‘Newstalgia’, gaming and Labubu… Licensed Ltd’s Paul Bufton shares his Licensing Expo takeaways

So that’s it, in the blink of an eye, the doors closed on another successful Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. Months in the planning – getting deals on flights and hotels, booking meetings, preparing pitch decks and product samples, finalising restaurant reservations… And – most importantly – working out how you can squeeze a quick post-show drink in with some friends before your dinner meeting; done and literally dusted!

All in all, it was a great show, and you can cover a lot of ground in a short period of time. The attendance was high, but most importantly the calibre of attendee was strong. Maybe it’s a side effect of the overall global economy as everyone I spoke to was clear about their goals for the show. They knew who they wanted to connect with and why. Now Licensing Expo has never been a trade show in the traditional sense – products displayed, customers shopping, orders being written, etc – but this year deals were getting done because everyone valued the time and financials commitments of exhibitors and attendees alike.

So, as I walked the show and caught up with colleagues, collaborators, and clients I always asked the same three questions:
A. How are you?
B. How’s business?
C. And, what have you seen that’s really interesting…?

Based on feedback from these conversations my own observations, here are a few of my takeaways.

Firstly, don’t pay any heed to the doomsayers, the licensing industry is booming! The show was busy, busy, busy and the showcases from the major studios were packed to the rafters. (One small note to my friends and former colleagues studio-side – please… a) don’t hold back your really good stuff until right before the end, because b) folks are going to leave 30 mins before the next showcase starts to get in line. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is…).

And while I can’t talk to the content of the showcases (all attendees are under an iron-clad NDA) it’s interesting to note the variability in terms of the timelines presented. One of the inherent challenges of the licensing game is time. Put plainly, from the point of view of a prospective licensee, if you can’t give them a long enough lead time for your plans, you’re significantly limiting the opportunity. That said, the showcases are also intended to reinforce confidence and strength – and considering the high production values and calibre of presenters, the studios are feeling bullish!

Changing gear to trends, both Cute Core and Horror Core are popping crossover genres. Everyone I spoke to was buzzing about Labubu – and you just have to read the headlines to see the craze that’s sweeping the world. Relatedly, I also shopped the new collection from Hazbin Hotel in Hot Topic. It highlights a coming of age for licensing in general. Kids and family have always been the drivers, but older teen and adult are catching up fast.

Speaking of which, ‘Newstalgia’ is here to stay as rights owners and content houses double down. Mattel was showcasing the new He-Man movie for 2026 and MGA’s Bratz has launched a teen collection in Hot Topic featuring classic artwork of the girls with a passion for fashion. Again, this just reinforces the relevance of classic IPs finding lucrative consumers who remember them first time around – but also a younger audience fascinated by irony and the discovery of kitsch!

High on the news agenda is the endless rollercoaster ride of rounds and rounds of tariffs. That said, surprisingly tariff-talk was fairly low key – in hindsight maybe everyone just needed some time out. Yes, it’s disruptive and unpredictable to price against, but I was deeply impressed by the agility and solution-based thinking of most domestic licensees I spoke to. No doubt about it, print-on-demand is going to play a key role in the domestic supply chain moving forwards and technology will accelerate to catch up and service more and more categories in the future.

It doesn’t take a genius to conclude that the videogames genre is smashing it in licensing across all demos and has so much more potential. Vast fanbases, deep narratives, relatable characters and endless universes all lend themselves to product innovation and global engagement. The only limiting factor is our own creativity and super-serving fans with products they really want to buy – not just giving them stuff we think they want…

Speaking of growth areas in licensing, sports, music, literary and art are also on the ascendancy. While not as obviously visible at the Expo as other genres, that doesn’t mean the conversations weren’t as meaningful. The players I spoke to in these spaces are re-writing the rule book by investing in tech platforms, experiential retail, on-site event activations and partnerships at a rapidly increasing rate. The quality of partnerships from institutions like The Met and MoMA is defined by their ground-breaking innovation. Couple that with the incredible tech being deployed by teams like Seminal and it’s clear to see art has a very meaningful future in licensing.

Music feels as if it’s also about to finally break-frame with some fantastic new partnerships that defy the expected – think KISS x Dsquared2 – and it also goes to show that persistence pays off in the case of Sleep Token who were the subject of many ‘on the radar’ conversations.

But, of course, none of this would have been possible without the relentless co-ordination and dedication of the teams from Licensing International and Informa Markets. Licensing Expo is the mothership for anyone involved or interested in consumer products – and despite the grumbles about the price of F&B (not sure how much they can influence that) – the show was a roaring success.

One particular shout-out has to go to them for the programme of events showcasing learning and sharing. I managed to squeeze in a couple of sessions, and I was impressed to see full houses on both occasions demonstrating there’s clearly a demand for learning. We’re an industry that thrives on our openness and willingness to educate others and bring them into the fold. Their success is our success after all.

If you attended the show, I hope it was a trip well-made, and you established some fantastic new connections. The follow up list might feel daunting but just remember we do this for a living! By the time we’ve all recovered from the whirlwind of Licensing Expo it will be almost time to step through the doors of Excel for BLE!