Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) is just under four weeks away, running from 4th-6th October at Excel London: if you haven’t already started booking business-critical meetings with brands, there’s no better time than now.
Buyers from all over the world
Hundreds of retailers from 18 countries have already registered to attend BLE 2023 including Amazon, The Entertainer, Sainsbury’s and Sainsbury’s Argos, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, The Very Group, Selfridges, You See Toys and WHSmith. Hundreds of retailers and manufacturers have already arranged thousands of meetings with exhibitors through the online Meetings Platform, where registered visitors can find the show’s exhibitor list, brand directory and conference agenda.
Over 250 exhibitors and thousands of brands
More than 250 exhibiting companies will be at BLE this year, bringing thousands upon thousands of brands ready to partner with and create the next generation of best-selling consumer products that fans will adore. Brands like Sarah & Duck, Pembe the Pink Cat, Tamagotchi, Squishmallows, Playmobil, The World of Strawberry Shortcake, Gigantosaurus, The Little Prince, Moomin, The Smurfs, Simon, Leo the Truck, Call of Duty, Bibi’s World, My Little Pony, Paw Patrol, The Batman, Hello Kitty, Peter Rabbit, Minions, Sonic the Hedgehog and Sophie la Girafe.
Exhibiting companies include Hasbro, The Pokémon Company, Bandai Namco, BBC Studios. Cyber Group Studios, MGA Entertainment and Miffy, as well as over 35 first timers like Naru Naru, Project First with Leo the Truck, All3Media (home to Traitors) and Hari International, plus museums and heritage brands including the Natural History Museum and the V&A and Science Museum, which both sell toys in their gift shops.
British animated children’s TV series Sarah & Duck celebrates its 10th anniversary and a new licensing programme at BLE, with wonderful puppeteers bringing the loveable characters to life on its stand.
With a new licence just signed with CBeebies, Sarah & Duck will remain on screen until at least 2028. A global distribution deal is also currently being finalised by BBC Studios including their new partnership with Amazon Prime for the Indian market, and the brand is looking to the future with a new deal for China through UYoung, so the timing is perfect to extend the brand’s licensing programme.
Repurposed from Grandad’s old woolly cardi, Boofle has been helping people feel loved through cards and gifts for the last 15 years. The character still features on around 15m cards a year, celebrating key milestones in people’s life journeys from dating to moving in together, settling down and starting a family. The licensing programme has already enjoyed success with plush and gifting: adding nursery and pre-school collections is the obvious next step for the brand.
Borne out of Covid but conceived as a fun doodle back in 2011, the adorable Naru Naru character has been warming hearts for the last three years. Naru Naru spreads positivity and happiness through their charming adventures. Visitors will discover the best-selling plush toy – a beloved favourite among fans – on the BLE stand as well as an exclusive sneak peek into prototypes and finished designs from the upcoming range. The team believes its IP holds immense potential to become the next big thing and is looking forward to meeting more licensees and retailers.
Toy retailers and manufacturers can register for BLE for free here and the Meetings Platform is already open with thousands of meetings already booked. Whether you know exactly who you’d like to meet or are open to discovering new partnerships through our Brand Directory, you are sure to find a brand that will take your product range to the next level. It all starts at BLE.
