Silence is Not an Option: Stuart Lawrence to Lead Diversity Workshop at B&LIS

Silence is Not an Option: You Can Impact the World for Change

 author and brother of murdered schoolboy Stephen Lawrence – will participate in a diversity and inclusion workshop led by Products of Change co-founder Helena Mansell-Stopher at

Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit

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This workshop is one of the final sessions to be announced for the three-day online event, which takes place June 9-11, designed to provide management, business leaders and owners navigate the changing retail, content and consumer landscape. 

Marco Hüsges, chief executive officer, emoji company, is also confirmed to be joining Maarten Weck, executive vice president, managing director, Wildbrain CPLG and Rachel Taylor, commercial director, WildBrain Spark, for an in-depth discussion into how the emoji brand has built a robust European retail presence, global consumer products offering and new digital-first series emojitown. This session, named emojitown: The Power of Building Brands with Digital-First

Studiocanal, WarnerMedia and Moonbug will bring senior leaders, broadcast experts and brand licensing directors to the panel New Streams of Consumerism: How Entertainment is Evolving, which brings Valérie Rolandez-Barrios (Studiocanal), Rachel Wakely (WarnerMedia) and Adam Steel (Moonbug) together to discuss how brands can create equivalent awareness and maintain visibility on streaming platforms, tackle shorter marketing windows and chart the rapidly changing landscape of content engagement.  

Kornit Digital and Epik are also confirmed to present sponsored workshops on direct-to-retail (DTR) and non-fungible tokens (NFT) respectively. How the Licensing Industry is Evolving with Direct-to-Retail will look at the challenges on each side presented by DTR on the opening day of B&LIS, and the crypto-driven conversation The NFT Playbook will take a deep-dive into everything NFT on the final day. 

With tickets available

at £224 for Licensing International members, and free of charge for qualified retailers, each of the three days of B&LIS will focus on a different theme, present exclusive keynotes and host packed days of insights and in-depth discussions.   

Day 1 - Trends and Retail.

Keynote: Innovate, Adapt, Disrupt: In Conversation with Lars-Johan Jarnheimer, IKEA Group chairman 

Day 2: CSR and Sustainability 

Keynote: Why the Future will be Blue - How to Become an Agent of Change

Smurfs’ Philippe Glorieux and Caroline Petit of the United Nations Regional Information Center. 

Day 3: Content & Digital Transformations

Keynote: The Wayfair Boost: Leveraging Ecomm Ads for Product Programmes

Ankit Mangal, director, Wayfair 

“Covering everything from sustainability to diversity and inclusion, sport, streaming, toys, gaming, NFTs, DTR, bricks n mortar and ecommerce, and the changing consumer trends among younger generations, B&LIS will draw out trends and insight from within and outside the brand and licensing industries to really help delegates drive the future direction of their brands, businesses and stores,” says Anna Knight, vice president, licensing, Informa Markets. “This agenda will challenge you to take stock, open your mind and think differently, so be prepared for an inspirational three days.” 

Delegates from the following companies have already signed up to attend: Aldi, Aykroyd & Sons, Amazon, Asda, Blue's Clothing, Character World, Chupa Chups, DC Thomson Media, Dreamtex, EMP Merchandising, General Mills, Hachette, HTI Toys, Jaz Toys, Popgear, Primark, Simba Dickie, Tesco, Walt Disney Company, Beanstalk, The Entertainer, Unilever, ViacomCBS and Schwager & Steinlein Verlag. 

Confirmed speakers include: 

Rikesh Desai, licensing director, merchandise, partnerships and interactive, UK & EMEA consumer products, BBC Studios 

John Friend, head, Halo and Xbox consumer products, Microsoft 

Stephanie Freeman, senior global licensing manager, outbound licensing, The LEGO Group 

Gabrielle Sims, head, licensing, FatFace 

Dan Avener, chief executive officer, MDR Brand Management 

Karen Hewitt, co-founder, Character.com 

Susan Bolsover, director, global licensing and consumer products, Penguin Ventures, Penguin Random House UK 

June Kirkwood, sustainable licensing consultant, Nutmeg Licensing & Sustaineers Consultants 

Simon Gresswell, managing director, SGLP 

Gary Pope, co-founder, Kids Industries 

Graham Saltmarsh, managing director, Licensing International - UK 

Ben Roberts, senior content editor, License Global 

Claire McClelland, client executive, entertainment, Kantar 

Dorian Bloch, senior client director, Market Intelligence, GfK 

Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder, Products of Change 

Ian Shepherd, founder, chief executive officer, The Social Store 

Emily Aldridge, head, global Licensing, Abysse Corp 

Charlotte Delobelle, european brand ambassador, Fashion Snoops 

Kate French, senior category manager, softlines (footwear, accessories, home & gifting), Hasbro 

Steven Plackett, managing director, Vista Stationery & Print (Carousel Calendars) 

Dan Grant, licensing director, Danilo 

Leonora Aixas, co-founder, DNA Brands 

Steve Cox, UK sales director, Keel Toys 

Sue Stanley, licensing director, Brans In Limited 

Mark Bezodis, licensing managing director, Perry Ellis International 

Scott Macrae, brands, license, new business and partnerships mission lead, George at Asda 

Dan Amos, head, gaming and esports, Difuzed 

Marie-Laure Marchand, senior vice president, global consumer products and business development, Chefclub 

Valérie Rolandez-Barrios, vice president, IP licensing & partnerships, Studiocanal 

Jade Snart, sustainability and technical compliance expert, George at Asda 

Alex Balzaretti, senior manager, Commonwealth Games Federation Partnership (CGFP) 

Kate Gibson, managing director, Gibsons Games 

Gary Jacobson, brand licensing manager, Tottenham Hotspur 

Lisa Hey, head, product Development, Character World 

Claire Bradbury, global account director, PowerStation Studio 

Philippe Glorieux, head, marketing, communications & family entertainment, IMPS - The Smurfs 

Caroline Petit, deputy director, United Nations Regional Information Center (UNRIC) 

Maxine Lister, head, licensing, Natural History Museum 

Rachel Wakley, general manager UK, WarnerMedia 

Paul Hepworth, vice president, licensing, Liverpool Football Club 

Sabine Hulsman, chief executive officer, The Cookie Company Group 

Pamela Stathaki, global head, sustainability, The Marketing Store, Europe 

Jeremy Goldsmith, Managing Director, Event Merchandising Ltd 

Lars-Johan Jarnheimer, chairman, Ingka Holding, IKEA Group 

Adam Steel, licensing, franchise, Moonbug 

Gary Ma, chief operating officer, Epik 

Winston King, vice president, partnerships, Epik 

Daniel Ruben, workflow solutions director, Kornit Digital 

Alistair Mylchreest, segment head, licensors, Kornit Digital 

Frédérique Tutt, Global Toys Industry Advisor, NPD 

Stuart Lawrence, author, 

Silence Is Not an Option: You Can Impact the World for Change

Maarten Weck, executive vice president, managing director, WildBrain CPLG 

Rachel Taylor, commercial director, WildBrain Spark 

Marco Hüsges, founder, chief executive officer, emoji Company 

Ankit Mangal, director, Wayfair 

Gary Grant, founder, executive chairman, The Entertainer 

John Baulch, publisher, managing director, Toy World Magazine 

Anita Majhu, senior licensing and global sustainability manager, BBC Studios 

Gianni Romano, company director, Lyfcycle