Brand Licensing Europe 2021 ready to open in London

The Global Licensing Group, the organiser of Brand Licensing Europe, is preparing to welcome in-person attendees once more as this year’s event takes place from 17 – 19 November at London’s ExCeL. There are also virtual events scheduled for 30 November – 1 December.

To request a free ticket and plan their visit, attendees can click here.

Ahead of the opening, organisers have released a list of 21 things to see at BLE 2021, and Anna Knight, VP Licensing, Informa Markets says:

“There is SO much happening at BLE 2021, it was hard to stop at 21. We can’t wait to be at ExCeL this weekend to prepare to welcome everyone back next week and reconnect the European licensing industry for the first time in over two years.”

21 things to look forward to at BLE 2021

Olympic gold medallists Tom Daley and Charlotte Worthington, alongside Team GB’s Tim Ellerton and The Point.1888’s Will Stewart will be in conversation as part of a keynote session, talking about building the Team GB brand.
Kelvyn Gardner‘s family will join Knight to officially open the show at 9 am on Thursday 18 November, and attendees are encouraged to wear bright clothes in order to create a rainbow of colour. Donations to The Light Fund will be accepted on stand #C155.
There will be dogs to meet on the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home stand #C201, as well as ice cream on offer. Meanwhile, there will also be pups from Guide Dogs for the Blind at the Bulldog Licensing stand #A182 on Wednesday.
Attendees can discover the astroturfed Sports Zone with UEFA Club Competitions, Manchester City FC, FC Barcelona, FC Internazionale Milano, Olympique de Marseille, Tour de France and Dakar, NBA, Federation Francaise de Football, England Football, FC Porto, Federacâo Portuguesa de Futebol, RFEF, Dependable Solutions Inc, Rugby World Cup 2023, SCRIBOS and Superclub game.
In the Retail Trends Lounge, there will be six retail-only sessions hosted by Buyers Eye and Nextail Labs, Kids Industries, Hasbro and George @ Asda, The Style Sisters, The Insights Family and Black Lives Matter Licensing Movement.
The character parade will take place on Wednesday and Thursday at 11.30 am, with fan favourites such as The Snowman, Smurfs, Minions and Gruffalo.
On Friday at 12 pm, the final of the Kelvyn Garden License This! competition will take place on the Retail Trends Lounge
Attendees can also relax and enjoy a healthy drink and snack in the Health & Wellbeing Lounge or Health & Wellbeing Café on stand #E131.
Greener branding will be on show at the BLE Sustainability Activation on stand #A131 in partnership with Products of Change, with examples from the Natural History Museum, Tesco and Dreamtex and dedicated spaces from Eden Project and George @ Asda.
The Newlife Charity Branded Clothes Swap will be accepting preloved licensed clothing and donations for The Light Fund, in return for something new.
Nearly 200 exhibitions will be taking part, including Hasbro, CAA-GBG, Crunchyroll, Magic Light Pictures, The National Gallery, Moomin, NBA, Chupa Chups, SEGA, Perry Ellis International, Sophie La Girafe, V&A, ViacomCBS, WWE, Banijay Brands, BANDAI NAMCO Europe, Crunchyroll, Rights & Brands, Wildbrain CPLG and more.
Welcome Back drinks will be hosted by BLE and Licensing International between 5 pm and 7 pm on Wednesday in the Crunchyroll Bar, BLE Bar and Motul Cafe.
Style Sister will be giving attendees the chance to get a free copy of their book and to win a wardrobe detox on Thursday, with a session in the Retail Lounge at 2.15 pm followed by a meet and greet in the BLE Bar.
Thursday’s keynote will be presented by VicomCBS, exploring new D&I research in the toy category.
To find out who’s next in licensing, check out the Agents of Change gallery at entrances S2 and S4.
The BLE Art & Design Zone will highlight the winners of last year’s License This! awards as well as artists and illustrators to watch, such as eejits, Ginger Betty, Kate Mawdlsey, Vicki Thomas Associates, Ideas & Inks, Siobhan at April Rose and Scatterbrain Studios.
This year, License Global TV will be around the event, speaking to retailers, brand owners and licensees about the latest trends.
Those new to BLE can upgrade their registration to include Licensing U, a key course to explain the industry. To find out more visit the Licensing International stand #B121.
Obki on Sky Kids will be a leading force in driving the sustainability agenda on a global platform through a series of worldwide licensing deals via the newly signed licensing agency the Radius Group. Launching on day one, Obki will bring together the most sustainable companies to curate a range of brand lifestyle products, including apparel, plush, toys, food and publishing for children. See the launch at the Sustainability Activation on #A131.
To find out the best way to travel to the show, visit the online travel centre.
To enjoy a safe show, attendees should bring a face mask and their COVID pass, or a negative lateral flow test.