Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) 22 kicks off next week at ExCeL London. Billed as Europe’s leading event for licensing and brand extension, BLE runs from Tuesday (September 20) to Thursday (September 22). The show has new opening hours of 12pm to 6pm on Tuesday, 8am to 6pm on Wednesday, and 9am to 4pm on Thursday.
Attendees can register for a free ticket at www.brandlicensing.eu and immediately start requesting meetings with more than 220 exhibiting companies and planning their diaries so they don’t miss out.
Anna Knight, SVP Licensing of show organiser Informa Markets, said: “BLE is packed with content this year, so here’s my list of 22 things to see and do for BLE 22, which includes everything from our fashion theme to our Sustainability & DEI day on Thursday, thousands of IPs ready for license, a spotlight on France, daily keynotes, networking drinks and much, much more. We can’t wait to see everyone at the show next week – please stop and say hello!”
- NEW! Culture & Unity Catwalk – Thursday 10am, Catwalk
BLE’s Culture & Unity catwalk show is an unmissable showstopper with Black and LGBT+ designers, fashion, models and crew – some fresh from London Fashion Week – to inspire your new product range to be more inclusive. Don’t miss DJ Longers – DJ to Cardi B and Idris Elba – playing Afro beat and hip hop. - NEW! Are you a Barbie girl? – Tuesday 1pm, License Global Theatre
A very special opening day keynote presentation entitled ‘Barbie x Fashion’ will be delivered by Mattel President and COO Richard Dickson. - Get in character – Tuesday 3.30pm & Wednesday 11:30am
The character parade, featuring the likes of Snowman, Smurfs, The Batman, Peter Rabbit, Pip & Posy and The Gruffalo, will hop, skip and plod through the hall for their annual photo opportunity. Make sure to get a selfie with your favourite characters and tag #BLE2022 - NEW! It’s easy going green – all three days
The BLE & POC Sustainability Café will recycle materials from last year’s Sustainability Activation and showcase sustainable consumer products and fashion lines from 12 brands including Primark, The Eden Project, WasteBuster, Smiley, Wow! Stuff & RSPB, Hasbro & Asda, The Smurfs & Pure Top Table, and Discovery. - NEW! Time to be SustainaBLE – Thursday 12.30pm, Catwalk
Products of Change (PoC), with United Nations and Junk Kouture, will present an educational and inspiring catwalk show with presentations and performances centred around the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Junk Couture will host an exclusive catwalk, presenting recycled fashion designed and modelled by students aged from 13 to 18. - NEW! Daily Keynotes – 1pm daily, License Global Theatre
For the first time ever, there will be a BLE keynote presentation every day:
Tuesday: ‘Barbie x Fashion’ delivered by Mattel President and COO Richard Dickson
Wednesday: Leaders’ Panel: ‘Building a Post-Pandemic Retail & Licensing Strategy’
Thursday: Panel Discussion: ‘The Good Fight: How Purpose Breeds Success’ - Celebrate the licensing rising stars – finale Thursday 10.30am to 12pm, License Global Theatre [HE1]
- NEW! Free orientation sessions and show tours – Tuesday 12pm, Wednesday 9.30am, License Global Theatre
New to BLE and/or licensing? Join the BLE team for free orientation sessions and show tours to help get the most from your visit. - NEW! Strike a Pose! – Tuesday 5.30pm Mattel, Wednesday 12.30pm SEGA [HE2]
Don’t miss spectacular dedicated catwalk shows, hosted by Mattel and SEGA, showcasing how Barbie and Sonic the Hedgehog have come to life through fashion collaborations. - Exclusive retailer competition to win £500 of spa vouchers in the Retail Lounge
The Retail Lounge is an exclusive place for retailers to meet, relax and recharge as well as talk to the BLE team about taking part in next year’s popular Retail Mentoring Programme. Take part in a competition to create a brand licensing programme for Carte Blanche’s Tatty Teddy, and you could win £500 of Champneys Spa vouchers. - Character & entertainment brands and IP
Thousands of brands specialising in character and entertainment IP will be on the show floor, from Warner Bros with The Batman, and Hasbro with Peppa Pig, to WildBrain CPLG with Peanuts, Banijay Brands with Peaky Blinders, BBC Studios with Bluey, Aardman Animations with Shaun the Sheep, IMPS with The Smurfs, Crunchyroll with Dragonball Z, and many more. - NEW! Know It All? – Daily, License Global Theatre
This year’s educational programme goes way beyond the show’s daily keynotes to touch on topics including creative design, supply chain challenges, the impact of consumer trends on the future of retail, location-based experiences, new age consumer spending, sports licensing and a sustainability case study with Hasbro. It’s free to attend but arrive early to claim a seat; access is first-come-first-served. - Product showcases – Daily
Don’t miss the branded fashion products which will be showcased next to the BLE Catwalk and dressing up the BLE entrances. - Free advice from Products of Change (PoC )– daily, PoC Lounge Stand #F211
Meet the PoC team (Helena, Rob and PoC ambassadors) that will run free drop-in sustainability clinics and member meet ups. - Brands & lifestyle – brands and IP, Brands & Lifestyle zone
The FA, Transport for London, Tour de France, RSPB, Van Gogh Museum, UEFA Champions League, Marie-Antoinette, The Beatles, Absolut, Billie Eilish, Heinz Beanz, Pringles, Peperami, Federation Francaise de Football, and Elton John are just some of the brands to discover. - NEW! Vive La France! – 2022 country spotlight
BLE is introducing an annual Country Spotlight, starting in 2022 with France, where the licensing market is valued at $6.7 billion. Don’t miss the French-themed Opening Night Party and the chance to meet many exhibiting French brands and agents including Asterix, Tour de France, & Dakar, ChefClub, Ubisoft, Crunchyroll, Sophie La Girafe, Cyber Group Studios, Bandai Namco Europe, and Le Petit Prince. And don’t forget to attend the French Community Drinks from 5.30pm to 6pm at the BLE bar. - Art, design and image Licensing Zone brands and IP
Meet the winners of last year’s Kelvyn Gardner License This! Competition – Joel Mercer and Sophie Jonas-Hill – plus artists and illustrators including V&A Photography, Frida Kahlo and more. - A sporting life Brands & Lifestyle Zone
Check out the huge array of sport brands including AC Milan, Admiral Sportswear, Chelsea FC, DFB German Football Association, Dorna Sports (Moto GP), FC Barcelona, FC Internazionale Milano, FC Porto, Federacao Portuguesa de Futebol, Formula E, Manchester City FC, McLaren, Rugby World Cup 2023, Sport Lisboa e Benfica, The FA, Tour de France, UEFA Club Competitions and WWE. - Cheers!
Join the BLE team for a celebratory drink at one of the networking events:
France Licensing Day Launch: Tuesday September 20 5.30pm, BLE Bar
Opening Night Drinks: Tuesday September 20 6pm to 8pm, BLE Bar & Motul Bar
Exhibitor Only Drinks: Wednesday September 21 6pm to 8pm, Novotel - And relax…
The Wellness Lounge returns for attendees to enjoy some quiet space to work or take a break from the show floor. Water refill stations and phone charging tables are available. - The queen of arrivals
Don’t forget that the Elizabeth line has now opened, making it quicker and easier than ever to get to ExCeL from east, west and central London. For information on travelling to ExCeL, click here. - NEW! Reimagined Licensing U programme
Online and in-person content for BLE attendees from Licensing International, plus speed networking and mentoring (please note there is a cap of 250 tickets for in-person content).
 22 kicks off next week at ExCeL London. Billed as Europe’s leading event for licensing and brand extension, BLE runs from Tuesday){kind=link}