noted, for example, a growth in cause-related licensing: "Causes in nonprofit organizations - health-related, environmental issues - will be in greater evidence on the floor this year." According to Riotto, diversity in licensing is the biggest issue facing the show right now: "We want to make it known that the show is reflective of all categories of licensing." Stone concurred: "It's not just entertainment anymore, it's not just sports anymore. Diversity takes precedence." Diversity means an "even balance" between corporate and entertainment interests, as well as between major studios and companies that don't have multimillion-dollar budgets.

Diversity also means global expansion for many products, an attempt to exploit what Stone calls "huge untapped international potential." Pointing to the growth in overseas film box office, and to the fact that major studios already conduct more than a third of their licensing business internationally, industry publication The Licensing Letter predicts that the major studios' overseas licensing earnings will eventually outstrip their domestic earnings. While Europe remains the largest overseas market, Latin America and Asia are also showing considerable expansion. Riotto confirmed the international explosion, and addressed the flipside of globalization: "Intellectual property owners around the world use the U.S. convention as a platform."

Though Stone acknowledged that "this is the event where companies may take care of their licensing business" she and Riotto agree that Licensing '98 International will offer opportunities beyond sales. Riotto feels that the show is "an effective marketing tool" and a place to strengthen relationships between licensors and licensees. And the show is still a place to learn, according to Stone: "Newer companies take lessons from what came before them. Women's sports organizations are taking lessons from men's sports organizations. Cable TV has done what the networks have done."

On the education front, LIMA will offer its usual array of seminars and conferences. The standard industry primer "Licensing 101" has been broadened in scope and is now called "Licensing from A to Z:The Basics and Beyond." The half-day workshop, set for June 8, will include panelists from Toys 'R' Us, DC Comics/Warner Bros. and DreamWorks. The seminar formerly known as "Licensing 202," now called "Putting It All Together: A Practical Road Map for Marketing Successful Licensing Programs," is slated for focus on maintaining and relationships between licensees and retailers.

Also on June 9 will be "Somebody Notice Mel: Getting Media Coverage Without Being a Major Motion Picture" in which a panel of media and marketing experts will discuss methods of stealing the hype from the major studios, and "Women's Sports: It's Not Just for Boys Anymore," a look at the burgeoning licensing opportunities in the new women's athletic leagues. On June 10, corporations can examine the licensability of their brand with "How Expandable is Your Brand? Leveraging Your Brand's Equity Through Licensing and Co-Branding." "Combating the Challenges of Art Licensing: Making It Work for You" will tackle various hands-on issues, including working with a small budget and understanding niche markets.

Both Stone and Riotto were reluctant to look into their crystal balls for the product that might dominate this year's show. Predicting the success of products has proven difficult in an increasingly crowded marketplace; Riotto said that even Comedy Central's mega-success South Park did not have the earmarks of a hit at last year's show: "Those properties that have the biggest impact need time. South Park did not start strong."

But both Stone and Riotto are certain that still bigger things are coming for the licensing industry. Stone said: "As much growth as we've seen, I don't think we've hit the tip of the iceberg. We'll continue to work hard to foster an international licensing focus. What has kept the show successful is that it constantly expands."