What Global Licensing Group does

Global Licensing Group (GLG) is a trading division within Informa Markets, itself a division of Informa PLC, and operates as the worldwide brand-licensing industry's leading tradeshow organizer and media partner. Founded within Informa's structure and carrying approximately 40 years of tradeshow heritage, GLG runs a global portfolio of B2B events spanning the flagship Licensing Expo Las Vegas, Brand Licensing Europe in London, Licensing Expo China, France Licensing Day (co-organized with Licensing International France), and the Licensing for Retail Conference. The group serves a four-sided audience of brand owners and IP holders, manufacturers and licensees, retailers, and service providers, connecting them through live events, an industry-leading media brand, and an on-demand education platform.

The company's core technology is an event-management and media-publishing platform purpose-built for the brand licensing industry. Its proprietary stack centers on three integrated assets: (1) the 25-year-old License Global media brand publishing daily news, analysis, market trends, and live trade-show coverage; (2) Licensing Unlocked, an on-demand e-learning platform delivering structured training modules for licensing professionals; and (3) the tradeshow portfolio itself, which functions as a year-round physical and digital meeting infrastructure spanning five-plus major events across the US, UK, China, and France. License Global's editorial archive constitutes a substantial long-form content library, and the education platform is delivered through a SaaS-based learning environment (Docebo).

GLG monetizes through three primary streams: tradeshow and event revenue (exhibitor booth fees, attendee fees, sponsorships across the event portfolio), media and publishing revenue (License Global magazine subscriptions, newsletters, and digital advertising), and education and training revenue (Licensing Unlocked course subscriptions). Specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The business sits within Informa PLC, a publicly listed UK company, and operates as a non-independent P&L within Informa Markets, sharing parent-company infrastructure for sales, marketing, and operations. No independent headcount, revenue, or funding disclosures are available because GLG is not a standalone entity.

Name

Global Licensing Group

Legal name

Informa PLC

Website

https://ubmlicensinggroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global Licensing Group, a division of Informa Markets/Informa PLC, operates the worldwide brand-licensing industry's leading tradeshow portfolio (Licensing Expo Las Vegas, Brand Licensing Europe, China, France) alongside the 25-year License Global media brand and Licensing Unlocked e-learning platform, serving brand owners, manufacturers, retailers, and service providers across 120+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tradeshow & Event Revenue: Revenue generated from organizing and hosting major brand licensing tradeshows globally including Licensing Expo Las Vegas, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo China, France Licensing Day, and Licensing for Retail events. These events facilitate meetings between licensors and licensees, generating revenue through exhibitor fees, attendance fees, sponsorships, and related services.
2. Media & Publishing Revenue: Revenue from License Global media brand serving as daily industry news source with in-depth coverage, analysis, market trends, daily briefings, and live trade show coverage. Includes magazine subscriptions and newsletter services.
3. Education & Training Revenue: Revenue from Licensing Unlocked on-demand learning platform providing training programs for professionals entering or advancing in the brand licensing industry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Global Licensing Group organizes and operates the world's leading portfolio of brand licensing tradeshows across global, regional, and domestic territories, including Licensing Expo Las Vegas, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo China, and France Licensing Day. It also publishes License Global, a 25-year media brand delivering daily industry news and analysis, and runs Licensing Unlocked, an on-demand e-learning platform for licensing professionals.

Product overview

The Global Licensing Group operates a portfolio of three integrated offerings: (1) Market-leading tradeshows including Licensing Expo Las Vegas, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo China, France Licensing Day, and Licensing For Retail events spanning global, regional and domestic territories; (2) License Global, a 25-year-old media brand publishing daily news, analysis, market trends, and trade show coverage; and (3) Licensing Unlocked, an on-demand e-learning platform. Together, these products serve the complete licensing professional journey from education through news consumption to business development at live events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Licensing Expo: Industry-leading tradeshows including Licensing Expo Las Vegas, Brand Licensing Europe - London, and Licensing Expo China.
• Licensing Unlocked
• License Global
• Licensing For Retail
• France Licensing Day

Products and services

• Licensing Expo Las Vegas Flagship annual tradeshow in Las Vegas bringing together the global brand licensing industry to spot trends, find partners, generate business, and sign licensing deals.
• Brand Licensing Europe

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 550 attendees and 500+ meetings facilitated at France Licensing Day 2026, the highest in the event's four-year history
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Licensing International FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026Organizational partnership for France Licensing Day events. Licensing International France co-organizes the France Licensing Day with Global Licensing Group, providing expertise in the French licensing market and managing the Licensing International France Awards program.
• Global Merchandising ServicesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 April 2026Co-hosting session at Licensing Expo 2026 alongside Informa Markets and Global Licensing Group. Global Merchandising Services manages the Ozzy Osbourne licensing program and is co-hosting a fireside chat with Sharon and Jack Osbourne at the expo.
• Products of Change (POC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2026Partnership to launch the POC Partner Maturity Index, a framework for measuring sustainability progress across the licensing ecosystem. This aligns with Licensing Expo 2026's sustainability theme.
• Delivering GoodminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2026Nonprofit partnership to redirect unused exhibitor inventory to families in need, supporting the social good theme of Licensing Expo 2026.
• Magic WheelchairminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2026Nonprofit partnership to redirect unused exhibitor inventory to families in need, supporting the social good theme of Licensing Expo 2026.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Reed Exhibitions (RX Global): One of the world's largest organizers of B2B exhibitions and events, operating hundreds of trade shows across dozens of industries. Highly comparable in scale, B2B tradeshow model, and event-driven revenue streams to Global Licensing Group.
• Cannes Lions: Premier global festival for the creative and brand communications industry, operated as a flagship B2B event brand. Comparable scale of marquee event, premium pricing power, and brand-led industry gathering as Licensing Expo Las Vegas.
• dmg events: International events and exhibitions company producing B2B trade shows across multiple sectors including construction, energy, and hospitality. Shares the event-driven revenue model and global event portfolio structure of GLG.
• Messe Frankfurt: Global trade fair organizer operating flagship events in Frankfurt and across multiple verticals worldwide. Closely comparable event-organizer business model, international footprint, and B2B customer base to GLG.
• Questex: B2B events and information services company producing trade shows, conferences, and media across multiple industries. Highly comparable integrated events-and-media business model to Global Licensing Group.
• Clarion Events: Global events organizer running trade shows across entertainment, technology, and consumer sectors. Comparable business model and scale of B2B event franchises to Global Licensing Group's Licensing Expo portfolio.
• Emerald: B2B events, media, and trade show organizer serving specialized professional audiences. Operates similar integrated events-plus-media business model serving niche B2B communities, comparable to GLG's events plus License Global strategy.

Others

• Advertising Week: Major global B2B event for the advertising, marketing, and brand industries. Thematically adjacent to brand licensing events with overlapping enterprise attendee base and similar event-driven monetization.
• Licensing International: The licensing industry's primary global trade association. Not a direct competitor but a key industry partner and co-organizer of France Licensing Day alongside GLG, addressing the same brand licensing professional community.

Broad incumbents

• Consumer Technology Association (CES): Trade association operating CES, the world's largest B2B technology tradeshow. Highly comparable enterprise-focused trade show model, premium exhibitor economics, and tier-1 industry event franchise to Licensing Expo.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/licensingexpo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global Licensing Group