By Kirsty Barr

Before you know it Day Three had arrived and it’s time to say “see you soon”.  And hopefully that’s what it will be as industry executives attend one of the many other 2022 shows that will take place, before most of the industry gathers again in May at the 2022 Las Vegas Licensing Expo.

It was a triumphant week for everyone – be it the show’s organisers, exhibitors and attendees.  During Friday I spoke to several executives walking about on the show floor and to those stands, from both the UK and Europe, who all repeatedly used the same word when describing their week at BLE 2021 – quality.  The week had provided quality meetings, and it’s this upon what the licensing industry thrives.  Quality is what makes us tick.

Whether it was the polished look of the show floor through to the quality in the additional content provided by Informa. The quality of exhibitor stands stood out and this show delivered what everyone needed as a first return to near-normal since the dreaded C-word descended upon us.  As one exhibitor said to me, they’d had far fewer meetings which were of little value and way more that over-delivered.  That’s surely a triumph. And they weren’t the only one to say this. Two Europeans both said it had been well worth attending and that’s positive news for both the organisers of BLE and the upcoming 2022 Licensing Expo, but also for those of us who’ll now swiftly move forward into a first quarter scheduled with several back-to-back trade shows in the UK, Europe and internationally.

And BLE 2021 likely over-delivered for many. Meetings of substance achieve better deals all-round, and that’s what the licensing industry needed after an interminably long twenty-two months with most business being done remotely. It was the hugs and smiles, and the enthusiasm at being part of BLE’s big return that people will recall in the months to come. Catching up over Welcome Back drinks at the end of Day One with those we’d not been able to see due to travel restrictions was simply brilliant; it made me mindful that we are a community at our best when brought together through industry trade shows and events.

Day Three of BLE now traditionally includes the Finale of the License This! Competition, which was renamed this year in honour of our industry colleague Kelvyn Gardner, founder of Asgard Media and the former head of Licensing International’s UK business.

This is an industry competition that has grown year on year, no longer attracting just UK or European entries, but many from around the world.  And let’s not forget that former License This! winner Charlotte Reed (“May the Thoughts be With You”) announced on Day One at this year’s show that her life story is to be produced into a movie.  Now that’s a huge BLE / License This! / licensing / personal success story on so many fronts and couldn’t happen to a more lovely person.  Congratulations to all the finalists of this year’s competition – I’m not going to mention the winners in this re-cap, but as the live finale took place in the Retail Buyers Lounge you could hear the applause from end to end of the BLE hall.

So, as we head out the doors of ExCeL one last time before returning next September, I think we can safely say this was a BLE to remember for all the right reasons.  Fond farewells on Friday, from Day One’s happy hello’s on Wednesday.  BLE, it was great to be back and looking forward to seeing you next year, and really must not forget it’ll be back to the usual Tuesday start day!

Kirsty Barr has worked in media and entertainment for “as long as I can remember,” starting her career in BBC Publicity followed by production roles on some of the UK’s best loved prime-time entertainment programmes (Absolutely Fabulous, Top of The Pops, Royal Variety Performance to name just three!). Once she found her destiny in PR, she worked for powerhouse Discovery Communications, and started her own business in 2007.  

She’s proud to currently represent, and have previously managed, trade and consumer communications for clients both internationally and in the UK across toys, licensing, publishing, lifestyle and  preschool entertainment.