 |
High-Powered NBA Licensee Bringing Its A-Game to Las Vegas
November 28, 2011
With the pro hoops season back on track, NBA licensees have been busy making up for lost time. The NBA's largest footwear-and-apparel licensee, adidas, recently announced that it will be setting up shop at the Sports Licensing and Tailgate Show (January 11–13, 2012) in Las Vegas. The move was prompted by the decision earlier this fall by the NBA to cancel its own trade event. The company joins a growing list of NBA licensees that have been nailing down booth space at Mandalay Bay in recent weeks.
"Sports Licensing buyers and concessionaires traditionally make up an important part of our attendees," says Show Director Stanley Schwartz of Showproco. "The sports leagues have always been great about supporting our show. Naturally, we're pleased we are in a position to accommodate adidas's trade-event needs."
"We already have a lot of the NBA's licensees exhibiting with us, so it won't be an overwhelming process to add a company like adidas to the show," adds Matt Lawson, the show's National Sales Director. Buyer Relations Director Marti Soroka also expects to see an uptick in retailer registration with the adidas announcement.
"By any measure, our growth over the last five years has been exceptional and our numbers have been consistently strong," says Hardy Katz, Show Director. "With adidas and other major licensors and licensees coming to the exhibit hall in 2012, it's a whole new ballgame. adidas buyers and concessionaires are going to love what we're doing. It already has us reconsidering our plans for 2013 and beyond."
