Hasbro, The Path Entertainment Group to Deliver ‘Monopoly: Lifesized’ Keynote at BLE 2023

Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) has unveiled its first LBE (location-based experiences)-themed keynote session for 2023 ahead of the show which takes place Wednesday, Oct. 4 - Friday, Oct. 6 at ExCeL, London. A first look at the BLE 2023 seminar program has also been announced. Free visitor registration for BLE is now open.

Matt Proulx, vice president, LBE, Hasbro, and David Hutchinson, chief executive officer, The Path Entertainment Group, will take the stage 12:30-1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 4 to co-present “Passing GO: Bringing the world’s #1 board game to life.”

They will talk about the “Monopoly: Lifesized” experience: an immersive, 4D physical version of Monopoly, played on a 15m x 15m board. “Monopoly: Lifesized” opened in the heart of London in August 2021 and has since welcomed over 150,000 visitors.

Proulx and Hutchinson will explore the creative pursuit and problem-solving required to turn “Monopoly: Lifesized” into one of the most talked about activations on the experience market today.

BLE 2023 Keynote Speakers: Matt Proulx, Hasbro (l) and David Hutchinson, The Path Entertainment Group

“The LBE industry is booming in London, and I’m thrilled BLE has focused on this growing industry for this year’s content program,” says Hutchinson. “I’m really excited to be able to share our journey with one of the world’s most iconic board games, alongside our partner, Matt Proulx, at Hasbro and explore the journey of creating a new LBE concept.”

Related:First Slate of Brands Confirmed for Brand Licensing Europe

“At Hasbro, our mission is to entertain and connect generations of fans through the wonder of storytelling and exhilaration of play, and there may be no better business that exemplifies this than LBE,” says Proulx. “In working with valued partners who are experts in the experiential space, like The Path Entertainment Group, we can invite our fans to truly step into the worlds of their favorite brands and characters.

“We were able to translate the world’s favorite family game brand into an award-winning, multi-location LBE experience – ‘Monopoly: Lifesized’ – by staying true to the iconic gameplay that attracts more than one billion players worldwide while optimizing the elements that would work best in a live format. Close collaboration and strategic planning were paramount to our success, so we hope to share learnings and insight into our creative process to help inspire our peers and partners as we move the industry forward together.”

“It’s an absolute honor to welcome Matt and David to the BLE keynote stage and present the first of our two LBE-themed keynotes,” says Ella Haynes, event director, Brand Licensing Europe. “We visited ‘Monopoly: Lifesized’ as a team when it first opened, so we know first-hand just how brilliant it is – we loved every second – so I can’t wait to hear what happened behind the scenes to make this experience a reality. I have no doubt this session will be incredibly busy, so I’d advise everyone looking for LBE tips and trends to register now and arrive at the theater early!”

Related:Brand Licensing Europe Opens Entries for 2024’s Retail Mentoring Programme After 2023’s Programme Fills Up in Record Time

Click here to get a first look at the rest of the 2023 Brand Licensing Europe seminar program.

Visitors are invited to register for a free pass to BLE. Last year’s event welcomed thousands of leading retailers, manufacturers and brands.