Last week FC Barcelona were present at the Licensing Expo Las Vegas, the most important event in the licensing section with more than 5,000 leading brands involved at the annual occasion in the United States. The aim is to capture new business on the American continent and to strengthen relationships with partners in the region to reinforce the global position of the Barça brand in merchandising industry. This year's Expo was the second year in which Barça Licensing & Merchandising (BLM) enjoyed their own stands, double the size in square metres compared to last year. 

Amongst BLM's goals is to generate new business opportunities and international expansion for the Club as well as detecting new international trends in the business of licensing, and to promote the commercial potential of the FC Barcelona brands to potential global partners. 

Barça shared space at the fair with industry giants such as Universal Studios, Disney, Warner Bross, Mattel, Sega and Lego, amongst others. 

Objectives at the Expo 

The position of FC Barcelona as leading sports brand in the retail and consumer products sector was one of the key objectives at the event, as well as continuing BLM's strategy of international growth. Furthermore, initial talks were made with possible new strategic partners in various product categories and distribution channels. Furthermore, new opportunities were explored with regards to priority international markets for the Club such as the US, Mexico, Brazil and others in Latin America. 

The BLM team carried out several meetings with international companies and potential licensees in different territories in which new business opportunities were identified in various product categories. Barça gained great visibility at the event and consolidated its position as a key player in sports licensing in the Americas during the most important professional event of the sector. 

Leaders in the world of football 

In UEFA's annual report from February, one of the leading parameters to highlight was the leadership of FC Barcelona in the ranking of clubs with regards to income from kits and merchandising, thanks to a record total of 277 million, 46 more than their nearest rival Real Madrid. After having tripled their online sales in comparison with last season, growth continues above 45% in terms of income compared last season. Despite the historic achievements and records, this season represents just another set in the BLM strategic plan. The mission is to continue to beat growth targets and to reaffirm BLM's position as on the Club's key financial pillars. 

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