The annual licensing event will take place at London’s Olympia, Oct 10-12.

Brand Licensing Europe, the largest licensing event in Europe, has been shortlisted for an AEO Excellence Award. The show has also revealed its initial lineup for exhibitors for the upcoming event.

First, BLE has been shortlisted in the Best U.K. Trade Show Over 2,000 sq. m. category.

The AEO Awards represent the best that the events industry has to offer and will showcase the achievements from within the industry. The winners will be unveiled on June 16 at the Grosvenor House in London.

“We are genuinely thrilled to be shortlisted for an AEO Excellence Award,” says Anna Knight, brand director, BLE. “These are exciting times for organizers working in the B2B event space: never before have we seen so much creativity when it comes to providing trade visitors with engaging, interactive and immersive experiences. When you combine that with the vibrancy of the licensing industry, it’s easy to see why BLE is such a fun, forward-thinking event to work on.”

Meanwhile, UBM’s Global Licensing Group, organizers of BLE and Licensing Expo, have revealed that 186 exhibitors are already on board for the annual event, including 22 first-time exhibitors.

Companies on board to exhibit at the annual licensing event include Twentieth Century Fox, BBC Worldwide Consumer Products, CPLG, Hasbro, ITV Studios Global Entertainment, Mattel, NBCUniversal, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, The Pokémon Company, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe, Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Turner Broadcasting and the Victoria & Albert Museum, among many others.

New exhibitors on board for BLE include: Ink, Crazy Bell Agency, Tulipop, Magic Light Pictures, Last Lemon, Ypsilon Licensing, Endemol Shine U.K., Emoji, Ty, Tractor Ted, Historic Royal Palaces Enterprises, OpSec Security, Juventus F.C., Kitkase, Traditional Japan, Rugby World Cup 2019, Ashcroft Designs and May the Thoughts Be With You, among others.

“We’re delighted to welcome all 22 new exhibitors to BLE 2017, especially as they represent such a wide spectrum of industry, from preschool to visitor attractions, and from top flight sporting brands, to globally-known TV production companies,” says Knight. “The show prides itself on being the definitive event for the licensing industry in Europe, and that means being able to offer our visitors access to a broad and diverse pool of exhibitors and potential business partners. The new website also reflects this ethos well and we’re really looking forward to hearing everyone’s feedback.” 

Additionally, only 8 percent of the floor space is available for companies still hoping to exhibit at the show.

Now in its 19th year, BLE is organized by UBM and sponsored by the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association. Last year’s event was the biggest in the show’s history, with more than 280 exhibitors and 7,578 visitors from 76 countries.

This year, the event will take place Oct. 10-12 at London’s Olympia exhibition center.

For more information on BLE, including the full list of exhibitors, click here.