Licensing ’98 a Global Hit New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center was home to the Licensing ’98 International show in June. Attendance reached more than 15,000 from more than 60 countries, according to the show’s manager, Expocon Management Associates, a division of Advanstar Communications.

Sponsored by the International Licensing Industry Merchandiser’s Association, the show featured nearly 3,500 exhibitors representing more than 4,000 properties including corporate brands, sports, children’s properties, publishing, major entertainment studios, artists, designers, and not-for-profit organizations, says LIMA’s Ellie Bagli. The international presence continued strong with more than 45 foreign countries exhibiting. Non-U.S. attendance surpassed 13 percent of the total, she says.

The show is the global deal marketplace for the $112.8 billion worldwide licensing industry “where anyone interested in the business has the opportunity to form the partnerships that will drive licensed product sales at retail,” says Diane Stone, show director for Expocon.

LIMA’s more than 700 members recognized the year’s outstanding properties, companies, and promotions at the debut of Club LIMA. Most noteworthy among this year’s recipients of the International Licensing Awards for Excellence was Nickelodeon and its Rugrats property which were named Licensing Agency of the Year and License of the Year, respectively. A Nickelodeon Rugrats licensee, Happy Kids, was honored as Licensee of the Year/Soft Goods for its line of children’s apparel.

Hasbro brought home the Licensee of the Year/Hard Goods award for its Star Wars action figures and accessories. Also topping the list of award winners was MGM Studios for its James Bond: Tomorrow Never Dies program that received the Promotion of the Year award.

For its Sesame Street and Martha Stewart exclusive retail shops, Kmart earned the Retailer of the Year award. Binney & Smith received the award for Licensed Brand Extension of the Year for Crayola Paints by Benjamin Moore.

Recognizing the global impact of licensing, LIMA members awarded Warner Bros. Consumer Products the International Licensee of the Year (worldwide outside U.S.) for its Looney Tunes property for the second consecutive year. Copel/Losani was named International Licensing Agency of the Year (worldwide outside U.S.) for its efforts in South and Central America.

Creative Promo Partnerships Creating standout promotions with partners takes synergy and vision. That’s what The Marketing Institute and the Promotion Marketing Association hope to impart at Cross Promotion Connections: Innovate in ’98, a conference they will co-sponsoron Sept. 17 to 18 at New York City’s Helmsley Hotel.

“The potential for Cross Promotion Connections has been growing over the past few years,” especially in the area of forming new and key alliances, says Andrea Newman, vice president, marketing, for The Marketing Institute.

Conference sessions will include a case study of the Gymboree Corp. and Procter & Gamble’s Cheer cross-promotion. The keynote presentation will be by Sawtooth Invention Company president Marc Marsan. Marsan works with Fortune 500 companies and has conducted invention sessions for such clients as Nike, Disney, Gatorade, Quaker Oats, Coors Brewing Company, and P&G. Other presentations will discuss how to maximize a small budget, avoid legal pitfalls, and manage a licensed property using the case study of the partnership between IBM and Crayola. Nickelodeon’s Winning Partnership with M&M/Mars will also be discussed by Dan Roselli, senior marketing manager, M&M’s Brand/Mars.

A Rose for IMRA Group elects new president. NAPERVILLE, IL – Rosemary Mills Luedke, president of Rose Incentives, was elected president of the Incentive Manufacturers Representatives Association for the 1998 business year. She accepted her gavel during the association’s annual membership meeting in Orlando.

Luedke’s 20-year career in the incentive field includes varied marketing and promotion experience on all sides of the business. She was a marketing assistant at Cargill, an assistant-manager of promotions at General Mills, and a sales and marketing manager/premium and specialties for Thermo-Serv. In 1991, she formed her own firm, Rose Incentives, Inc., located in Plymouth, MN. She is a member of the Upper Midwest Association of Promotional Products and is past president of The Minnesota Incentives Club.

Other IMRA officers and directors for 1998-99 include:

Norma Jean Knollenberg, president of top brands, who was elected executive vp of the Executive Committee. Don Rainwater, president of Southwest Incentives, Inc., who will serve as IMRA’s vp. Spencer Toomey, vp of special markets for Bulova, was re-elected secretary. The association’s new treasurer is Vicki Greenlees, president of Heartland Incentive Rep., Inc.

Back to Basics PMA to host two conferences. NEW YORK – The Promotion Marketing Association is hosting the PMS Basics Seminar at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Orlando Aug. 25 to 27. The originator of the event, Joe Pottocki, formerly of Warner-Lambert Co. and General Mills, will host the “refresher course in promotion how-to,” according to Craig Lis, PMA director of marketing and programs.

On Nov. 5-6 in Washington, D.C., PMA will hold a conference/seminar called “Promo Law ’98 – Crossing the Promotion Bridge to the 21st Century.”

Its purpose is to inform lawyers, marketers, and other members of the promotion community of new laws and regulations and the effect they will have on doing business, Lis says.

There will be presentations on the following topics:

* An in-depth summary of sweepstakes;

* Two sessions on intellectual property;

* A session on coupons premiums, gift certificates, rebates and other giveaways;

* A session on promotions overseas including Europe, Asia, and Latin America;

* A final session on Cyberlaw.

The opening day luncheon speaker will be Washington satirist Mark Russell. For info, call Craig Lis at (212) 420-1100.

Professional Development Association of Promotion Marketing Agencies to hold fall conference. STAMFORD, CT- The Association of Promotion Marketing Agencies Worldwide will hold a professional development conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago, Oct. 3-6. This will precede PROMO Expo ’98. The cost for non-members is $1,250 and includes admission to PROMO Expo.

The keynote speaker will be John Farrell of DMB&B addressing: “The Changing Face of Communication: A New World For Clients.” Brand manager Bob Rice will speak about “Streamlined Content -What It Will Mean To Our Businesses on the World Wide Web.” Professor Glen Pennock from The Netherlands will address: “The New World of Interactive Media.”

APMA president-elect Kevin Astle will lead a four-part break-out discussion called “Managing Our Destiny – Is It An Oxymoron?”

On Oct. 6, at the end of the final session, APMA will hold a free seminars program for marketing majors and grad students. The program consists of case histories presented by leading “proponents of promotion marketing around the world,” says APMA executive director Vincent Sottsanti. Admission is by request. Call (203) 325-3911.