The Mattel executives will join the Licensing Expo line-up, while the Licensing International Excellence Awards will stream live on Day 1.

Richard Dickson and Roz Nowicki

Mattel’s president and chief operating officer, Richard Dickson, and head of Global Consumer Products and Franchise Marketing, Roz Nowicki, join the list of keynote speakers for Licensing Expo Virtual.

The pair will address the last day of the event, which runs from 24th to 26th August and is held in partnership with industry trade association Licensing International. In a fireside chat titled ‘Mattel and Living its Brand Purpose’, Richard and Roz will explore how the IP-driven, high performing toy and entertainment company empowers the next generation by introducing purpose-driven products. The pair have a combined experience of more than 50 years and are responsible for the worldwide growth of brands including Barbie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Peanuts and Hot Wheels.

Other keynote speakers for the expo include senior executives from Warner Bros. Consumer Products, who will open the event.

The Mattel executives’ keynote presentation will begin at 8am PST/11am EST on 26th August. To tune into the free-to-attend keynote presentation, register here.

“Year after year, Mattel is an industry leader in delivering new products that not only excite consumers but bring characters and stories to life in a meaningful way. We are thrilled to announce that Richard and Roz will impart learnings from their work that spans a full range of toy and entertainment brands across categories,” said Anna Knight, VP of Licensing at Informa Markets.

“We are proud to represent Mattel at the upcoming Licensing Expo Virtual event this August and speak on a topic that is foundational to our business: delivering purpose-driven products that help shape how children perceive, engage with and someday, influence the world around them. Licensing is a powerful tool that enables us to build brand stories and reach a global audience,” said Richard Dickson.

To view the full 2021 Licensing Expo agenda, visit here.

Meanwhile, the Licensing International Excellence Awards is returning to this year’s virtual expo. The ceremony will stream live on Day 1, honouring nominees and announcing the 2021 winners across the 22 categories. This year’s programme recognized a record number of finalists, with more than 150 nominees from 23 countries.

The ceremony’s live broadcast will take place on the Licensing Expo Virtual platform and is available exclusively to event attendees; register here for the event and ceremony free of charge.

“In a year where stay-at-home restrictions radically disrupted societal behavior, a selection of standout professionals and companies helped the industry navigate these uncharted waters through strategic licensing initiatives, many of which are nominated for this year’s Licensing International Excellence Awards. Each and every one of this year’s nominees has played a part in reimagining the brand to consumer relationship, changes that will have a positive impact on the outlook of our industry. We look forward to celebrating these successes during the award ceremony during Licensing Expo Virtual,” remarked Maura Regan, president of Licensing International.

“Licensing Expo is about bringing the global licensing community together, a sentiment that really strikes home as we’ve all had to face unique challenges and think outside the box, more so than ever before,” commented Anna Knight, VP of Licensing, Informa Markets. “We are proud to partner with Licensing International and host the Excellence Awards ceremony on the first day of this year’s event to pause and applaud so many individual’s and company’s continued perseverance and inflow of creative ideas that kept our industry’s momentum going.”

The full Licensing International Excellence Awards nominee list is available here.