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 Ruth Henriquez, Senior Director of Licensing, Publishing, and Location-Based Entertainment at Mattel EMEA, to discuss the company’s upcoming 80th anniversary.

What is the significance of this anniversary? 
Born in a California garage in 1945, next year marks eight decades since our beginnings. Mattel began as a collaboration between husband-and-wife duo Ruth and Elliot Handler and Harold “Matt” Matson. Guided by their creativity and innovation around how kids play, Mattel has grown into a leading company beloved by children and families worldwide.

How are you celebrating this milestone?
To celebrate, we have some amazing plans across our iconic brands like Barbie, Hot Wheels, Barney, Fisher-Price, and UNO. Expect nostalgic picture books, a digital game featuring all our characters, and an exhibition that’ll take you back to your childhood, plus more across toys, content, consumer products, and experiences with our fans. We can’t wait to share more soon!

What are the keys to maintaining a property for so many years?
The key to Mattel’s lasting success is our ability to integrate popular culture into our products and experiences, creating impactful and stylish brands and properties. From revolutionizing toy marketing with TV ads in 1955 to continuously innovating with partners, we’ve proven ourselves as a leader in the toy and entertainment industries. Our brands—like Barney and Masters of the Universe—are timeless, but we keep them relevant and culturally significant through constant innovation.

How has the brand evolved over time? 
Mattel has evolved by innovating, staying ahead of the curve, creating the next big hit, and adapting to changing trends. We’ve expanded to reach families and consumers beyond the toy aisle, bringing Mattel’s brands, characters, and stories to life through digital content, gaming, live events, consumer products, and more. With globally iconic and beloved brands like Barbie and Hot Wheels, we’re always looking to refresh them to stay relevant and connect with new generations, making sure we continue to make an impact in a changing world.

What role have in-person events played in the ongoing growth of your brand? 
2023 was a breakthrough year for our location-based entertainment (LBE) experiences, bringing our brands to life through immersive environments. Fans worldwide in over 200 global cities shared experiences and created lasting memories in new and exciting ways. This has continued through to this year, from Hot Wheels Monster Truck tours making 249 tour stops worldwide to Barbie museum exhibitions both in London and Milan. We even opened Mission: Play! By Mattel in Abu Dhabi, a more than 400-sqm space dedicated to Mattel brands. Similarly, Day Out With Thomas, a themed touring event, has been delighting families and fans for over 29 years and counting, operating in eight countries with over 400 stops and attracting over 700,000 attendees annually.

Looking ahead, we’re excited about the opening of Mattel Adventure Park in Glendale, Arizona, which will feature over 10 of our iconic brands, with plans for a second park to open in Kansas in 2026, further expanding our reach across multiple IPs.

Do you have any memories at BLE, specifically, that illustrate the show’s significance in the story of your brand? 
Absolutely! The atmosphere at BLE is always so electric. It’s a great opportunity to connect with partners and colleagues from all over Europe—no other event can bring people together in the same way as BLE.

We always try to have fun at BLE, with everything from fashion shows to keynote speakers. Just last year, we even had a Hot Wheels Monster Truck on-site to showcase our brand’s power. Across the EMEA region, we have activated a great number of campaigns that were born at BLE, reaching Spain to South Africa—it all started in a convention hall in London!