News & Articles
Brand Licensing Europe launches Discovery & Design accelerator zone to support entry-level licensing entrepreneurs
Brand Licensing Europe launches Discovery & Design accelerator zone to support entry-level licensing entrepreneurs
The zone houses 14 entrepreneurs and is sold out for 2024. It sits within the busy Character & Entertainment zone and adjacent to the content theatre ensuring lots of traffic for exhibiting entrepreneurs, which include a mix of smaller businesses and brands from quirky greeting card companies and art illustrators to children’s authors and more:
Mea Mouse – new for 2024
Sophie Jonas-Hill – 2022 License This! winner
Vicki Thomas Associates
Jelly Armchair – new for 2024
Aniballers – 2023 License This! winner, new for 2024
Kate Merritt – new for 2024
Middle Mouse – new for 2024
Ginger Betty - License This! winner
Greg & Company – new for 2024
Pictufy – new for 2024
Afro Entertainment Studios – new for 2024
This is Iris
Plus, two final exhibiting entrepreneurs, which will be announced shortly
Sophie Jonas-Hill is an independent artist and illustrator and a winner of BLE’s License This! competition in 2022.
“I will be bringing an onslaught of colour and detail; a world of images and imagination that will give Discovery & Design visitors a taste of my versatility and talent. They will get to see something they've not seen before, and which bucks the trend of uniformity! From darkly gothic and intriguing, to bright and bold with tones of humour and joy, it's a collection of images and concepts which could spawn a myriad of product lines and campaigns!”
Jenn Cash (Mea Mouse) is a graphic designer, technology consultant and STEM ambassador. She is also the founder of Mea Mouse.
“Mea Mouse is a vibrant and exciting new brand and we’re exhibiting at BLE because I want to grow Mea Mouse from an Irish known brand to a global brand like Peppa Pig. We have Mea Mouse toys and clothing to inspire STEM subjects in young children and, at BLE, we will be launching STEM books for younger children.”
BLE event director Ella Haynes commented: “Discovery & Design is a springboard for small businesses with emerging brands eager to explore the world of brand licensing. It’s a brilliant showcase for BLE’s global audience of licensors, retailers and industry professionals to discover and partner with untapped creativity, talent and unique offerings before they go mainstream.”
Entrepreneurs specialising in art, design and illustration are welcome to apply to exhibit in Discovery & Design 2025 at any stage in their business’s journey. Other smaller brands and businesses can qualify to exhibitor in the area for a maximum of two years on the proviso they have no licensing deals and/or officially launched products.
To speak to any of these brands, register for Brand Licensing Europe 2024 for free – simply follow this link.
Media Contact: Charlie Le Rougetel at BIGTOP, charlie@bigtop-pr.co.uk, +44 (0)7736 330676
About Brand Licensing Europe
Launched in 1998, Brand Licensing Europe is the only pan-European annual event dedicated to licensing and brand extension. The London event features over 2,500 brands and more than 7,500 licensees, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and licensing agents. Brand Licensing Europe is a part of the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, the licensing industry's leading trade show organiser and media partner. Its mission is to provide licensing opportunities around the world by bringing brands and products together.
About License Global
License Global, a part of the Global Licensing Group, is the leading publication for the brand licensing industry, delivering award-winning editorial content, including news, trends, analysis and special reports about the global consumer product and retail marketplace. Through its magazine, website, daily e-newsletter, webinars, videos and event publications, License Global reaches more than 150,000 executives and professionals in all major markets. The magazine also serves as the official publication for the sector's trade events, which include Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Shanghai and the Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit.
About Global Licensing Group
The Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets is the licensing industry’s leading tradeshow organizer and media partner. Its mission is to provide licensing opportunities around the world by bringing brands and products together. The following events and information products are produced for the licensing industry by the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets: Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Shanghai, Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit License Global magazine, licenseglobal.com and License Global Daily E-News. Global Licensing Group events are sponsored by Licensing International.
About Licensing International
Licensing International is the leading trade organisation for the $350+ billion global brand licensing industry. Licensing International’s mission is to foster the growth and expansion of brand licensing around the world, raise the level of professionalism for licensing practitioners, and create greater awareness of the benefits of licensing to the business community at large. Founded in 1985, more than 1,500 Licensing International member companies in over 40 countries enjoy access to an array of benefits, including extensive educational programming and worldwide networking events. Visit www.LicensingInternational.org for more information.