Online connection service will help visitors and exhibitors set up meetings at the show.

Brand Licensing Europe has launched a new online Matchmaking Service in anticipation of this year’s show, which takes place Oct. 11-13 at London’s Olympia.

The service launched at this year at June’s Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, Nev., and generated more than 2,500 meetings during the three-day event, more than 345,000 online user profile views, connected 1,000 licensors with licensees and generated $200,000 worth of business from one user alone.

The BLE Matchmaking Service, which will be provided for free this year, will enable exhibitors and visitors to request meetings with one another through an online portal ahead of the show.

The tool will allow users to create online profiles, identify key contacts based on area of interest and job type, build relationships and create business opportunities. A team of matchmaking professionals will also support the service, assisting with meeting arrangements and managing the show’s new Matchmaking Lounge.

“The licensing industry has embraced this revolutionary service; the take-up rate at Licensing Expo was 50 percent higher than in any other industry currently using the tool,” says Anna Knight, brand director, BLE. “In fact, 90 percent of exhibiting companies engaged with it, and we are delighted to now offer this opportunity to the European market. Users told us that the portal made their time at the show more efficient, opened up a network of new contacts and generated substantial amounts of new business. We would encourage anyone attending BLE to sign up today.”

“The Matchmaking Service was a fantastic tool that helped me meet many new contacts,” says John Larson, director, IMG Worldwide, following his experience at Licensing Expo. “Taking meetings in this format was very valuable and I took about 12 meetings via the service. Many solid leads were generated and many new contacts made.”

Now in its 18th year, BLE is the largest and most prestigious licensing event in Europe. Organized by UBM and sponsored by the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association, the show features more than 2,500 brands, characters and images available to license from more than 300 exhibitors.

Register for BLE now to gain access to the Matchmaking Service.