Hong Kong International Licensing Show and Asian Licensing Conference Highlight E-commerce and Emotional Economy Trends

Asia's flagship licensing events, the Hong Kong International Licensing Show and the Asian Licensing Conference, concluded successfully on April 29, 2026, after a three-day run. Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the events attracted more than 330 exhibitors and showcased over 600 brands and licensing projects. The Asian Licensing Conference brought together approximately 20 international licensing experts to discuss key industry topics such as global licensing trends, IP licensing strategies for overseas expansion, sports licensing, location-based entertainment, food and beverage licensing, and creative marketing strategies.

Jenny Koo, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, noted that under the support of the national 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong continues to deepen its role as a regional IP trading hub. She emphasized that licensing applications are expanding from traditional character merchandising to cover location-based entertainment, food and beverage, e-commerce, and other fields, forming a complete licensing industry chain that creates more business opportunities globally.

In response to the rapid development of e-commerce, this year's Licensing Show introduced the new IP and e-Commerce Support Services Zone, in collaboration with the E-commerce Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong eCommerce Supply Chain Association, and the Hong Kong Federation of E-Commerce. The zone hosted workshops on building online shops, digital marketing, and livestream commerce to help SMEs capitalize on e-commerce to sell their IP products globally. Kay Leung from Digitify Online Growth highlighted that the zone's greatest value lies in promotion and education, raising awareness for SMEs to leverage e-commerce as a springboard to promote brands and sell IP products globally.

The DLAB Hong Kong Pavilion featured nearly 40 exhibitors showcasing original brands and IPs. Local designer Kirsten Lie secured collaboration opportunities with overseas shopping malls, while James Ho noted that the show provided an excellent brand promotion platform for local designers. The Hong Kong Licensing Force Showcase included emerging local talents from universities such as The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and the newly participating Hong Kong Design Institute.

Key topics at the Asian Licensing Conference included how non-traditional toy IPs resonate with young consumers in the emotional economy and new development models for food and beverage licensing. George Wood, Managing Director of The Luna Entertainment Group, shared insights on location-based entertainment, stating that a non-negotiable factor is the depth of affection audiences have for an IP. Mark Kingston, CEO and Co-founder of Libertas Brands Ltd, mentioned the rising popularity of non-traditional toys like Fugglers, whose deliberately designed 'ugly-cute' appearance echoes the rise of the emotion economy.

The Chinese Mainland Pavilion brought together more than 150 institutions from regions including Beijing, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Sichuan. Popular IPs such as Nailoong, Suchao, Tang Fugui, and the Sun and Immortal Birds debuted at the event. Over 20 cultural and museum institutions, including Guangdong Museum, Nanjing Museum, and the Xu Beihong Memorial Museum, showcased the richness of the nation's historical and cultural resources. The Beijing Museums brand from the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau made its first overseas appearance.

Several memoranda of understanding were signed during the events. One between the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau and the HKTDC aims to deepen cultural and economic exchange under the broader framework of Beijing-Hong Kong cooperation, promoting the commercialisation, internationalisation, and digital development of cultural and museum resources. Another MoU was signed between the Innovative Entrepreneur Association and the Shantou Cultural and Creative Tourism Industry Association to strengthen cultural and creative industry collaboration between Hong Kong and Shantou.

For more information, visit the Hong Kong International Licensing Show and Asian Licensing Conference websites.