Brand Licensing Europe is the gateway to more than 7,800 manufactures and retailers, 260 leading brand owners, as well as a long line of licensees and visitors to the European market. Debuting at ExCeL London this year, BLE 2019 marks a new era for the 360-degree licensing experience, bringing hundreds of exhibitors together on one floor and offering more to the licensing community than ever before. License Global takes a look at the additional draws to BLE, which takes place Oct. 1-3.
AAA Activation: Gaming and Esports
It’s a universal truth that most AAA game titles inspire a world of licensed collaborations. But when you consider the adaptation of how games or developers engage their consumers, or how the rise of esports is well on its way to creating a $1 billion dollar industry in its own right, the sheer scale of video game brand licensing becomes clear.
Partnering with PowerStation Studios, the Character & Entertainment zone at BLE will play host to a vibrant, interactive gaming and esports activation, reflecting the growing power of the video game market. The activation will offer illustrative murals, graphic timelines with hidden AR triggers for extra Easter eggs and tons of interactive content to showcase the latest licensing initiatives in gaming. For those looking to stay in the loop, Day 3 even offers a keynote insight into esports trends.
Going Beyond the Book: Publishing
The publishing industry often encompasses the biggest licensing properties known to consumers. From picking up your own live illustrations from Adam Hargreaves, illustrator and author of titles in the Mr. Men Little Miss series, to attending a Q&A session with Terry Deary, author of the Horrible Histories book series, Beyond the Book brings together both established and up-and-coming authors, so you can experience the potential of the $18.3 billion publishing sector firsthand.
Homes with History: Heritage x Interiors
The heritage industry is changing. Its old, stuffy reputation has faded thanks to the incredible collaborations only centuries of expertise and art could create. As the Brands & Lifestyle zone grows, BLE’s first Heritage x Interiors area has been created to reflect the trendy new lifestyle options of heritage brands.
While we can’t give too much away before the grand opening, brands like the V&A, Natural History Museum, Style Library and the Van Gogh Museum have trendsetting reveals that will make BLE visitors want to start redecorating their home.
License Global Theatre: A New School of Thought
Join the collective industry think tank at the License Global Theatre, offering an extensive list of seminars, presentations, panels, demonstrations and keynotes daily.
Watch round-table discussions as the thought leaders of licensing weigh in on pressing topics, or change your perspective with expert-driven talks from all verticals, across all levels of business.
Covering everything from Heritage brands to esports, sustainability and retail, the License Global Theatre illustrates the modern landscape and future of brand licensing.
Enter the Sports Zone
This is BLE’s largest collection of governing sports bodies to date. The exclusive collection of champions–including world-famous teams Juventus, Arsenal, FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, to name a few–will be onsite to discuss game plans for 2020. Discuss the ideal brand collaborations with FIFA before hopping over the aisle to tackle Manchester City. With heavyweight brands in one venue, the sky is the limit.
New Retail Program
Attending retailers will enjoy show content designed especially for them. They are invited to start each day with an informal breakfast briefing pre-show, outlining retail-relevant highlights to look out for. The new Retail Trends Lounge will host sessions putting consumer behavior in the spotlight and offering insight into everything from e-commerce to experiential shopping. Daily tours of the Gaming & Esports Activation will also be available and retailers will have plenty of time between sessions to shop the floor for the latest brands available for license.
With more space, an expansive floor and both new and returning exhibitors, the debut of BLE at ExCeL London is an evolution of Europe’s biggest and best licensing tradeshow. With five more years confirmed at the venue, BLE will continue developing an amazing event experience.
To register to BLE for FREE, visit the Brand Licensing Europe website.
This article comes from the Sept./Oct. issue of License Global. Read the full issue online now!
source: https://www.licenseglobal.com/licensing-events/ble-2019-new-era-brand-licensing-europe