Licensing Italia interviewed Ella Haynes, Event Director of BLE, to discuss the key highlights of this year’s edition, the evolution of the European licensing market, and the event’s increasingly strategic role for brand owners, retailers and manufacturers.
LI: What are the main new features and highlights of Brand Licensing Europe 2026?
EH: BLE 2025 was an incredible event. Our mission was to grow the ‘E’ in BLE and we recorded our biggest ever European audience with an 8% uplift in visitor numbers from France, Italy, Germany and Spain. This really cemented BLE’s role as the hub for the European licensing and brand extension industry.
For 2026, we will be building on this strategy to grow our European attendance even further because it’s so important that BLE truly reflects the entire European market. We will continue to spotlight Europe through our content, exhibitors and IP on display to elevate the opportunities the European market has to offer.
We are also expanding our networking and content offerings this year; all designed to elevate the attendee experience and make BLE more engaging and tailored to individual objectives.
In addition to registering for our standard pass (this is free until 5 October), attendees can now purchase optional add-ons focused on helping them achieve learning or networking goals.
The Explorer Pass includes access to Licensing Unlocked, BLE’s pivotal digital educational platform, and the Networking Pass provides additional credits for our online Event Planner, which means attendees can connect with a broader range of brands and arrange more meetings at the show.
Our Networking Hub will be bigger and better and help attendees foster even more meaningful connections. The content programme will feature fresh formats, diverse topics and an enriched line up of global contributors, thanks in part to our first open call for speakers – which remains open until 31 July.
And, finally, our online Event Planner is now powered by AI working alongside a dedicated human concierge team. The Event Planner is our essential free-to-use scheduling too, which allows attendees to request and arrange meetings with brands at the show, as well as plan their itineraries by adding conference sessions and browsing time. The combination of AI and human handholding means our attendees can strategically plan their BLE experience and maximise their time at the event.
LI: Beyond entertainment and character licensing, which areas are becoming increasingly significant at BLE, such as corporate brands, art & museums, sport, food & beverage or lifestyle?
EH: The brands & lifestyle zone at BLE has grown year on year in line with the increasing strength of the category; when it comes to consumer product development, these brands are some of the most creative and groundbreaking in the licensing sector right now.
The European museums and heritage sector is truly blossoming. More institutions are recognising it’s possible to protect and respect their archives while also being innovative and creative. Early leaders include the UK’s V&A and Natural History Museum, and the latter’s partnership with paint brand Farrow & Ball in 2019 was genuinely groundbreaking for the category. The Netherlands’ Van Gogh Museum has also consistently pushed boundaries with collabs including Vans, Pokémon and Floral Street.
Creative consumer products are a powerful commercial engine for the sector, driving revenue and audience acquisition, so it’s no surprise BLE will host its biggest museum and heritage offering ever with new brands including Tate and National Trust for Scotland appearing alongside Science Museum, Imperial War Museum, London Zoo, National Gallery, Ashmolean Museum, English Heritage, Royal Shakespeare Company and more.
BLE will also feature its biggest sports zone yet. The ATP Tour is exhibiting for the first time and will join returning brands FC Barcelona, Formula 1, UEFA Club Competitions, Manchester City FC, Tour de France, Ballon d’or, Galatasaray, 24 Hour Le Mans, French Football Association, Legends, The Springboks, Moto GP, Newcastle United, FC Porto, Federação Portuguesa de Futebol, Sport Lisboa e Benfica and Sporting Clube de Portugal, with more to come.
LI: Which Italian companies will be exhibiting at BLE 2026?
EH: BLE is a truly European event and there is a regular stream of Italian brands attending each, including Atlantis, LEONI, PANINI, PEA, Perfetti Van Melle Group, Rainbow, SABOR & SUGI and Sinigaglia. This year, we are delighted to welcome two brand new exhibitors – lab-go and NAVIGARE. We also see many of our exhibitors, from Mattel to Sanrio and Paramount to Hasbro, bringing their Italian teams to BLE to share their intelligence about the market with retailers and manufacturers to deepen those relationships and partnerships.
LI: How does BLE fit within the wider portfolio of licensing events organised globally by Informa and the Global Licensing Group?
EH: Licensing Expo in Las Vegas in May was a record-breaking event and is designed to unite the global licensing industry and this year it truly underscored its strength and showcased the innovation and collaboration driving it forward. Our fourth France Licensing Day in June, which is focuses on doing business in the local market, also broke records after moving to a new venue this year to allow the event to scale and bring in content to educate the French Market. And we host Licensing Expo Shanghai takes place in July.
BLE follows in October and is designed to build on the Licensing Expo experience by offering the European perspective; it’s a unique platform highlighting the creativity and competitiveness of European brands and how they can make a significant impact on the global stage.
LI: What role does BLE play today for European licensing professionals, especially in terms of networking, trend scouting and business development?
EH: Your question is actually a really great summary of BLE and why over 11,000 retailers, brand owners and manufacturers attend every year.
This year, BLE takes place 6-8 October at Excel London to connect retailers and manufacturers with over 300 exhibitors and thousands of the world’s biggest brands, including Bluey, Pokémon, Barcelona FC, Le Petit Prince, Coca-Cola, LEGO, Asterix, Minecraft and Peppa Pig and so many more.
In a market where availability, speed and differentiation are critical, early access to the right IP equals competitive advantage and that’s what BLE offers: it’s the central hub for the European licensing community – a place to connect, collaborate and innovate. It offers:
- A platform to launch new IPs and products
- Provides an opportunity to explore new markets and expand footprint across Europe
- Gain insight into consumer trends, category growth and emerging opportunities
- Knowledge sharing through keynotes, panels, workshops and presentations
- Networking with key decisionmakers from Europe and beyond
- A space where categories that don’t usually intersect can collide and create something new
The pressure on margins for retailers remains huge. Rising operating costs, cost of living pressures, shifting customer loyalty and sustained competition from discounters are forcing retailers across all categories to rethink how to drive differentiation.
Brand licensing can hold the key. With a global market value of $389.8 billion*, licensed products consistently outperform non-licensed equivalents, offering a proven way to not only achieve differentiation, but also increase basket value, drive footfall and maximise return on shelf space.
It’s also important to remember BLE is more than a trade show – it’s a thriving community and a unique opportunity to connect with industry leaders, discover fresh ideas and build relationships that drive innovation and collaboration across borders.
The international nature of BLE creates an environment where brands, retailers, manufacturers and other critical partners in the licensing ecosystem come together to shape the future of the industry. We are just a platform that exists to facilitate connections to strengthen your business, so make the most of everything BLE has to offer you!
Brand Licensing Europe takes place at Excel London from 6-8 October. Licensing professionals are invited to register for free. Visitors from outside the UK may need to apply for an ETA
