25 things not to miss at BLE 2025…

With just 12 days until Brand Licensing Europe 2025, the show has detailed 25 things to check out at this year’s event.

Check them out below:

1. Thousands of license-ready brands
300 exhibitors. Thousands of license-ready brands in the BLE character & entertainment, brands & lifestyle, sport, and discovery & design zones from Europe and beyond including Paramount, Pokémon, LEGO, Warner Bros. Discovery, The Smiley Company, Studiocanal, Hasbro, Real Madrid FC, Le Petit Prince, Capcom, Beanstalk, Difuzed, emoji, Manchester City FC and many more.
– View the exhibitor list and brand directory to see the full range of IP.
– Use the online Event Planner to book meetings and plan onsite itineraries once registered.
– The BLE Matchmaking Lounge can be found on Stand D121, the place to host your meetings if you’re a visitor

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2. First time visitor seminar recommendations:
• Tuesday 7 October
– 09:30 am Guide to Brand Licensing Europe
– 09:45 am Brand Licensing Explained
– 10:15 am Show Floor Tour
– 02:00 pm New to Show & Solo Traveller Mixer
• Wednesday 8 October – 09:15 am: Sip and Share Networking
• Thursday 9 October – 10:00 am: Speed Networking

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3. Day one keynote (License Global Theatre E200
Tuesday 7 October, 1:30 pm
A Legend Reborn: Reimagining the “Masters of the Universe” Franchise with Mattel and Amazon MGM Studios.

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4. Day two keynote (License Global Theatre E200)
Wednesday 8 October, 12:30 pm
Hear about economic, cultural and retail trends across Europe from the points of view of a European retailer, economist, trend expert and major global agent.
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5. First ever BLE press briefing – open to everyone
Tuesday 7 October, 10:30am (License Global Theatre E200)
Don’t miss the exclusive launch of:
• Licensing International 2025 Global Licensing Industry Study European region-specific market values and performance data
• The latest European toy retail data and IP insights from global market research group Circana
• License Global’s State of the Nation findings for European territories with key category performance and trend updates

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6. Vince Klaseus and NBCUniversal session: Building the Fandom Flywheel (License Global Theatre E200)
Tuesday 7 October, 11:30am
Hear how the studio’s ‘symphony’ approach unites consumer products, retail partnerships and LBE into a self-reinforcing flywheel that keeps fans engaged long after opening weekend.

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7. 73 new exhibitors for BLE 2025:
• Amanda Hall (AD04)
• Apex Licensing – Team Lotus, Tyrrell, BRM (E251)
• Apoh Brands incl Trainer Spotter (C121-3)
• Arsenal FC (D251)
• Art House Design Licensing (AD12)
• Atoonz (A191)
• Bagpuss & Co (D215)
• Ballon d’Or (E264)
• Bazuuyu (C140)
• Brand Central (E165-6)
• BrandFit Solutions (C121-7)
• Bugcat Capoo (E185)
• Certilogo (E153-2)
• Counterfake AI (D131-3)
• CuteBee (C232)
• D-Way Creative Studios (D131-5)
• Diakakis (D175)
• Diego Maradona (E286)
• Diverse Dakar (A272)
• Doctor Mau (E161)
• Doodle Productions (D216)
• Elite Systems (AD 08)
• Emma Lawrence Designs (AD05)
• Epic Story Works (AD19)
• Erve (Pickleball in collaboration with Lotto) (D231)
• Fluid (E154-C)
• Galatasary (E285)
• Give & Keep (AD16)
• GRUNDIG (C241)
• heo (C123-3)
• HKDTC (D192)
• Incubase (D214)
• Juiced Studio (E154-A)
• Karactermania (C123)
• Luk Internacional (E134)
• m wood pen (A271)
• Mad Cow Entertainment/Teknofun (E176)
• Metazoan Archives (AD 03)
• Miniso (E180)
• Moulin Rouge (B256)
• Naturalica Foods (D131-4)
• One Target & Toncar (A201)
• Phoenix Technologies (C131)
• Pink Pig Cards (AD10)
• Plyrs – Upcycled Football Merchandise (E263)
• QP International (E150)
• ReadyMade License (AD 06)
• Roam smart tracker (C121-1)
• Rubber Road (D155)
• Sahinler (D210)
• Save the Children (B276)
• SAFTA (B231)
• Scrub Daddy (E170)
• Sing a Saurus (AD 20)
• Siretessile (C123-5)
• SkyBrands (C121-6)
• Sporting Clube de Portugal (E272)
• Storm International (E260)
• Tantau Studio (AD14)
• Tate & Co Licensing (AD01)
• Tattoo Zoo (D200)
• TeDa Connect (E161-1)
• The Art of Sarah Richter (A268)
• The Open Network Foundation (C123-6)
• The Sunflowers (E165-5)
• Think Influence (E165-2)
• TOHO Global (E160)
• TV Tokyo (E153-1)
• Ultimate Guard (C123-2)
• Uni (C205)
• Venture Forge (A278)
• Westinghouse (D260)
• Yu Tung Technology Limited (C123-7)

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8. Brand Licensing Europe Opening Night Show Floor Drinks at Smurfs Cosy Cafe and Pan Am Sky Bar
Tuesday, 07 October: 5:00pm – 7:00pm – everybody is welcome!

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9. Networking Hub (A291)
New for this year and following a hugely successful launch at Licensing Expo in May, the Networking Hub is powered by Licensing Unlocked and Licensing International to provide workshops, strategic sessions and practical demonstrations to gain actionable insights on real-world strategies to navigate the licensing landscape successfully.

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10. The BLE Character Parades
Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October at 11:30am
Come and grab a selfie with your favourite characters and follow the parade as it snakes through the show toward the front of Excel. Don’t forget to tag #BLE2025 in your photos!

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11. European market insight sessions (A291)
These sessions offer a thorough examination of three European licensing environments, featuring current market trends, business culture differences, prominent industry players and fundamental knowledge for market entry.

• Tuesday 7 October – 11:00 am: Understanding the French licensing market
• Tuesday 7 October – 1:00 pm: Understanding the Italian licensing market
• Wednesday 8 October – 12:00 pm: Understanding the German licensing market

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12. Full sized Pickleball court – swing by to play (D231)
Erve is celebrating its LOTTO partnership by ‘serving’ up a full size Pickleball court at BLE – everyone is welcome to sign up for a game and there will be very special guests playing at 2:30pm on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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13. F1 area & automotive brands (E251)
Fuel your passion for motorsport by visiting some of the biggest names in automotive racing at BLE! From the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans and Apex Licensing to Tyrrell, Lotus, British Racing Motors, Oracle Red Bull Racing and MotoGP, these exhibitors are showcasing the growing influence of automotive racing in licensing. And don’t miss the Red Bull simulator at Stand C240!

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14. The Teletubbies’ BIG FUN bus tour (E181)
Come say “EH-OH!” to the Teletubbies’ BIG FUN Double-Decker bus, where the colorful quartet is in the driver’s seat, steering straight for fun including photo ops, quizzes (and prizes) and meet and greets with the icons themselves.

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15. A sweet stop with Strawberry Shortcake (E171)
Roll up to Strawberry Shortcake’s Berry Bestie Bake Truck for a berry special sweet treat! Indulge in cupcakes and macarons inspired by Strawberry and her flavourful friends: Orange Blossom, Lemon Meringue, Raspberry Tarte, Blueberry Muffin, Lime Chiffon, and Apple Dumpling.

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16. ‘Lovely day for a Guinness’ activation (A241)
This activation brings the iconic slogan to life through immersive experiences blending nostalgia with modern appeal. Featuring interactive installations, themed pop-ups, exclusive merchandise and curated zero Guinness tastings.

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17. Free fun run – Tuesday morning – 07:00 am – Dockers Statue, Excel west entrance
Kick off BLE with a 30-minute fun run around the Royal Victoria Dock. Sign up here.

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18. Retail Lounge cared for by the Care Bears (E141) – an exclusive lounge for retailers to meet, relax and recharge. Registered retailers include Carrefour, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Aldi, Amazon, Charlotte Tilbury, Dunelm, FatFace, Deichmann, Intertoys, LIDL, Miniso, Undiz and World Duty Free.

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19. Secure a spot on the 2026 Retail Mentoring Programme!
Find out more about applying for next year’s Retail Mentoring Programme from BLE’s head of retail Laura Freedman-Dagg in the Retail Lounge (E141).

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20. New BLE charity partners for 2025
BLE is proud to partner with:
• Save and Children showcasing how licensing can create meaningful social impact. Look for the special edition Licensing ‘Cs’ on our show floor using artwork created by children from around the world, through projects funded by Save the Children. Learn more at (B276).
• Sebby’s Corner – head to F257 to volunteer and help Sebby’s Corner collect product donations from exhibitors on day three.

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21. Themed cafés and bars
• Smurfs’ Cosy Café – C141 hosted by Smurfette, Clumsy and Chef Smurf, this enchanting spot offers a perfect retreat to recharge with specialty beverages and treats.
• Pan Am Sky Bar – C270. Offering attendees a first-class opportunity to connect with industry leaders while enjoying the nostalgic elegance of aviation’s golden era. This iconic lifestyle brand brings nearly 100 years of heritage to BLE’s lounge experience.
• Peppa’s Big Family House – B211 – Join Hasbro as they host a new space dedicated to the growing Peppa Pig Family including baby Evie.

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22. Meet the BLE organisers at the GLG Hub (E221)
Find out more about BLE, sister show Licensing Expo in Vegas next May, License Global and online educational resource Licensing Unlocked.

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23. Tune into our Bravado BLE playlist
The musical dimension of BLE is proudly presented by Bravado, connecting the world’s most influential artists with innovative brand partnerships. Download the official BLE event Spotify playlist bought to you by Bravado.

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24. Aaaaaaannnnnnd relax… at the…
• Zen Den – stand E151
Care Bears’ focus on mental health and wellness aligns perfectly with the Zen Den at BLE to offer attendees a space to relax, recharge and prioritise their wellbeing. Stop by at 3:00pm on Tuesday 7 October and Wednesday 8 October for a heartwarming hug from Cheer Bear.
• Massage Lounge – stand F145
In partnership with the Community Massage Project, professional massage treatments are available for relaxation and wellness. Visitors pay-what-they-feel and in turn help support gifting free massages to local charities.

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25. The Creative Hub in partnership with Brands Untapped – stand E145 a-c
Stop by our brand new Creative Hub for a unique opportunity to connect with the licensing industry’s finest creative talent. Meet with designers and creative agencies who are shaping the future of licensing and pick up a copy of the new Brands Untapped 100, which launches at the show.