Brand Licensing Europe (BLE 2019) is hosting an extensive programme for retailers at this year’s event as it announces new daily breakfast briefings and a Retail Trends Lounge with a dedicated educational programme.

The event, which is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, takes place from 1-3 October 2019 at ExCeL London.

New daily breakfast briefings

Held from 8.00-9.00am at The Bridge restaurant within ExCeL, retailers can enjoy a complimentary breakfast and learn about that day’s highlights. The BLE team will also be on hand to answer questions and queries.

New Retail Trends Lounge

Retailers will have exclusive access to the lounge to hold meetings, catch up with colleagues, or simply enjoy the free refreshments. The Retail Trends Lounge will also feature a brand-new theatre with content designed specifically and solely for retailers.

New Trends Programme

The new Trends Programme will feature five sessions over three days delivered by four of BLE’s partners; Trend Bible, IMRG, GfK and The Insights People. The programme will tie into themes and activations at BLE 2019.

Commenting on the Trends Programme is IMRG’s, Andy Mulcahy. “I’m excited to be showcasing the unique insight IMRG provides; talking to retailers about how to identify when buzz and hype evolve into genuine customer demand, easy-win improvements to a website that aren’t dependent on expensive new technologies, and how to know which new tech to invest in.”

New exclusive group tours

Retailers will be invited to join a group tour of BLE’s new Gaming and eSports Activation led by co-creator, PowerStation Studios.

 

 

VIP Matchmaking Service

BLE 2019’s Matchmaking Service ensures retailers not only get in front of the leading brands they want to meet but that they also receive help to identify and reach out to those brands from an experienced and knowledgeable concierge team.

Retailers are also invited to arrange one-to-one meetings with BLE’s knowledge partners through the service.

Retail Mentoring Programme

Finally, 68 buyers from 21 retailers are taking part in this year’s Retail Mentoring Programme managed by BLE 2019.

Commenting on BLE 2019 is event director, Anna Knight. “The number of retailer visitors attending BLE last year rose by an incredible 24%. Our investment to not only bring even more retailers to the show this year, but increase the number of overseas retailers coming to London, continues in earnest.

“BLE is a big show with a lot of content. Retailers have told us that they value the screenings, meetings and knowledge sessions. However, they find it difficult to squeeze everything in and still have time to walk the floor. So, we have purposefully left 90 minutes between each screening and made the Retail Trends sessions bite-sized.

“As a result, this new programme will help retailers cut through the noise and focus on what’s exactly right for them. The Trends Programme will deliver valuable and practical insight into consumer trends and forecasting while the networking events will facilitate knowledge-sharing with peers.”

BLE 2019 takes place at ExCeL London from 1-3 October 2019. Click here to register for free.