By this point in the show, most of the visitors have seen everyone they wanted to see, had their appointments, and are now heading back to the office to start going through the lists of contacts and pages of notes they have taken away from the show. Press visitors might be the exception to this rule though, as the last day is often the best time for journalists to be able to speak to people across the industry without taking up their valuable deal-making appointment time. (LTW knows its place!) With that in mind, its a pretty safe bet - and a top tip - that day three will always be best for walking onto stands if you haven't been able to make an appointment for any particular reason.

 

In fact LTW had to do just that, as it foolishly double-booked itself as it ran round trying to meet with as many people as possible before dashing off to the airport. DCD had some pretty interesting stuff going on - especially with its music merchandising department and the Puppy Love brand in particular. Michael Gottlieb was actually heading off to meet Donny Osmond after the show (for the second time, it transpired, as Michael's father was chairman of Polygram UK during the song's original launch!), which he was very excited about. Blast Lab is also doing particularly well, and the toy range will be hitting Argos next month, supported by a huge above-the-line PR campaign which will include television advertising. 

Classic Media was another company keen to point out the difference between this and last year, emphasising the optimism and energy that was apparent during the show. In addition to discussing its extremely full portfolio (key points: Where's Wally is going to go from strength to strength over the next year or so and merchandise is about to start rolling out for Tinga Tinga Tales very soon), Classic was keen to emphasise that Licensing Expo had thrown up more real business opportunities than the company had ever seen before at a trade show. If that's not a glowing endorsement then LTW doesn't know what is!

 

There are just a few more things that need to be said. Firstly, LTW would like to thank each and every one of you for the positive reception you have given both us and the magazine. Decrying print media might be a popular past-time in this 'digital age', but the response LTW had to its dedicated and extensive show preview was amazing, and just goes to prove that there are some things the internet just can't do. Many of the clients we spoke with were impressed with the amount of feedback they had recieved about their coverage and the number of direct leads that had been generated on the back of their inclusion in the publication. It's always nice to see results!

Secondly, LTW would love to get more feedback about the show. As everyone knows, the real mark of a show's success is all in the follow-up - so once deals are inked and agreements decided, make sure you let LTW know so that we can pass the news on. Don't feel shy about sharing your opinions about the exhibition itself either - it's all great feedback, both for Advanstar and for the rest of the industry.

 

And so that was Las Vegas. We came, we saw, we ate ridiculous sandwiches, drank far too much and it's been rumoured that some of us even enjoyed ourselves. Las Vegas is a surreal place - you either love it or hate it - but even its fiercest opponents cannot deny that it is the perfect destination for a trade show the size and scale of Licensing Expo.