Why I Love Vegas...

It's official and undeniable - I love Vegas... But not for the obvious reasons (and don't get me wrong, the obvious is immense - with luxury hotels, sprawling casino's, amazing shows, and unrivalled nightlife).

Nope. I love Vegas because this City is home to the Global Licensing Expo which takes place in June each year and provides a unique opportunity to meet and discuss licences with some of the world's biggest brands. Think Disney, Warner Media, Universal, Mattel, Hearst, and Viacom to name just a few...

At this event, you watch adults become kids, if only for a moment, as they are immersed in a vibrant and exciting world of character, entertainment and sports, and encounter brands, characters and stories that have, in some small yet important way, helped shape us all.

Naturally, there is a serious side to the event, with literally 'Billions' of annual consumer sales generated from these meetings. Attending the event is one thing but getting meetings with licensors is something else. Especially as a newcomer. Time is money and reputation is everything.

To be successful, you've got to put in the hours, deliver a clear pitch and demonstrate you respect the integrity of the property you seek to license. If a deal does not materialise, you can't sweat it, sometimes patience and time is the medicine needed.

We have been incredibly fortunate thus far. Our concept of character personalisation - which in essence allows fans to create charcters of themselves in the style of their favourite character brands / shows, is a new concept to licensors. To support our concept, licensors must trust us with their brand's assets and be open to an approval process which sits outside of the traditional route. No small thing. That being said, I genuinely can't thank enough the people at Hearst, Warnermedia and Viacom who have believed in us and supported us at this early stage in our journey. It is hugely appreciated.

So two years in, and I am officially in love with Vegas because....

1 - It marked a step change for my business last year (2018).. It helped me to think global, at a time when I could have easily given up. Instead, we grew sales by 20% across the year ??

2 - It was in Vegas that I was able secure the first two brand licenses for toxicfox and meet some incredible people across the industry.

3 - The energy of the City and meetings inspires but also agitates the competitor within me. I know we can become one of the biggest brands in world licensing, and this city reminds me that we still have a long way to go...

4 - Our trip this year highlighted - we are making progress.... Last year, no-one knew who we were, so we had to hussle for meetings and conversations. This year, it was completely different. We had pre-arranged meetings and were invited to some amazing after parties ?? 

We are making progress...

Lastly, I also had the opportunity to speak with two of the guys I look up to most in our industry - Mike Becker (founder) and Brian Mariotti (CEO) of Funko - the ￡600m revenue, Nasdaq listed character business.

Whilst it was cool to share my admiration for their brand and how they have been able to convince the big studio's to let them 'Pop Vinyl' their characters - I naturally shared that we would one day shake hands as the bigger business. That I truly believe.

After all, you don't come to Vegas to play small!

Now it's time to get back to work ??????????????