Licensing Expo is placing the highlight on streaming-driven fandom.
Informa Markets’ International Licensing Group confirmed that Marian Lee, Chief Advertising and marketing Officer at Netflix, will headline the opening keynote at Licensing Expo 2026 in Las Vegas. The session, titled “The Netflix Impact on Fandom,” will happen Could 19 and discover how the corporate builds and scales world fan engagement.
Lee will focus on how Netflix interprets storytelling into cultural affect, specializing in licensing, partnerships, and model extensions. The dialog may even look at how franchises evolve past the display screen by retail, experiences, and collaborations.
Current examples spotlight that method. Netflix has expanded its footprint with initiatives equivalent to Netflix Home, a everlasting location-based leisure idea, and large-scale model campaigns tied to tentpole properties, together with Stranger Issues. The corporate has additionally leaned into licensing applications that stretch franchises into toys, attire, residence items, and extra.
The keynote may even contact on rising hits such because the Pulse of Play Award and Oscar-winning KPop Demon Hunters, which secured world toy partnerships with Hasbro and Mattel, signaling robust cross-category potential. The movie additionally spawned one other Pulse of Play Award-winning line with Funko’s KPop Demon Hunters Pop! Vinyl figures.
Amanda Cioletti, Vice President of Content material and Technique for the International Licensing Group, will average the session.
“Licensing is a crucial part of contemporary model technique, enabling corporations to remodel storytelling into tangible experiences that resonate with followers and foster deeper connections,” mentioned Cioletti. “This opening keynote with Marian Lee will present crucial insights into how manufacturers can harness licensing as a strategic software, whether or not by extending into new classes, creating immersive location-based leisure, or forging impactful partnerships. As one of many world’s most vital movie studios, Netflix’s revolutionary method serves as a blueprint for amplifying cultural affect, deepening fan engagement, and driving world model loyalty, making this session a must-attend for any model seeking to elevate its technique within the evolving world of licensing.”
For Licensing Expo attendees, the keynote units the tone for a present more and more centered on how leisure IP drives client merchandise, retail engagement, and experiential progress.
Meet The Toy Guide Crew at Licensing Expo!
The Journey Media & Occasions staff might be current at Licensing Expo with new problems with The Toy Book and The Pop Insider set to debut on Could 19. Go to us at Sales space No. F106 to seize The Toy Guide‘s 2026 Licensing & Leisure Subject (that includes The Licensing Guide complement), and the spring version of The Pop Insider. Each points at the moment are in manufacturing. To e-book your house in our new points, please contact Jackie Breyer, James Devin, or Stephanie Katz.
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