The Hong Kong International Licensing Show and the Asian Licensing Conference, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), concluded successfully on April 29, 2026, after a three-day run from April 27 to 29. The events attracted over 330 exhibitors and showcased more than 600 brands and licensing projects, serving as a cross-regional and cross-sectoral platform for business expansion across multiple categories.
Jenny Koo, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, noted that under the national 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong continues to deepen its role as a regional IP trading hub. “We are pleased to see licensing applications expanding from traditional character merchandising to cover location-based entertainment, food and beverage, e-commerce and a host of other fields, forming a complete licensing industry chain,” she said.
In response to the rapid growth 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, helping SMEs capitalize on e-commerce to sell their IP products globally. Kay Leung from Digitify Online Growth said, “The greatest value of this new dedicated zone lies in ‘promotion’ and ‘education’... This zone serves as an essential foundation for SMEs, raising awareness of how to effectively leverage e-commerce as a springboard to promote their brands and sell their IP products to the global market.”
The Licensing Show also featured the DLAB Hong Kong Pavilion, bringing together nearly 40 exhibitors to showcase Hong Kong original brands and IPs. Local designer Kirsten Lie secured collaboration opportunities with overseas shopping malls, stating, “We are now in serious discussions with two overseas shopping malls and will meet with their senior management next week to move the partnership forward.” Another designer, James Ho, said, “This year's Licensing Show provides an excellent brand promotion platform for local designers, enabling us to reach and engage with potential partners from diverse sectors on a broad scale.”
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 on location-based entertainment, saying, “We learned that one of the non-negotiables has to do with the depth of affection, which is often related to the number of hours the audience has spent with the 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. “We want to ensure that every Fuggler engages different individuals, and that every individual can find a Fuggler that suits their personality or particular mood,” he said.
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, the Sun and Immortal Birds made their debut, demonstrating the innovative vitality of the mainland’s cultural tourism IPs. Among the exhibitors were more than 20 cultural and museum institutions, including Guangdong Museum, Nanjing Museum, and the Xu Beihong Memorial Museum. The distinctive Beijing Museums brand from the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau made its first overseas appearance.
Several memoranda of understanding were signed during the events, including one between the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau and the HKTDC to deepen cultural and economic exchange under the broader framework of Beijing-Hong Kong cooperation. 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.
More information about the events can be found at the Hong Kong International Licensing Show website and the Asian Licensing Conference programme page.
