London, UK – LIMA UK Managing Director Kelvyn Gardner won the Honorary Achievement Award at last night’s UK Licensing Awards ceremony, held at The Grosvenor House Hotel, London. The award celebrates Gardner’s dedication and service to the licensing industry over three decades. 

“To receive this award, for basically having thirty years of fun with a great bunch of people, is very humbling. Thanks to all my current and past colleagues, clients, business partners and peers. I’m proud to call you all ‘friends’,“ Gardner commented.  

 “For over three decades,  [Gardner] has been committed to this industry as an active licensee, a special advisor and professional industry matchmaker, bringing people and companies together for the good of the trade,”  Jakki Brown, Joint Managing Director and Editor in Chief of Max Publishing, said during her award presentation speech.

“This individual is a veritable renaissance man – a walking licensing encyclopedia, but rather than keep all this information to himself he is always willing to share it, dispensing it with gusto inspiring others, thereby widening the licensing circle.  His broad business acumen and ability to relate equally comfortably to those at the top of huge corporations as to the smallest entrepreneur looking to find their feet in licensing made him a perfect choice to effectively become a UK licensing industry ambassador.”  

Since 1998 Gardner has worked as a consultant in the licensing industry through his company, Asgard Media. Currently Asgard has significant clients in a variety of merchandise and service disciplines including Topps, Yoplait, and Finsbury Food group.   In 2006 he assumed the duties of Managing Director for LIMA in the UK.  

Earlier in his career, Gardner and three colleagues started Merlin Publishing, growing it throughout Europe and becoming the UK’s fastest-growing private company in 1995 before being sold to the Topps Company.  

Gardner contributes to the judging of the UK Licensing Awards, is a trustee of the industry’s charitable company, The Light Fund and regularly opens Brand Licensing Europe’s annual Licensing Academy with his ‘introduction to Licensing’ talks.  He has been named in the ‘Top Twenty’ most influential people in UK licensing for the last five years.

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