It is just over four months until Brand Licensing Europe returns in-person to ExCeL London, and the show’s organiser has announced the first wave of exhibiting companies already confirmed to participate in November covering a wide range of countries and categories from TV production to movie studios, publishing, art, animation, sports brands, heritage, gaming and more.

Confirmed exhibitors include The Smurfs, Magic Light Pictures, Crunchyroll, Asterix, Hasbro Consumer Products, Mattel Brands Consumer Products, Sanrio, SEGA, MGA Entertainment, National Basketball Association, Gallimard Jeunesse, Science Museum Group and Aardman, amongst many others.

Anna Knight, VP of Licensing, Informa Markets, added “We are thrilled that BLE will return in-person this year. The support we’ve received from the industry has been amazing, proving that there is a genuine desire for the brand licensing community to reconnect face-to-face once more.

“We are delighted to welcome so many exhibitors already, including GO-N and The Scouts Store who will be new to the floor for 2021, and a wide range of European brands returning including Sophie La Girafe, FC Barcelona, Sagoo, Spain Licensing Pavilion, Tour de France and many more.”

Mark Teunissen, Senior Project Manager, Mercis BV, said “There is no doubt that being able to meet existing and potential partners up close and personal will inject much needed energy for all involved. You cannot put a value on personal relationships and what it does for the creative process. What the last one and a half years have shown us is that we all crave proximity and that human connection is paramount for our personal and professional well-being.”

Yana Esieva, Junior PR Manager, Masha and the Bear, added “We are extremely happy Brand Licensing Europe will gather us in person again! This tough year made us realise the importance of in-person connections and communication, and now we’re anxiously waiting to reconnect face-to-face with our industry friends and partners.”

You can view the exhibitor list on the BLE website here. Companies interested in exhibiting at Brand Licensing Europe should contact Greg McDonald (UK) at greg.mcdonald@informa.com or Matthieu Battini (Europe) at matthieu.battini@informa.com. Brand Licensing Europe is officially sponsored by Licensing International, the industry trade association.