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BLE 2015 set to host its biggest ever character parade

London 06 October 2015: A record number of famous children’s characters will take part in the BLE character parade next week, making it officially the biggest yet in the show’s 17 year history.

Taking place on the Tuesday 13th October at 11.00am on the show’s central aisle, the parade features over 80 licensed characters including familiar faces such as Peppa Pig, Miffy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dennis the Menace and Care Bears.

However this year eager-eyed visitors will be able to spot a number of new faces including Boofle, Chase and Marshall from Paw Patrol, Lego Scooby and Shaggy, Boj, Bing, the new Bob the Builder, Twirlywoos and Super Victor – the EURO 2016 mascot. Among the crowd will also be Danger Mouse, which has just re-launched, and the Teletubbies as they prepare to make a come-back to TV screens.

Character parade facts:

  • The parade has evolved from a few costume characters appearing on an ad-hoc basis in the show’s early days to become Europe’s largest parade.
  • It takes six months to plan and well over 100 people to manage on the day.
  • Well-positioned photography from above ensures no character is missed out from the final photo – despite many brands vying to be at the front.
  • This year’s parade is 15% bigger than the 2014 event.
  • In 2014 the Hungry Caterpillar, The Clangers and Buddy from Henson’s Dinosaur Train led the parade.
  • The costume character changing room is created especially for this event and is the biggest in the world.
  • It is true ‘selfie-heaven’ for comic and cartoon aficionados.

David Scott, Managing Director of Rainbow Productions which manages the parade, remarked: “It is a visual feast to watch, and has often been described as a ‘lava flow of fluff’ moving unstoppably down the show’s main aisle. It’s an incredible sight – particularly the expressions of visitors whose looks of surprise turn to frantic grabs of their mobiles to take photographs. It is great to see its popularity grow each year.”

Darren Brechin, BLE Event Director, added “The character parade is now a well-loved show tradition and an ideal opportunity for licensors to showcase their characters. My tip is to watch it from the balcony where you get the best views and can see this spectacle in all its glory!”

Brand Licensing Europe takes place from 13 – 15 October 2015 at London’s Olympia. For more information, or to pre-register, please visit: www.brandlicensing.eu or follow us on Twitter @bleurope for the latest show updates.

Ends

For press information please contact Emma Harris at eharris@advanstar.com or Tel: 07919 408233.

About Brand Licensing Europe
Brand Licensing Europe 2015 (www.brandlicensing.eu) takes place from 13-15 October 2015 at Olympia, London. It is the only pan-European event dedicated to licensing and brand extension. Now in its 17th successful year, Brand Licensing Europe 2014 was the biggest event to date; hosting 306 exhibitors and 7,164 visitors from 69 countries.

About UBM Advanstar (www.advanstar.com) UBM Advanstar, part of UBM Americas, is a US-based event and marketing services business serving the fashion, licensing, life sciences and power sports industries. The company owns and operates a portfolio of 54 tradeshows, 100 conferences, 30 publications, and almost 200 electronic products and websites. Its market-leading brands and a commitment to delivering innovative, quality products and services enable UBM Advanstar to “Connect Our Customers With Theirs.” UBM Advanstar is a UBM plc company.

About Rainbow Productions (www.rainbowproductions.co.uk) Rainbow Productions is Europe’s leading costume character company. In addition to flying the flag for British high-quality manufacturing by supplying licensed costume characters worldwide and sports mascots to the world’s largest sporting events such as Olympic Games & Football World Cups, Rainbow manages over 100 children’s costume characters under licence. It provides professional appearances of celebrity characters in stores, shopping centres and other live event venues across the UK; bringing benefits to licensors, licensees, retailers and consumers alike.