"Hong Kong Licensing Awards 2020" & its Training Program Open for Applications

HONG KONG,Sept. 2,2020 -- The Hong Kong Licensing Awards (HKLA) 2020 is organised by the Asian Licensing Association (ALA) under the sponsorship from Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Entering into its sixth edition,the HKLA recognizes the remarkable achievements of local practitioners and companies of both licensing and creative industries,and also promotes and encourages the development of both fields.

On the Hong Kong Licensing Awards 2020 Launch Ceremony cum Licensing for Creative Industries Seminar,Dr. Toby Chan,Founding Chairman,Asian Licensing Association (2nd from the left) and Mr. Gordon Chin,Director,Asian Licensing Association (1st from the right) are taking photo with guest speakers Ms. Lam Pei (1st from the left) and Mr. Cyril Chan (2nd from the right).

To mark the official launchingof the sixth edition of the HKLA and announce the details of the five awards and its two training programs,the ALA held the Hong Kong Licensing Awards 2020 Launch Ceremony cum Licensing for Creative Industries Seminar online on 31st August 2020.The ALA was delighted to have Ms. Jersey YUEN,Assistant Head of CreateHK,as the Guest-of-honour,and Dr. Toby CHAN,Founding Chairman of the ALA,to participate in the live broadcast.

Ms. Jersey YUEN expressed her gratitude to the ALA for hosting the HKLA again,which encourages local creative industries to utilise licensing in exploring more business opportunities.

Dr. Toby CHAN said at the Launch Ceremony,"We are delighted and encouraged that the HKLA has been supported by the industries with an ever-increasing number of participants,which is a recognition of the HKLA's original goal of encouraging local designers. In particular,two of the five awards,namely,the Best Hong Kong Young Property Award and the Best Hong Kong New Character Design for Licensing Award,are dedicated to appreciating outstanding achievements in licensing by the designers and acknowledging the potential of the local talent in designing original characters. It is noted that many awarded projects and designs have succeeded in many ways,enabling them to enter the international markets while making excellent achievements in different areas."

At the Launch Ceremony,it was announced that the HKLA 2020 is now open for online applications till 23:59 on 25th September 2020 (Friday). The Awards Presentation Ceremony will be held on 12th January 2021 during the Hong Kong International Licensing Show 2021 (the Licensing Show 2021).

On the same occasion,the HKLA thanked CreateHK's sponsorship for the free training programs tailor-made for the trade. Further to the ones successfully concluded in the last two editions,the two training programs held in this edition again focus on the design of a style guide and the sales pitching techniques for licensing respectively. The former program has already been started on 1st August while the latter one to be commenced on 10th October 2020 is still open for free online registration on a first-come-first-served basis. Both training programs are targeted at local designers,new IP holders and licensing industry players.

Specialists in the relevant fields are invited as instructors to equip the participants with both the knowledge and the skills relating to style guide and sales pitching techniques. The instructors are: Mr. Shawn CHIU,who will teach the design of a style guide; and Ms. Tina CHOW,Mr. Roger CHAN and Mr. Stanley CHIU,who will teach the sales pitching techniques for licensing. All of them are experienced professionals in design,animation and comics,brand management or licensing,and have been working for multinational companies as creative or senior management with sound knowledge and practical experience.

Immediately after the Launch Ceremony,the Licensing for Creative Industries Seminar was heldwith four speakers invited to share their experience in creative industries and licensing with the participants online,namely: Mr. Daniel Lui,Marketing Director,Daniel & Co.,Mr. Jacky Luk,CEO,Trendy Sound Limited,Mr. Cyril Chan,Co-Founder,Chiilaku Limited,and Ms. Lam Pei,Founder,Lam Pei Studio. It is also thankful to Mr. Gordon Chin,CEO of Asia Animation Limited and Director of ALA,for hosting the Q&A session.

The HKLA 2020 has five awards,the Best Hong Kong Property Award,the Best Licensee Award,the Best Promotion Campaign Award,the Best Hong Kong Young Property Award and the Best Hong Kong New Character Design for Licensing Award. For the Best Hong Kong New Character Design for Licensing Award,its top five finalists are entitled to the free production of product samples and figurines for their original characters for display at the Licensing Show 2021 on 11th to 13th January 2021. A mascot will further be produced for the character winning the Gold Award in this category to take part in the Mascot Parade of the Licensing Show 2021.

For the other four award categories,the awarded entries will also be displayed at the Licensing Show 2021,while those of the Best Hong Kong Property Award and the Best Hong Kong Young Property Award will join the awarded entries of the Best Hong Kong New Character Design for Licensing Award for an display at the HKTDC Design Gallery at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

For further information on the HKLA 2020 and download of the application forms,please visit: www.hklicensingawards.hk

For registration for the Training Program for Sales Pitching Techniques for Licensing - https://forms.gle/c4UaMi1caePNch7v5

About Hong Kong Licensing Awards

The Hong Kong Licensing Awards (HKLA) project was launched in 2015,and came to its sixth edition in 2020. There are five award categories in the HKLA 2020,namely the Best Hong Kong Property Award,the Best Hong Kong Young Property Award,as well as the Best Hong Kong New Character Design for Licensing Award. These awards aim to recognise the outstanding achievements of the practitioners in the relevant industries and promote Hong Kong's creative industries. With a view to nurturing new talent in character design and promoting local original designs,the Best Hong Kong New Character Design for Licensing Award is dedicated to Hong Kong designers with less than nine years of design-related working experience,and their designs must have never been commercially licensed.

About Asian Licensing Association(www.ala.org.hk)

The mission of Asian Licensing Association (ALA) is to foster the growth and expansion of the licensing,creative and innovative industries by drawing together the experience and professional knowledge of the industry practitioners. The ALA aims to cooperate with the HKSAR Government,the other governments in Asia and other statutory bodies to assist the licensing,creative and innovative companies,thus enhancing the overall business environment and competitiveness of Hong Kong. The ALA also aims to provide guidance to the industry practitioners for making win-win decisions which are favourable to both their members and the general public. The goal of the ALA is to promote Hong Kong to be the Asian hub for licensing,creativity and innovation.

About Create Hong Kong (www.createhk.gov.hk)

Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated agency set up by the HKSAR Government in June 2009. It is under the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and dedicated to spearheading the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups,exploring markets,and promoting Hong Kong as Asia's creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community. CreateHK sponsors the HKLA since 2015 to encourage Hong Kong creative industries to explore business opportunities through licensing.

For media inquiries,please contact:

Ms. Gladys Hau

+852-9109-8498

gladyshau2019@gmail.com

Mr. James Leung

+852-6198-3231

james@jetum.com

Disclaimer: Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only,and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions,findings,conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau,Create Hong Kong,the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.

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