Rise in Attendance at BLE 2015

LONDON: Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) 2015 registered its biggest numbers yet, with 19 percent more retailers attending compared to last year.

The event was held October 13 to 15, and a total of 7,203 visitors attended across the three days, with one third hailing from overseas. More than 300 exhibitors, of which 90 were newcomers, participated this year. Categories such as automotive, sport, food and beverage, beauty, music, publishing and heritage experienced growth, with brands like Volkswagen, PGA Tour, Pepsi, Vimto International, Lee Stafford, NOW That’s What I Call Music! and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust exhibiting for the first time.

In addition, since its launch six years ago, the Retail Mentoring Program drew more participants than in years past, with more than 35 individual buyers from 12 major U.K. retailers participating. Plus, the largest ever character parade was held on the first day of BLE, with 80 characters taking part. This year’s event also featured 25 educational sessions, including a keynote delivered by YouTube celebrity and Blogilates founder Cassey Ho.

Darren Brechin, BLE event director, said: “This year’s show was the best yet, with more visitors, exhibitors and education than ever before. Increasing retail attendance is always a key priority for us, and we are therefore delighted with the end results. The Retail Buyers’ Lounge was packed during the show, demonstrating that BLE is now firmly established as a key date in the retail diary. We are now looking forward to developing next year’s show and will make some exciting announcements soon.”

Next year, BLE will be held October 11 to 13.