Spring Fair Unveils New Licensing Lounge For 2012

From Licensing.biz:

Spring Fair unveils new Licensing Lounge for 2012

Nickelodeon, Turner CN Enterprises and BBC Worldwide among those sponsoring area in hall three.

Spring Fair organiser Emap Connect has revealed plans for a dedicated Licensing Lounge at next year's show.

Situated in Hall 3, the lounge is being sponsored by five licensing agencies and brand owners including Nickelodeon [Nickelodeon Consumer Products], Turner CN Enterprises and BBC Worldwide.

In addition, trade body LIMA UK will have a dedicated table in the lounge with a team of experts on hand to answer questions on licensing and merchandising.

Sponsors will be able to use the space to display product and hold meetings with potential and existing licensees, as well as retailers interested in stocking the merchandise.

Max Publishing - organiser of The Licensing Awards, of which Spring Fair is the headline sponsor - will also be sponsoring a drinks reception in the lounge on the Monday evening of the show.

"We're delighted to be a key partner for the Licensing Lounge at Spring Fair 2012," said Nickelodeon's Mark Kingston. "It's a fantastic opportunity to be involved in the largest retail trade event in Europe. We look forward to meeting with retailers and key licensee partners to work on plans to drive our properties and respective businesses forward in 2012 and beyond."

Spring Fair 2012 takes place from February 5th to 9th at Birmingham's NEC. For further details, click here.

Also, from Toy News:

Toys on the move at Spring Fair 2012

Sector is rebranded as Toys, Games & Kids Gifts as it moves into hall three.

The renamed zone is set to bring over 50 new companies to the show in 2012 as it expands into a larger space in hall three.

Event director, Greg Saint commented: "The introduction of Kids’ Gifts has brought increased interest in Spring Fair from a broader range of suppliers than ever before, especially those looking to showcase their products to gift retailers as well as the traditional toy shops.

"The cross-over buying potential offered by this part of the show will be tremendous come February."

Over 200 firms are already signed up to exhibit in Toys, Games & Kids’ Gifts and some of the companies joining in 2012 include Hornby Hobbies, Revell, Ravensburger, Manhattan Toy, Top Model by Depesche UK, Bigjigs Toys, Cheatwell Games, Cuckoo, Diamond Comic Distributors, Great Gizmos, Grossman, Margarette Steiff, Mumbo Jumbo Toys, Rainbow Designs, The Green Board Game Co, Thumbs Up, Ty UK, Wild Republic and Zap.

The area will once again play host to the Toy Demonstration Area, which was launched at last year's show and further developed at Autumn Fair.

Peter Jenkinson of toy website Toyology will once again host the demonstrations. He commented: "The toy demo area proved a great success in its first year and I'm very excited to have been asked back to host the area again to build on this fantastic start.

"The success of the first Toy Demo area within Spring Fair 2011 was measurable from the feedback of the companies who showcased their products there, this time around I'll be trying to create an even busier hive of activity.

"I'm excited to have been asked back to have some more fun hosting the Toy Demo area, the aim is to ensure this spot is alive with activity from start to finish so both exhibitors and visitors get the absolute maximum from the show."

The changes at Spring Fair International for 2012 will also include the launch of The Party Show, dedicated solely to party and dress-up products, which were previously co-located with toys.

The segmentation of party into an event of its own within Spring Fair has enabled show organiser Emap Connect to refine its focus on Toys, Games & Kids’ Gifts, which has grown significantly since the last event in February 2011.

Saint continued: "The growth in both areas demonstrates that the re-edit was definitely the right move for both The Party Show and Toys, Games & Kids’ Gifts and I’m delighted that the expansion area we created for the section has been utilised by both existing and new companies alike."

Companies who have products that may not be eligible for a full demonstration are welcome to get involved in the Toy Demo area so that retailers can interact with as broad a selection as possible in between sessions. (For information of how to get involved contact Greg Saint: greg.saint@emap.com).

Hall 5 will also host the new Licensing Lounge, sponsored by some of the biggest names in the licensing industry, including: BBC Worldwide, Nickelodeon, Turner Broadcasting and Warner Brothers, fully endorsed by industry body LIMA.