Im in New York for the Licensing Show at the Javits Convention Centre. Its a yearly pilgrimage for me, I get a chance to see the size and shape (and the health) of the licensing industry, the epicentre of which is New York.
The Javits Centre is a good location for the show, I like it, as convention centres go its a good one. I do a lot of shows and conventions so I consider myself to be a little bit of an expert, if you can be an expert in that sense.
What can make or break a show is the attitude of the people exhibiting. The mood here is grossly different from last year but America is in the grip of a different kind of fear that has nothing to do with the global war on terror. Petrol is now $4 a gallon which for the American truck-loving public is just horrific. The economy, the impending election, the whole Hilary versus Obama pantomime, the extremely hot weather, its made for a very different trip this time around.
Im here for a week, a mixture of meetings and just taking in as much from the show as possible. Consumerism is at the heart of the show and to be frank, the American licensing fraternity does bullshit like no other. It gets a little taxing listening to one company after another tell you they have the next Barbie or Bratz. Innovation is what keeps this industry alive (or should do) but I have to say that this years show is a little void of anything thats going to bring the house down, especially in Europe.
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