Hot on the heels of a triumphant in-person return for Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) opens online visitor registration today. The event brings together thousands of leading retailers and manufacturers to discover the widest range of brands from Europe available for license for three days of deal-making, networking and trend spotting and returns to ExCeL London from Sept. 20-22.  

Over 120 companies from all over the world – with strong representation from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Lithuania, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K. – are already confirmed to exhibit. 

They include Paramount, Warner Bros, Hasbro, NBCUniversal, Mattel, Aardman Animations, AC Milan, Acamar Films, Banijay Brands, Asmodee, Asterix, BANDAI NAMCO, Beanstalk, Brandgenuity, Bulldog Licensing, Caroline Mickler, Crunchyroll, Cyber Group Studios, Difuzed, FC Barcelona, Gallimard Jeunesse, IMG Licensing, LMI, Magic Light Pictures, Natural History Museum, Penguin Ventures, Perfetti Van Melle, Royal Museums Greenwich, Sanrio, SEGA, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe, The National Gallery, The Pokémon Company, The Smurfs, V&A, Yale University and many more. Latest names confirmed include Euro Lizenzen, MGA Entertainment, Formula E, Ubisoft, UEFA Club Competitions, Van Gogh Museums, Creative Licensing Corp, KOCCA and more. 

"We are absolutely delighted to be returning to BLE in 2022 to exhibit our unparalleled collections in astronomy, art and British and maritime history and technology,” says Kirsty Schaper, senior brand licensing manager, Royal Museums Greenwich. “Visit our stand to discover opportunities and inspiration for working with our exceptional, world-class collections to create unique products in association with our prestigious heritage brand." 

Thousands of brands are represented on the show floor from animation to sports, heritage, arts, gaming and more, offering attendees the opportunity to secure the rights to brands including My Little Pony, MTV, “Top Gun,” Chupa Chups, Asterix & Obelix, “Paw Patrol,” the Victoria & Albert Museum, The Batman, Hello Kitty, “Assassin’s Creed,” Peter Rabbit, Barbie, “Masha & the Bear,” the Van Gogh Museum, Formula E, le Petit Prince, Kellogg’s, “Sonic the Hedgehog,” Sophie la Girafe, “Far Cry” and many more.  

This year’s BLE theme is fashion, which will be woven throughout the show’s content and spotlight the incredible creativity happening in this sector and its impact on the licensing industry as a whole, from brand collaborations to innovations in the metaverse, retail experiences and sustainability with the continued partnership with Products of Change, will include daily fashion shows on the central catwalk, inspirational product showcases, a high-profile keynote and complementary conference sessions.   

“It was essential to bring BLE back as an in-person event last year – this industry is highly creative and collaborative and relies on face-to-face networking as well as the ability to experience brands first-hand so we can’t wait to return even stronger this September,” says Anna Knight, senior vice president, Global Licensing Group. “We saw some great quality attendees there – and at Licensing Expo last month – including H&M, Pull & Bear, Primark, Asda and so many more, which shows the strength and growing appetite for brand collaborations and licensing. For 2022, we can’t wait to bring the industry back together again and help to drive the conversations that lead to the creation of innovative new products that consumers love. This year’s fashion theme aims to showcase collaborations first-hand and will let retailers and licensees experience brands and products in a more meaningful, engaging way.”