THE "TOY RUSSIA" TRADE FAIR which took place on March 11-14 at the Crocus Expo in Moscow also included an event dedicated to character and brand licensing: Licensing Forum Russia. On March 13, representatives from licensing agencies, licensors, licensees, research and marketing organizations and governmental representatives were present as licensing professionals took part in a roundtable discussion and exchanged views on key trends and forecasts for the Russian licensing market.

The Licensing Forum was organized by the Detsky Mir Group, the largest toy and children's clothing chain in Russia, and attracted a great response from visitors. Moderator for the licensing discussion was Nadezda Zhurina, chairman of the Intellectual Property Committee of Children's Goods Industry Association and General Director of C-Toys.

One of the key speakers at the event was Olga Fedorova, General Manager of Plus Licens Russia, who made an exclusive presentation of Plus Licens' portfolio of some of the world's most powerful intellectual properties.

Says Olga Fedorova: - The Licensing Forum Russia was a valuable opportunity for business professionals on the local licensing market to come together and discuss key issues with regards to intellectual property rights.

Says Peder Tamm, president of Plus Licens AB: - In a time of worldwide financial turmoil and cautiousness, many companies now acquire a deeper understanding of the efficiency of well-known characters and brands as a powerful key to the consumer market. Licensing properties definitely play a valuable role of providing consolation entertainment in times of economic distress. With our more than thirty-year long company history and fifteen years of experience from the Russian market, our professional staff, our vast number of close contacts and clients and our incomparable width and breadth in the marketplace, we are proud to call Plus Licens the leading licensing company also in Russia.

The Toy Russia fair was organized by RNTA Expo, a joint company of the Russian National Toy Association (RNTA) and Spielwarenmesse eG, the toy industry’s marketing service provider and organizer of the world-leading Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair Nürnberg. Covering 394.284 square metres and comprising three pavilions with over 20 halls, Crocus Expo is currently the largest and most modern exhibition site in Eastern Europe.