Santa Monica, Calif. (August 4, 2021) – Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit North America (B&LIS), a two-day conference bringing together more than 200 delegates to deliver thought-providing content and networking opportunities, today revealed the first wave of speakers confirmed for the in-person Summit set for October 27-28 at Convene New York. Following the conference series’ inaugural launch in Europe this past June, B&LIS North America is reconnecting US-based industry leaders and decision-makers face-to-face to propel the industry forward and address critical topics on the future of licensing and retail. Register here to join the industry’s most prominent players and garner insight into the market’s upcoming trends.

Bay Laurel Advisors, Funko, Macy’s, Microsoft, and Xbox are among the more than 40 companies represented at the conference confirmed to take the stage and impart highly sought-after insights on leveraging brands to transcend a category with licensing.

The executive-level conference comprises four themes – Market Trends, Retail Disruption, Digital Transformation, and Product Sustainability – broken down into two days of keynotes, panel discussions, workshops, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities designed to drill down into long-lasting and emergent themes that play an active role in driving consumer purchasing decisions.

“We are thrilled to launch B&LIS in the North American market in partnership with Licensing International, serving as the region’s meeting place for thought leaders to connect, collaborate, and influence the future of brand licensing and consumer product innovation,” said Anna Knight, VP of Licensing. “The industry is in the midst of a transformative era as consumers emerge from lockdown and carry with them behaviors formed during the pandemic, such as a strengthened familiarity with digital retail experiences and emerging interests such as self-expression and sustainability. These themes carry immense opportunity for retailers and licensors alike, thus underpin the educational and forward-looking conference.”

Knight continued: “What’s more, B&LIS will serve as a reunion for the industry as the first in-person event for the North American licensing community in almost two years. Mark this event on your calendar as a must-attend to garner much-needed insight and to reconnect and network with the industry’s leading decision makers.”

Featuring expert-led sessions spanning a breadth of topics, B&LIS North America is strategically designed to be a one-stop-shop for in-depth education and trend analysis. Among the notable speaker lineup includes John Friend, Head of Halo and Xbox Consumer Products, Microsoft, who isconfirmed to speak on a panel entitled “Level Up: How eSports & Gaming are Dominating Entertainment Licensing. “Gaming is the biggest entertainment market in the world today, both in number of consumers and revenue generated. The potential to extend your brand reach and influence this growing segment of consumers is here,” commented Friend. “I look forward to sharing examples and learnings from past licensing campaigns, including the recent Xbox Series X|S console launch and upcoming release of Halo Infinite, as well as helping attendees understand how to navigate this expansive and rich part of the entertainment sector.”

Featured sessions confirmed to date include:

Day 1 – October 27 | Trends, Retail & Sustainability

• A Live Look into Sector and Brand Landscape Trends
• Digital Disruption in Retail: The Balancing Act Between Bricks and Mortar versus eCommerce
• Retail and Brand Partnerships: Driving Online Traffic and Restoring Instore Footfall
• Sustainable Development Goals in Licensing
• Sustainability in Toy Games
• Diversity & Inclusion: Best Practices from the Experts

Day 2 – October 28 | Content & Digital Transformation

• The Power of the Past: Why Brand Management Companies are Snapping Up Heritage Brands
• Odd Couple: Macy’s x Funko
• Location-Based Event and Experiences: Are They Back to Help Bolster Retail Sales?
• Level Up: How eSports & Gaming are Dominating Entertainment Licensing
• It is Now a Data Game Rather Than Just About Selling Product

Speakers confirmed to date include:

• George Wade, Founder & President, Bay Laurel Advisors – Session:Location-Based Events and Experiences: Are They Back to Help Bolster Retail Sales?
• John Friend, Head of Halo and Xbox Consumer Products, Microsoft – Session:Level Up: How eSports & Gaming are Dominating Entertainment Licensing
• Dave Beré, Senior Marketing Director, Funkoand Macy’s Executive to be Announced – Session: Odd Couple: Macy’s x Funko

Knight continued: “Held in New York, a city synonymous with the world’s biggest brands that light up Times Square and pioneer the intersection of retail and licensing, B&LIS is designed to serve as a beacon for those navigating the fast-growing intersection of retail and licensing. We could not be happier with the caliber of speakers confirmed to date that will deliver practical, actionable insights for attendees to then turn into practice.”

Enjoy all the event benefits, including two days of in-person networking, dedicated after-hours programming, live content with Q&A opportunities, more than 20 hours of keynote sessions, insights from more than 40 brand and retail experts, and save $150 with the Early Bird discount available until September 10. Additionally, save as a team and enjoy a Group Pass discounted rate for teams of three or more.

Buy your pass now for the North American Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit at www.brandlicensinginnovationsummit.com.

B&LIS directly follows Licensing Expo Virtual, the industry’s leading event designed to connect the global licensing industry and facilitate networking, education, and deal-making virtually. Register for the Licensing Expo Virtual here. 

About Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit
The Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit (B&LIS) is an event series that brings annual conferences focused on the brand licensing industry to the two largest licensing markets globally, North America and Europe. Geared toward middle-management, business leaders, and owners, the annual events address the latest industry trends and topics of their respective region through thought-provoking keynotes, panel discussions, roundtables, and workshops. B&LIS is organized by the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets. The summits are designed to complement the Global Licensing Group’s trade shows and information products, which include Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Japan, Licensing Expo Shanghai, and License Global magazine.

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 Innovation Summits, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Japan, Licensing Expo Shanghai, License Global magazine, License Global Daily E-News, and The Licensing Mixtape podcast. Global Licensing Group events are sponsored by Licensing International.

About Licensing International
Licensing International is the leading trade organization for the global licensing industry. Licensing International’s mission is to foster the growth and expansion of 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, Licensing International members in over 40 countries enjoy access to an array of benefits, including extensive educational programming and worldwide networking events. Visit LicensingInternational.org for more information and to utilize licensing’s definitive online resource.