The final day of this year’s Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) will focus on sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, spotlighting new and diverse brands and voices to drive meaningful change.

“Through partnerships with Products of Change, Licensing International, Black Lives Matter Licensing as well as Junk Kouture and many more brands, all aspects of the day three programme will aim to educate, inspire and invite action within the brand licensing community,” says Anna Knight, SVP of Licensing, Informa Markets.

BLE, the leading European event for licensing and brand extension, takes place on 20-22 September 2022 at ExCeL London. Day three (Thursday 22 September) will include the following timed events:

• 9:30-10:00am – Sustainability case study with Hasbro, License Global Theatre

Presented by Catrina O’Brien, Head of Retail EurAsia – Licensing Consumer Products, Hasbro; and Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder and CEO, Products of Change.

• 10:00-10:15am – Culture & Unity catwalk

Featuring Black Lives Matter Movement fashion collections and spotlighting Black-owned businesses looking to break into the licensing industry.

• 10:30-12:200pm – Kelvyn Gardner License This! final – Brand & Design and Character & Animation categories

This competition for unlicensed brands has been driving new talent and smaller businesses into the industry for over a decade. Watch finalists pitch live to a panel of expert judges to be crowned the winners of the License This! 2022 competition. Entries are free and open until Friday 26 August.

• 12:30-12:45pm – Sustainability catwalk

Products of Change, together with the United Nations and Junk Kouture, will present an educational and inspiring 15-minute set with presentations and performances centred around the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as a catalyst for change. Within the set, Junk Couture will host an exclusive catwalk show presenting designs from its worldwide competition where 13-18-year-old students are empowered to embrace the principle of sustainable living creating apparel and couture from recycled materials.

•  1:00pm-1.45pm – Day 3 keynote: Panel Discussion: The Good Fight: How Purpose Breeds Success

A panel of industry change makers will debate how leading with purpose can create a competitive advantage for licensors, retailers and licensees alike.

• Moderator: Will Stewart, founder and CEO, The Point.1888
• Nicolas Loufrani, founder and CEO, The Smiley Company
• Veronica Hart, EVP Global Franchise Planning & CP Marketing, Paramount
• Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder and CEO, Products of Change
• Kingston Myles, Head of Commercial Development, English Heritage

 

 

These timed events are in addition to the following sustainability, purpose-driven and DE&I initiatives, which will take place throughout all three days of the show:

BLE & POC Sustainability Café

The BLE & POC Sustainability Café will recycle materials from last year’s Sustainability Activation and showcase sustainable consumer products and fashion lines from 12 brands, including Primark, Eden, Wastebuster, Smiley, Wow Stuff & RSPB, Hasbro & Asda, Smurfs & Pure Top Table, and Discovery.

Products of Change Lounge

Meet the entire POC team. Helena, Rob and POC ambassadors will run sustainability clinics (available to all attendees) and member meetups. Receive advice, education and best practices on creating, progressing or optimising your business’s sustainability action plan.

Black Lives Matter Licensing

Meet the Black Lives Matter Licensing team to learn more about how they amplify Black voices across the consumer products sector while generating revenue to benefit the Black community. Saphia Maxamed and other members of the team will be available for pre-arranged and drop-in meetings.

Supporting Ukrainian businesses

BLE 22 has offered free-of-charge exhibiting space to Ukrainian business owners looking to continue their work within the licensing industry. Exhibitors include the Ukrainian Association of Football and ReadyMadeLicense.

Wellness Lounge

The Wellness Lounge returns for attendees to enjoy some quiet space to work or take a break.

Charity discount

BLE is offering a discount to charitable and non-profit organisations that would like to exhibit for the first time.

Licensing International’s Diversity & Inclusion Accelerator

This programme provides benefits valued at over $100,000 to underrepresented, diverse brand licensing entrepreneurs around the globe to help them build profitable, high-growth companies within the industry. BLE will showcase some of the companies involved in the programme in a dedicated space on the show floor.

Anna Knight, SVP of Licensing, Informa Markets, concludes; “As consumers continue to expect more from the brands they love and the products they buy, it’s essential that we provide a platform as organisers to inspire, share ideas and educate. This is why we’ve framed the last day of the event around driving purpose and change. There is so much great innovation going on in this space, it’s essential to learn from one another as we strive for a cleaner, better future.”

BLE is the leading European event for licensing and brand extension taking place on 20-22 September at ExCeL London. Visitors can register for free here.