News Releases

14 June 2018

• Visitor registration is now open at https://www.brandlicensing.eu/
• BLE 2018, 9-11 October, Olympia London

Brand Licensing Europe has revamped its License This! competition for 2018, doubling the awards to one each for art & design and brands & lifestyle entrepreneurs. The announcement comes as the show gets ready to celebrate its 20^th anniversary and visitor registration opens at https://www.brandlicensing.eu/.

The increased emphasis on the art & design and brands & lifestyle categories is also reflected on the show floor as, for the first time, BLE will occupy both the Grand and National Halls to bring all of its exhibitors together on one level.  

BLE brand director Anna Knight, said: “It’s really important that BLE represents and supports the entire licensing industry and that we offer maximum discoverability, so all of our exhibitors and visitors can have their best show. We are confident this will be facilitated by having everyone on one level across the ground floor of the Grand and National Halls.

“We’re also excited about the reaction from expanding License This!, which will result in two winners this year. Our 2016 and 2017 winners are both exhibiting at this year’s BLE, which shows what a valuable leg up the competition provides for start-ups.”

Over 250 companies are expected to exhibit in 2018 and well over 200 are already confirmed. Newcomers include:

• Acamar Films (character & entertainment), which owns hit pre-school property Bing
• Spanish pre-school brand Ioguis, winner of License This! 2017
• Larkshead Media, which represents May The Thoughts Be With You, winner of License This! 2016
• Blues Clothing
• Infinity Lifestyle Brands
• Seven new art & design exhibitors:

1. ‘Ahh Inspiring’ Art
2. Linda Wood Licensing
3. Tiago Azevedo
4. Helz Cuppleditch
5. Joseph Sankar
6. Art by Lis Goncalves
7. Old School Art Studio

BLE is the definitive event for the licensing industry in Europe, taking place 9-11 October 2018 at Olympia London. Over 7,500 retailers, licensees and marketers are expected to attend, over one third of whom will travel to London from overseas.

This year, visitor features at BLE will include:

• A brand-new food and beverage theme uniting licensees and licensors and creating immersive, interactive and fun experiences for visitors.
• The Licensing Academy – promoting best practice and excellence in licensing with sessions focusing on key trends delivered by respected industry experts.
• Brands & Lifestyle seminar programme – inspirational sessions featuring some of the biggest brands and names in the business.
• Product Showcase – introduced in 2016 to shine a light on the variety and diversity of licensed products from brands & lifestyle and art & design providing inspiration for retailers and licensees.
• License This! - launched in 2009 to give unlicensed brand and image owners the opportunity to enter the licensing market. Shortlisted entrants have the chance to pitch their property in front of a live audience and a panel of expert judges at the show.
• The Matchmaking Service, which allows users to pre-book 1-2-1 meetings with the right partners.

Registration is open now at www.brandlicensing.eu.

Ends

For media information:
Charlie Le Rougetel at BIGTOP, 07736 330676, charlie@bigtop-pr.co.uk

About Brand Licensing Europe, part of UBM’s Global Licensing Group
Brand Licensing Europe 2018 (www.brandlicensing.eu) takes place from 9-11 October 2018 at Olympia London. It is the only pan-European event dedicated to licensing and brand extension. Now in its 20th year, BLE 2018 will feature over 280 exhibitors showcasing over 2,500 brands, characters and images. A free educational programme runs alongside the show featuring advice and sector-specific sessions, workshops and panel discussions along with keynotes from industry trailblazers.

Brand Licensing Europe is owned by UBM and is sponsored by the international Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA). License Global is the official publication.

Celebrating 20 years of BLE
Brand Licensing launched in 1999 as a small hotel-based event, before moving to London’s Business Design Centre and then Olympia; it is now a well-established date on the licensing industry calendar attracting key industry players from all over Europe. The show was re-branded as Brand Licensing Europe in 2007 to reflect the international nature of its exhibitors, properties and visitors.

About Global Licensing Group
The Global Licensing Group at UBM is the global licensing industry’s leading tradeshow organizer and media partner. Its mission is to provide opportunities around the world to bring brands and products together to explore and cement licensing partnerships. The following events and information products are produced for the licensing industry by the Global Licensing Group: Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Japan, Licensing Expo China, NYC Summit, License Global magazine, License Global Daily E-news and License TV.

About UBM EMEA
Brand Licensing Europe is organised by UBM plc.  UBM is the largest pure-play B2B Events organiser in the world. Our 3,750+ people, based in more than 20 countries, serve more than 50 different sectors. Our deep knowledge and passion for these sectors allow us to create valuable experiences which enable our customers to succeed.  Please visit www.ubm.com for the latest news and information about UBM.