PRESCHOOL LICENSING SPECIAL
ON WITH THE SHOW
“T
he whole team can’t wait to get onsite at ExCeL and back to reconnecting the industry in person,” enthuses Anna Knight, vp licensing at Informa Markets. “We’ve got such a packed event in terms of exhibitors, features, keynotes, events and more. It’s going to be a hectic but brilliant three days.” After switching both Licensing Expo (which runs in Las Vegas) and Brand Licensing Europe to virtual events due to the pandemic in 2020, Anna and the team are understandably delighted to be back in-person. And she’s not joking about the packed schedule either, with the planned activity set to be beneficial and informative for those in the preschool category. “Our main feature this year is our Sustainability Activation in partnership with Products of Change, which ties into our What’s Next theme and is a must-stop for brands, retailers and manufacturers,” Anna explains. “It will be packed with innovation when it comes to sustainable technology, processes, materials, retail, product and fashion design. We’ll have product showcases from the likes of LEGO, Keel Toys, George at Asda, Natural History Museum, The Eden Project, Teemill and many more. There’ll also be a Health and Wellbeing Lounge, where attendees can enjoy a peaceful respite from back-to-back meetings and find healthy snacks and drinks.” There will be two keynotes – one with Team GB and one with ViacomCBS Consumer Products which will be discussing insights from its Diversity & Inclusion efforts with a
BRAND LICENSING EUROPE 2021
After missing the 2020 in-person show due to the pandemic, Brand Licensing Europe is returning to London’s ExCeL this month. PPS catches up with Anna Knight, vp licensing at Informa Markets, to find out what’s planned and why companies in the preschool sector should visit.
Above: BLE is returning to London’s ExCeL from 17-19 November, while a virtual event will follow on 30 November and 1 December. Above: The preschool sector is always a core part of the show.
specific focus on its recent toy research. In addition, the Retail Trends Lounge is returning, plus the show will be paying tribute to Kelvyn Gardner (who passed away suddenly in January and was a key supporter of BLE over many years). The show entrances will also feature the Agents of Change galleries – the companies which are driving real change across the licensing industry. Anna continues: “Character and entertainment and preschool are almost the forefathers of brand licensing, so the sector will always be a huge part of
BLE 2021: NEED TO KNOW When: 17-19 November inperson at London’s ExCeL and 30 November and 1 December online. Who: Almost 200 companies across the in-person and virtual events are confirmed to exhibit across the three categories – Character & Entertainment, Brands & Lifestyle and Art, Design & Image. Companies exhibiting with preschool brands include Acamar, Bulldog Licensing, Coolabi, Cyber Group Studios, Hasbro, Magic Light Pictures, Mattel, Sophie la girafe, The Point.1888, ViacomCBS and WildBrain CPLG to name just a few. www.brandlicensing.eu
the show. Preschool retailers are always very well represented, too, with the likes of George at Asda, Primark, The Entertainer, Nutmeg Morrisons and many more attending.” For those who are unable to make the in-person event, there will also be a virtual event running on 30 November and 1 December. The keynotes and retail sessions will be recorded so that those unable to watch in person have the opportunity to catch up on demand, while there will also be a wealth of content produced exclusively for the online platform including eight License Global Live webinars, three ‘in conversation with’ sessions on diversity and inclusion led by ViacomCBS, plus the inaugural Licensing U produced by trade body, Licensing International. So what would Anna most like to accomplish with this year’s show? “Generally, to reconnect the industry and provide them with a really solid platform to build out of the pandemic and plan for the future. Specifically, to help all attendees to realise how important it is to make the move from commitment to action when it comes to sustainability, and that even if they can only start small, they can still make a difference,” Anna concludes. Left: Anna Knight, vp licensing, Informa Markets.
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