This year, Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) is marking its 25th anniversary. At the same time, a number of properties are also celebrating major milestones. In this ongoing series, we examine the role in-person events and tradeshows have played in supporting the decades-long growth of these brands. 

This week, we speak with Ella Haynes, Event Director for Brand Licensing Europe, to discuss BLE’s anniversary.

What is the significance of this anniversary?
Twenty-five years is a significant anniversary for any business, so we’ve very proud to be able to celebrate this milestone. More importantly, it means we can celebrate how the European licensing industry has evolved over the last quarter century and honour the individuals, companies, and brands all over Europe that have driven that evolution and make this industry so amazing. We’re very thankful to have been allowed to play a part in that evolution.

How are you celebrating this milestone?
As any good licensing industry professional would expect—by throwing a party in partnership with your good selves at Licensing International. It will be a huge celebration of the community and how amazing it is.

We’ll have our own character—the BLE Bear—loads of selfie opportunities so we can all pause and be part of the moment, a huge cake, great entertainment, party props, and more. It will be a brilliant opportunity to get to know one another and the perfect way to unwind after day one. Everyone is welcome and it will take place on the first evening of BLE (Tuesday 24th September) from 5-7pm. It’s across our two bars (the BLE Birthday Bar and the BLE x One Piece Bar 2024). Add it to your calendar now!

What are the keys to maintaining an event for so many years?
The secret to our longevity and success has been evolving to meet the needs of retailers, manufacturers, and brands. It’s about never being complacent, always asking and listening, and trying as hard as we can to preempt what our attendees need from BLE to deliver outstanding ROI.

How has BLE evolved over time?
The industry has changed so much since 1999—we’ve seen the emergence of new categories like LBE and huge growth in areas like food and beverage, museums, heritage, and charity. Product development has completely changed—there are new ways of manufacturing, including the use of more modern materials—and sustainability and inclusivity have become huge and very real priorities.

We know and understand our customers better than ever thanks to data access and that’s resulted in more innovative products delivering meaningful messages that feed fandom and loyalty. The role of licensing in delivering brand perception and values is recognised and we’re seeing far less logo slapping.

People are consuming content in so many different ways, and that’s reflected in how fans are engaging with brands. This has also impacted how we create product. And despite all the barriers impacting the industry—including the cost-of-living crisis and supply chain problems—the want and desire for licensed product continues to increase.

BLE has evolved to reflect these changes and the depth and range of brands and categories at the show is incomparable to the first event in 1999, when the target was 50 exhibitors and 2,000 visitors. We’re five times the size now.

We’ve watched the brands and lifestyle category grow, the introduction and growth of the sports zone, and the change among retail has also been fascinating—from almost solely brick-and-mortar retail to the stratospheric growth of online retail—and the recognition of and appreciation for the benefits licensing offers retailers, including licensing out as well as in.

And, of course, we’ve seen BLE evolve from a domestic to a fully European event, helping exhibitors from all over Europe have conversations that support global growth. As our campaign says—It Starts Here.

What role have the brand owners, manufacturers, and retailers played in the ongoing growth of the event?
They’ve been critical—we wouldn’t exist without them. And the way brands, manufacturing, and retail has changed and become more invested in this industry has absolutely had a huge impact in the ongoing growth of BLE.

The people who have been with BLE from the beginning are driving this industry forward and are so committed to riding the wave of different trends and to pushing through incredibly meaningful developments like the introduction of accessible, inclusive, and sustainable products—real WOW milestones for this business. These people want to better the industry. They invest in innovation, demand more from partners, share inspiration and education, and do a brilliant job of telling the story of the brands to create authentic products.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s BLE? 
We set the bar pretty high last year with over 9,500 licensing professionals from more than 100 countries coming through our doors, including a 28% uplift in attendees from France, Italy, Spain, and Germany and a 28% increase in retailers (a record for the show)! This year, we’re aiming to attract even more retailers and manufacturers from mainland Europe and I’m looking forward to achieving that as part of an amazing team.

I’m also looking forward to the inspiring brand-led areas and experiences that will be at the show this year—keep an eye out for Rovio’s fabulous Angry Birds-themed area, the Zoological Society of London’s focus on conservation and sustainability, and a special stand surprise from Netflix, among many others.