Sports Licensed and Tailgate Industry Green-Light January 2008 Show
Buyers, Sellers & Leagues Confirm Need for Strong Trade Event
January 16, 2007

Time is money. And when there is money to be made in the licensed sports business, timing is important. These two ideas converged in discussions with licensors, licensed manufacturers and licensed buyers in the days following the Sports Licensing & Entertainment Marketplace and Tailgate • Picnic Show, which debuted in Las Vegas last November.

The result of these talks was a clear, across-the-board consensus: The industry wants and needs a robust annual trade event.

Thus the next Sports Licensing & Entertainment Marketplace and Tailgate • Picnic Show will be held Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, January 16 to 18, 2008 at a new venue, the Sands/Venetian Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“We sat down with key licensors and surveyed hundreds of buyers and manufacturers,” says Show Director Ann Keusch of Showproco, which produces the event. “They thought we were off to a great start, and believed that the next show would benefit immeasurably from a shift from fourth quarter to first quarter.”

According to Keusch, the new mid-January dates were the first choice of the majority of leagues, manufacturers and buyers. Among the reasons they gave were:

Buyers were also very animated about the possibilities for the Tailgate • Picnic Show. With this category now unified, they are expecting participation from more of the food and beverage companies that are already devoting their marketing muscle toward reaching these valuable consumers.

“Tailgating and picnicking have become a huge business, and many retailers saw its true potential for the first time at the November show,” says John Largent, President of the American Tailgate Association. “From our discussions with exhibitors, we know that they plan to make the most of the two extra months and do some extraordinary things.”

The home city for the Sports Licensing & Entertainment Marketplace and Tailgate • Picnic Show will remain the same, Las Vegas. However, the venue will be moved to the Sands/Venetian Expo Center, which has confirmed the availability of additional space for the event’s anticipated expansion.

“We expect to grow significantly,” confirms Keusch. She is quick to add, however, that the show will retain its intimacy and high standards for admission—two qualities that were cited by exhibitors as major plusses.

“And, of course, everyone asked about the Buyer Guarantee program, the Retailing Solutions Conference, the Concept Shop and the Ultimate Tailgate Party,” she says.

“They will definitely be back, along with a few more surprises for buyers and exhibitors.”