The Global Licensing Group, the organiser of Brand Licensing Europe, will hold several events this year, both virtually and in person, allowing attendees from around the world to come together to make deals, network, learn and discover new IP.
Brand Licensing Europe will take place in person from 17 – 19 November, with a virtual event scheduled for two weeks later. Meanwhile, Licensing Expo, the world’s largest licensing event, will take place online from 24 – 26 August. In addition, the group has also announced the first-ever Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit US, which will be both a live, in-person event and a virtual event, from 27 – 28 October.
Serving the global licensing market
Firstly, August’s Licensing Expo Virtual will feature curated matchmaking for brands, manufacturers and retailers. Attendees can also enjoy digital brand roadshows, allowing them to find out about new IP by category, as well as insightful keynote speakers and the eagerly-awaited Licensing Excellence Awards.
“We’ve heard from our industry, and the best way to serve the international market in 2021 is to provide in-person experiences later this year, as well as a rich online experience that everyone can be a part of this summer,” says Anna Knight, Vice President, Licensing, Informa Markets.
“We’ve all felt the impact of not being able to gather in-person in 2020, and while the speed of recovery is promising, we serve a truly global market. Feedback from Licensing Expo customers and partners indicate that August is still too soon for the majority of the licensing community to properly plan and execute participation in an in-person event of this size and magnitude with continued restrictions on international and corporate travel.
“Our mission remains to create the most valuable platforms for our industry to connect and grow, and therefore we have decided to focus our efforts on our virtual experience in August, followed by in-person events in Q4 and beyond.”
This event is free-to-attend and will take place on a reliable digital platform, ensuring that participants can connect, schedule meetings, get involved and find the content that they want to engage with at their fingertips.
“Licensing International’s mission is to serve the licensing industry, help advance our member’s business and celebrate our successes as an industry,” says Maura Regan, President, Licensing International. “Licensing Expo Virtual does all of that and we are proud to be the exclusive sponsor.”
Brand new event
Following this, a new type of event will take place from 27 – 28 October, featuring both an in-person and a virtual element. The inaugural Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit will be held at Convene Liberty Street in New York and is expected to welcome around 300 – 400 licensing and brand executives.
This event will provide an opportunity to explore trends, discover new insights and look at digital and content innovation.
Then, from 17 – 19 November, Brand Licensing Europe will be held at London’s ExCeL, with a digital component taking place from 30 November – 1 December, using the same platform at Licensing Expo Virtual.
The two in-person events will adhere to the Informa AllSecure health and safety standards to make sure that all attendees can take part safely.
Next year, Licensing Expo will return to Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, from 24 – 26 May 2022. For more information about Licensing Expo, please click here.
Last year, Brand Licensing Europe became an all-virtual event and the Global Licensing Group also introduced the Festival of Licensing.
