BLE apre il MATCHMAKING SERVICE per il 2017

Events

Brand Licensing Europe apre il Matchmaking Service, per permettere a espositori e visitatori di organizzare i propri appuntamenti di lavoro, fino all’evento, che si terrà a Londra, Olimpia dal 10 al 12 ottobre.

The easy-to-use online service – provided free of charge – was launched at BLE (and sister show Licensing Expo) in 2016 when it resulted in

• Over 1,200 business meetings arranged in 2016
• 13,783 online profiles created
• 61 per cent of exhibitors met more visitors than expected

The service allows users to:

• Pre-book 1-2-1 meetings with the right partners 
• Organise their schedule to make the most of their time at the show
• Search for relevant contacts interested in partnering with their specific business category

This year, the Matchmaking Service incorporates a host of new system enhancements, including improved search functionality. This increased accuracy will make it easier for visitors and exhibitors to request meetings with the businesses and brands of most relevance to them, increasing their ROI. A team of matchmaking professionals supports the service, assisting with meeting arrangements and managing the show’s Matchmaking Lounge.  

Following the event, Denise Dean, Owner, Edutainment Licensing, said: “I’ve been able to reach out to people that I wouldn’t have been able to before and my meeting requests are being accepted. It’s a great programme and I’m sure that once people get to grips with it they’ll wonder how they ever managed without it.” 

Alessandro Villa, Retail & Licensing Manager EMEA, FIFA: “The service is useful and I was able to arrange several meetings. I actually could have arranged more but my agenda was already fully booked with 19 meetings!”

Roger Hurn, Creative Director, Spook Squad Production: “As first timers at BLE we found the Matchmaking Service to be absolutely invaluable.  It provided us with the perfect mechanism to find exactly the right people and contacts we needed to make the most of the opportunities offered by the exhibition.  It allowed us to structure our days and concentrate our resources to maximum effect. They had a genuine commitment to making our time at BLE a success and we recommend the BLE Matchmaking service wholeheartedly.” 

 Anna Knight, BLE Brand Director, added, “We had incredible take up from the Matchmaking Service last year from both exhibitors and visitors with one exhibitor using it to pre-arrange 75 meetings over the show’s three days.

“Post-show analysis showed that it was widely used across the board, but particularly appreciated by brand new exhibitors and those in the Brands & Lifestyle Zone.

“Since launch, we have improved the portal’s functionality and based on the recent second outing of the service at Licensing Expo earlier this year, we’re confident that we’ll see even more meetings arranged at BLE this year. At BLE, we continuously look for ways we can increase exhibitor ROI and improve the visitor experience, and the matchmaking service ticks both of those boxes.”

Europe’s definitive event for the licensing industry in Europe, BLE 2017 takes place 10-12 October at Olympia London.  Registration is open now at www.brandlicensing.eu/register