BLE Unveils License This! Finalists

LONDON: Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) has revealed the four finalists of its annual License This! competition.

Now in its sixth year, the challenge offers those with brand-new creative concepts the chance to break into the global licensing industry. The finalists will go on to compete for a prize of more than £6,000 ($9,322). The finalists are Natu Natu, presented by Fran Bravo; OiDroids, presented by Jonathan Klemenz; Victoria Spunge, presented by Stuart Simpson; and Wussywat, presented by Simon Quinn and Simon Rolph. The winner will be announced in front of an audience on October 15.

Judging panel chair Kelvyn Gardner, the managing director of LIMA UK, said: “Nearly 40 entries for 2015 License This! provided an exciting session for the judges with much debate about the many different approaches taken by candidates. There was a lot of very good material, so [it was] no easy task to whittle the entries down to four. Our four finalists each have a very good story to tell; we look forward to their pitches at BLE and encourage everyone to come along for what should be a very lively final.”

Other judges on the panel are Charlie Donaldson, the joint managing director at Rocket Licensing; Tom Gunn, the international brand director for EMEA at MTV Networks; and Wendy Munt, the managing director at Be Inspired Consulting. 

In addition to the cash prize, the winner will also receive a fully furnished stand at BLE 2016 to bring the property to market, along with LIMA membership for one year and one ticket to the LIMA Licensing Essentials Course & Spring Fling Networking party in May.