005_LSB.qxp_NEW LSB 2008 GRID 23/09/2020 21:13 Page 5
Leader
I
never thought I’d be quoting Ronan Keating, but he got it spot on when he sang about life being a rollercoaster… and never has that been more perfectly illustrated than in 2020. As LSB went to press, a number of new restrictions had been announced to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, although the government had stopped short of the full scale lockdown which saw nonessential retail closed down for three months earlier in the year. Some silver lining at least, in that bricks and mortar stores can continue trading as we approach the key Christmas period. But, as Ronan said, you’ve ‘just gotta ride it’ and the licensing industry has been busy doing just that, with licensors, licensees and agents working hard throughout the summer to adapt their businesses and take advantage of any new opportunities. One of these has undoubtedly been the surge in demand for face coverings and you can read on pages 46-47 about how canny licensees have been getting involved with character, entertainment and heritage designs to help meet demand. Another positive, plans for Festival of Licensing are continuing apace, with the virtual four-week celebration of the global industry garnering
Inset: (Left to right) LSB’s Jakki Brown, Rob Willis, Samantha Loveday and Ian Hyder.
support from all corners of the business and companies embracing the new digital elements to really make the most of their portfolios. And speaking of those portfolios, while Q4 will be different from what we’re used to, there are certainly still plenty of new products and deals hitting retail, as LSB discovers on pages 58-73. Plans for the first part of 2021 are also being thrashed out, with the industry being proactive and meeting the dual challenges of the ongoing pandemic and the unknown of Brexit (you hadn’t forgotten about Brexit, right?). Here at LSB, we’ll continue to celebrate the industry we love at the B&LLAs and The Licensing Awards, which will be going ahead as evening events, albeit digitally this year. Congratulations to all the finalists WITH THIS (check out page 32-35 and page 90ISSUE: The Point.1888 93 for the full shortlists) and rest Special Publication assured that plans are being put in place to ensure you receive the plaudits you deserve. Samantha Loveday, Jakki Brown, Ian Hyder, Rob Willis and Keith Pashley. The LSB Team
Samantha Loveday - Editor Ian Hyder - Joint Managing Director Jakki Brown - Joint Managing Director and Editorial Director Rob Willis - Publishing Director Keith Pashley - Wordsmiths Extraordinaire Tel: 020 7700 6740 E-mail: hello@max-publishing.co.uk Copyright 2020. The publishers cannot accept legal liability for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility for the standing of advertisers nor any organisation mentioned in the text. ISSN 1234 567.
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