Party’s Branding Boost Anyone who’s anyone in the licensing trade will be heading to London’s Olympia this autumn as Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) opens its doors for the 21st time. PPE takes a look at why Europe’s biggest licensing trade show is essential to the party trade.
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icensed product has been a cornerstone of the party, costume and Halloween industry for many years, helping to bring favourite characters and brands to life for both children and adults alike. Taking place from 1 – 3 October, BLE is the holy grail for all things licensed – from costumes and balloons to party favours and paper plates. As the only pan-European event dedicated to the international business of licensing and brand extension, BLE is the definitive event for the licensing industry on this side of the Pacific. Now a well-established date on the licensing industry calendar (although this year’s show is a week or so earlier than usual), the three-day show attracts key industry players from all over Europe and beyond. Last year, over 7,500 retailers, licensees and marketers spent time at the show, taking in the latest news from more than 260 different brand owners, licensors and licensing agents. This year, exhibitors are expected to display more than 2,500 new and evergreen properties available for licensing opportunities, including characters, brands, images, artwork and designs. According to the 2018 Progressive Party retail barometer, licensed products continue to be a real boost throughout the party industry – they account for almost half of all balloon business (48%), an 30
impressive 72% of dress-up and 42% of partyware and décor. There’s no doubt that it’s worth keeping on top of the upcoming film, television, book and online entertainment releases – just about anything character-driven that could culminate in licensed balloons, dress-up and partyware. Last year saw the power of licensed product continue to
Connecting Brands
“Ever since our first licence we have found that licensing has been crucial for the business and is a way to differentiate your company from the rest. Because of that, BLE is important for us. Because we are a global brand it’s great to connect with our licensing partners there who are more focused on Europe. Also, we are based in Amsterdam so London is not that far away! We are always looking for new trends and that’s why it’s great to connect with our licensing partners
BLE BASICS When: 1 - 3 October, 2019 Where: ExCeL, London Website: www.brandlicensing.eu
Left: Brand Licensing Europe is a three-day show, held at London’s Kensington Olympia. Below: PAW Patrol remains a strong preschool licence for Amscan.
be a key driver for the industry, with sales of licensed costumes holding steady and even growing for a small proportion of respondents (11%). So what’s in store for a party retailer or buyer at this year’s show? In addition to the usual big names (such as Warner Bros, Disney and Nickelodeon) there will also be a host of smaller licensors who look after some of the most important brands for the party industry. “At BLE, we represent the entire licensing industry with brand owners showcasing character and entertainment, brands and lifestyle, as well as art, design and image licensing properties, so it’s the perfect place for party licensees and retailers to find the next big thing; the next product that will differentiate their offering to consumers,” said Anna Knight, BLE event director. Left: Book brands get smart with OppoSuits’ take on Harry Potter.message, allowing customers to make a stylish statement.
in person at BLE. They have the best insights on properties and assets that would be a fit for our brand. Recently we have seen that for us Warner Bros. remains strong with characters such as Joker, Batman and the Riddler and of course Harry Potter. We will keep looking at new licences for us to potentially expand into and keep evaluating which licences work best for our product.” Robin Breeman, account manager, OppoSuits
JULY/AUGUST 2019 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE
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