Awards Preview: Brand

Now in its eighth year, the Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards is open for entries for 2023, as it looks to continue its recognition of this ever expanding and important sector of the licensing business. Here’s what you need to know. Awards season

Entries for the Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards 2023 are officially open – with this year seeing the event moving to a new venue, as well as introducing a new category. The event – now in its eighth year – will take place on Thursday 27 April 2023, at a lavish afternoon event at The Royal

Lancaster Hotel, Lancaster

Terrace, London that will be attended by over 500 retailers, licensees, brand owners and representatives. The deadline for

nominations and entries across all categories is

Wednesday 8 March, 2023. The entry and nomination process for all categories is free and via online submission – all the forms can be accessed from the dedicated B&LLAs website which can be found at www.brandlicensingawards.com. The B&LLAs 2023 will look to reward brand and lifestyle licensing activity which has taken place in the UK between 1

January 2022 to 31 December

2022, across Product, Retail and Property categories. In addition, the Brand Ambassador Award will also be presented to a special individual (brand owner, licensor, retailer, licensee or supplier), acknowledging their contribution to the brand licensing sector. Brand Licensing Europe returns as the headline sponsor of the Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards, while trade body Licensing International will once again be lending its support. “Brand and lifestyle licensing is among the most innovative, creative and fastest growing in our industry, rising in value by 27.8% (2022 Global Licensing Industry Study) between 2019 and 2021; its most impressive performance in six years of Licensing International reporting,” said

Anna Knight, vp licensing at

Informa Markets. “The B&LLAs does a wonderful job of celebrating and rewarding excellence in product innovation in this sector – it’s also an excellent afternoon out

Inset: To be in with a chance of appearing on stage make sure you enter by Wednesday 8 March.

– so of course Brand Licensing Europe is delighted to return as headline sponsor.”

Steve Manners, head of global marketing and UK

md at Licensing International, continued: “Licensing International are delighted to once again support the Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards. The on-going recognition of this evergrowing sector of the licensing industry is incredibly important as corporate and lifestyle brands continue to realise the potential of licensing to expand their business and consumer engagement. We know that once again we will be seeing some outstanding nominees full of creativity and innovation.”

New for 2023: The B&LLAs Rising Star Award

This year will welcome a new accolade: The B&LLAs

Rising Star Award – sponsored by Brand Licensing

Europe’s Retail Mentoring Programme. The new award recognises and rewards excellence among ‘new to the brand licensing sector’ in the UK who have shown real potential in the continued evolution of the sector.

It is open to all young professionals aged 35 or under (on 27 April 2023) with up to five years working in the brand and lifestyle licensing sector.

“We’re delighted to sponsor this new category at the B&LLAs. BLE’s Retail Mentoring Programme is all about showcasing the best of brand licensing to retailers who are either new to their role or new to licensing,” commented Laura Freedman-Dagg, head of retail, Brand Licensing Europe. “Over the years we’ve seen some exceptional people come through the programme, many of whom have gone on to brilliant roles in all areas of licensing. It’s a real honour to bring fresh talent into the industry and a rising star category couldn’t be better aligned with the Retail Mentoring Programme. This year we’re excited to bring a group of retail mentees to the awards to take part in a celebration of best in class brand licensing.”

How to enter

The B&LLAs are FREE TO ENTER and the entry procedure is entirely online.

Full details of entering can be accessed from www.brandlicensingawards.com by clicking on the Product, Retailer, Property and Other Awards category boxes. All the criteria and categories you can enter are then explained and you will have the opportunity to upload imagery to support your entry.

For most of the categories you will be asked to register and create a password. Once you have done this it will mean that you will be able to save your submission and edit an entry right up to the deadline. If you haven’t registered with a password it will ask you to do this.

The closing date for entry submission is Wednesday 8 March 2023.

Please note, only licences and licensed products featuring brands hailing from the museum & heritage, food & beverage, FMCG non-food, automotive, media, design-led IP and fashion genres are applicable. All entertainment brands including TV, film, celebrity as well as gaming, music and sports are covered by The Licensing Awards (which will take place on Tuesday 12 September 2023).

A number of stellar names have also pledged their support as sponsors including ASPIRE by WildBrain CPLG, Beanstalk, Brandcomply.com, Brandgenuity, CAA Brand Management, Dependable Solutions, Golden Goose, H&A, Hearst, Lisle Licensing, MDR Brand Management, Metrostar, Natural History Museum, Pink Key Licensing, Poetic Brands, Products of Change, Start Licensing and TSBA Group.

For ticket and table information for The B&LLAs awards

event, head to www.brandlicensingawards.com/tickets/. For sponsorship, entry questions or general enquiries regarding the B&LLAs 2023, please contact Ian Hyder (ianh@max-publishing.co.uk), Jakki Brown (jakkib@max-publishing.co.uk) or Rob Willis (robw@max-publishing.co.uk).