Brand Licensing Europe (BLE), the continent’s leading event for licensing and brand extension, has announced the keynote presentation for its 2023 event.
The firm has also released the agenda for Brand Licensing Europe 2023, which will be taking place from 4 – 6 October at ExCeL, London.
Visitor registration is now open.
BLE 2023 Keynote
BLE has revealed that Hasbro and The Path Entertainment Group will present the 2023 keynote on the event theme of location-based experiences (LBE). The presentation is titled Passing GO: Bringing the world’s #1 board game to life.
The presentation will be delivered by Matt Proulx, Hasbro’s vice president of LBE, and David Hutchinson, CEO of The Path Entertainment Group. It is scheduled to take place Wednesday 4 October from 12.30 – 13.15.
The keynote will discuss the incredibly popular Monopoly Lifesized experience. This immersive, 4D physical version of the world’s favourite family game brand is played on a 15m x 15m Monopoly board. Monopoly Lifesized launched in August 2021 in central London, and it has since welcomed over 150,000 people.
Proulx and Hutchinson will speak about the innovation and creative thinking required to make Monopoly Lifesized one of the most talked-about activations on the experience market today.
Hutchinson says: “The LBE industry is booming in London, and I’m thrilled BLE has focused on this growing industry for this year’s content programme. I’m really excited to be able to share our journey with one of the world’s most iconic board games, alongside our partner Matt Proulx at Hasbro and explore the journey of creating a new LBE concept.”
Proulx adds: “At Hasbro, our mission is to entertain and connect generations of fans through the wonder of storytelling and exhilaration of play, and there may be no better business that exemplifies this than LBE. In working with valued partners who are experts in the experiential space, like The Path Entertainment Group, we can invite our fans to truly step into the worlds of their favourite brands and characters.”
“We were able to translate the world’s favourite family game brand into an award-winning, multi-location LBE experience – Monopoly Lifesized – by staying true to the iconic gameplay that attracts more than one billion players worldwide while optimizing the elements that would work best in a live format. Close collaboration and strategic planning were paramount to our success, so we hope to share learnings and insight into our creative process to help inspire our peers and partners as we move the industry forward together.”
Ella Haynes, BLE event director, says: “It’s an absolute honour to welcome Matt and David to the BLE keynote stage and present the first of our two LBE-themed keynotes. We visited Monopoly Lifesized as a team when it first opened, so we know first-hand just how brilliant it is – we loved every second – so I can’t wait to hear what happened behind the scenes to make this experience a reality.
“I have no doubt this session will be incredibly busy, so I’d advise everyone looking for LBE tips and trends to register now and arrive at the theatre early!”
First look: what’s on at BLE 2023
BLE has also revealed a first look at key events in the 2023 programme.
The educational programme includes a series of free sessions in the License Global Theatre exploring the trends that define brand licensing, extensions and collaborations.
Wednesday 4 October 2023
- 09.15 – 09.45: Orientation Session & Licensing 101. A must-attend for first-time attendees or previous delegates keen to see what’s new this year. Industry professionals will offer guidance on how to make the most of the event.
- 09.45 – 10.00: Brand Licensing Europe Tour. Visitors can explore the show floor with members of the BLE team, find out about the must-attend activations, and know where to go or who to approach for assistance.
- 10.00 – 10.30: State of the Nation: The Licensing Landscape of 2024. License Global delves into the key trends, highlighting the tactics that brands, agents, and licensees are implementing for 2024, as well as the partnerships that are shaping the future of licensing.
- 11.45 – 12.15: Couture Culture: How to Curate Impactful Fashion Collaborations
- 12.30 – 13.15: Keynote: Passing GO: Bringing the World’s #1 Board Game to Life
- 14.00 – 14.30: Location-Based Entertainment Trends
- 15.30 – 16.00: What’s the State of Play in Sports Licensing? An overview of sports licensing and the factors that contributed to sports becoming the fourth largest license category.
Thursday 5 October 2023
- 09.15 – 09.45: Orientation Session & Licensing 101
- 10.00 – 10.30: Why Gaming is Taking Over the World
- 11.00 – 11.45: Story Board: Why Europe is an Exciting Market of Animation, IP and Storytelling. Europe is establishing itself as a new centre for blockbuster intellectual animation properties from Lithuania to Ukraine and beyond.
- 12.00 – 12.45: Keynote: To be announced soon.
- 13.00 – 13.00: Drawing on the Power and Potential of the Anime Market. Anime has transcended genre and has become a force for storytelling and engagement. Learn why from a panel of anime experts, collectable producers, and platform leaders.
- 14.00 – 14.45: LBE: How to Master the Experience Economy. Location-based entertainment offers a new kind of experience for fans and families all over the world, but how can companies navigate the market, find the perfect format to maintain authenticity, and partner with best-in-class collaborators?
- 15.00 – 15.30: Navigating the Food Aisle. Three of Europe’s leading licensing brokers will take a look into some of the year’s most successful food and beverage deals, partnerships, and collaborations.
Friday 6 October 2023: BLE & License Global’s Day of Purpose
Day three of Brand Licensing Europe is a platform for change and a catalyst for good, in collaboration with Products of Change. This is a day of events dedicated to purpose, inviting brands to open-source their expertise, missteps, and successes as they navigate an ever-changing landscape. Sessions will be announced shortly.
Other sessions to note include social events on 4 October, with opening night drinks on the show floor from 17.00 – 19.00, and the Soho Nights opening party at 100 Wardour Street, from 19.30 onwards. Character parades are taking place on 4 and 5 October from 11.30 – 12.00.
Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) opened visitor registration for Brand Licensing Europe 2023 in June.
