In light of the recent announcement of HRH Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral taking place on Monday 19 September 2022, and the confirmation that this date is also a UK Bank Holiday, there will be some changes to this year’s Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) show hours that all attendees should be aware of.

The attendee opening hours for BLE 2022 are now:

• Tuesday 20 September: 12:00pm – 6:00pm (was 9am-5pm originally)
• Wednesday 21 September: 8:00am– 6:00pm (was 9am-5pm originally)
• Thursday 22 September: 9:00am – 4:00pm (no change)

Exhibitor and contractor hours will be changed and communicated directly to allow for everyone to pay their respects to Her Majesty the Queen on Monday 19 September.

Commenting is Anna Knight, SVP Licensing at Informa Markets. “We have done everything possible to reduce disruption to our visitors, exhibitors and contractors, whilst also taking into account that many people in the UK do not wish to work on Monday 19 September to pay their respects to Her Majesty and be with their families on such a momentous occasion.

“Monday is the busiest day for the set-up of the event. We therefore need a few additional hours on Tuesday morning to enable exhibitors enough time to complete the set-up of their stands and to welcome you to the event.”

The changes will impact several timed events that were due to take place on the morning of Tuesday 20 September. These will now run as follows:

• Orientation Session: 12-12.20pm (License Global Theatre)
• Show Tour: 12.20 – 12.40pm (departing from the License Global Theatre; various locations)
• Speed Networking for Licensing U delegates: 2.45-3.15pm (Wellness Lounge)
• French Community Drinks: 5.30-6pm (BLE Bar)
• BLE Opening Night Drinks: 6-8pm (BLE Bar and Motul Cafe)
• BLE also expects some changes to catwalk shows, which it will announce soon.

BLE and Licensing International will host a joint webinar on Tuesday 13 September at 13:00 BST.

SVP of Licensing Anna Knight and Licensing International president Maura Regan will talk through the changes and answer any questions. Registration for the webinar is free and available here.

Knight continues; “We understand the adjusted hours will require attendees and exhibitors to reschedule meetings on Tuesday morning. We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause. We very much appreciate everyone’s flexibility and understanding as we navigate these unprecedented times.

“We would like to stress the venue will remain open as usual on Tuesday morning for those with pre-booked travel. There are plenty of seating areas and cafes for those wishing to work or take meetings before the show opens at 12pm.”

With just one week to go until doors open, retailers, manufacturers, product designers and other brand licensing professionals are invited to secure their free tickets on the BLE website. Meanwhile, FAQs are available via the BLE website – click here to read.