New York, NY (Top40 Charts) For the first time, the licensing industry is acknowledging the contributions of a pioneer in the music licensing and merchandising business with the induction of Dell Furano into the Licensing
Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA) Hall of Fame. Furano, CEO of global retail branding, merchandising and artist services company Epic Rights, will be acknowledged in a ceremony on Tuesday, May 23rd at the LIMA Licensing Awards Ceremony during Licensing Expo 2017 in Las Vegas.
"The music licensing industry is long overdue to receive recognition for its contributions to the global retail licensing and merchandising business, and I am honored that LIMA has selected me to join the licensing industry's Hall of Fame," said Furano. "It has been a tremendous ride from the beginnings of a strictly concert merchandising business to the multi-billion-dollar global retail business it has become today, and I look forward to continuing to be at the forefront of innovation in artist branding, licensing and merchandising."
Furano joins an esteemed list of fellow Hall of Fame members, including Walt Disney,
George Lucas, Mark McCormack, Jim Henson,
Daniel Romanelli, Debra Joester,
Joanne Loria,
Howard Roffman, Leigh Anne Brodsky, Charles Schultz and Brad
Globe among others.
A true legend in the merchandising and retail branding industry, Furano has been instrumental in growing music artist's retail brand licensing into a multibillion-dollar global business. In his expansive 40-plus year career, he has directed the merchandising and licensing efforts for the top names in the music industry, including The Beatles, KISS, Madonna, U2, AC/DC, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, Wham/George Michael, Shakira, and more, as well as having orchestrated concert merchandise programs for music legends such as The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, Prince, Aerosmith, Tim McGraw, and The Who, among others.
Furano began his career in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1974, after graduating from Stanford University, by licensing
Grateful Dead tie-dye apparel and poster deals for record stores and head shops. Working closely with top iconic artists and early on recognizing their licensing potential, Dell continued to expand his licensing brand-building strategy. He launched major retail branding programs for
New Kids on The Block, Britney Spears, Run DMC,
Jessica Simpson,
Celine Dion, the Osbourne Family reality TV show, Woodstock, John Lennon's Imagine Children's line, Michael Jackson's Mystery Drink program, Steve Martin's line of merchandise for "Wild and Crazy," Madonna's "Like a Virgin" brand,
Janet Jackson, MC Hammer, Ozzy, The Police, the Lyrics of Lennon & McCartney, and
Pink Floyd The Wall.
He currently helms Epic Rights, which he founded in Los Angeles in 2013. Previous to Epic, Furano was founder and CEO of Sony Signatures - later renamed Signatures Network - and became CEO of Live Nation Merchandise when he sold Signatures Network to Live Nation.
About Epic Rights
Epic Rights is a full-service global branding, merchandising, ecommerce and Artist Services company dedicated to building celebrity and entertainment brands via its broad global network of retailers, licensees, and agents. Working with a roster of top clients and brands, Epic Rights services include retail/branding, merchandising, social media management, VIP ticketing, and fan experiences
Epic Rights also providing in-house legal resources for trademark consultation and anti-infringement efforts. Epic Rights is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. For more information visit www.epicrights.com.
