BLE 2025 attracts show’s biggest ever European audience

Brand Licensing Europe has succeeded in its 2025 mission to grow the ‘E’ in BLE with its biggest ever European audience – including an 8% uplift in visitor numbers from France, Italy, Germany and Spain.

Attendee numbers also rose by 2% making it the biggest BLE to date and exhibitor numbers rose by 9% year on year.

“The European brand licensing market is not just healthy, it’s positively thriving and buoyant and BLE is proud to have served at its epicentre for 26 consecutive years, showcasing the incredible creativity and innovation across every category from character and entertainment to sports and gaming, corporate brands, F&B, arts, heritage and so much more,” said Ella Haynes, BLE Event Director.

BLE Head of Retail Laura Freedman-Dagg added: “One of the major strengths of BLE – and the reason it’s such an unmissable date in the calendar for retailers and manufacturers – is the variety of brands on the showfloor and the potential to discover new IPs that promise opportunities for differentiation, customer acquisition and revenue growth.

“Increasingly, I’m hearing curiosity from retailers about corporate and lifestyle brands – they all know the big entertainment IPs so they want to know what else their customers will love – and this year’s BLE spotlit the huge breadth of brands for license in this sector.

“The show’s Brands & Lifestyle zone featured a record number of exhibiting brands. From corporate brands, which grew 47% in the UK last year, to heritage, sports, automotive, food, charities and more, this category offers a huge variety of well established, evergreen brands with an established fan base and a year-round proposition, as well as a legacy and backstory that lends itself well to the trend for more storytelling in brand licensing.”

Brand Licensing Europe returns next year, from October 6th to 8th 2026 at Excel London.