Hot on the heels of 12,000 licensing professionals uniting at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas last month and a record-breaking Brand Licensing Europe in September 2024, which attracted almost 11,000 attendees, BLE returns to London from October 7-9, 2025, and registration is now open.
BLE is Europe’s leading event for licensing, brand extension and collaborations, organized by Informa Markets’ Global Licensing Group and sponsored by industry trade association Licensing International (LI).
“This year, BLE will bring together thousands of leading retailers, licensees and manufacturers from across Europe and beyond to connect with around 250 brand owners and agents to power the development of licensed consumer products and brand collaborations over the next two to five years,” says Ella Haynes, event director, Brand Licensing Europe.
“The global licensing industry was recently valued by Licensing International at $396.6 billion last year, an uptick of 3.7% over 2023 and, once again, tracking ahead of overall global retail performance. BLE is the premier opportunity to do business with European brands globally and global brands in Europe. If you are a European retailer, manufacturer or service provider looking to do business with license-ready brands, BLE is a must for your calendar.”
Almost 1,500 retailers attended BLE in 2024, a YoY increase of 22%, including the likes of Aldi, Asda, ASOS, Bershka, Boots, C&A, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dunelm, Forbidden Planet, H&M, Habitat, Lidl, LUSH, Mango, Marks & Spencer, Mercadona, MINISO, Next, Pets at Home, Poundland, Primark, Pull&Bear, Reiss, Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, Specsavers, Stradivarius, Tesco, Uniqlo, Urban Outfitters, WH Smith, Zara and Zavvi.
“Events like BLE are key for networking. You get exposed to new brands, fresh insight and industry knowledge that you might not always access in your day-to-day role,” says Mae Tilley, assistant buyer, ladies nightwear, F&F, Tesco.
“BLE is an amazing opportunity to meet brands that can deliver value and connect emotionally with our customers,” says Jamie Sloan, brands account manager, Iceland Foods.
This year, almost 200 brand owners and agents are already confirmed to exhibit across character and entertainment, brands and lifestyle, art, design and image licensing, including Paramount, Pokémon, LEGO, Warner Bros. Discovery, The Smiley Company, Studiocanal, Hasbro, Real Madrid FC, Le Petit Prince, Capcom, Beanstalk, Difuzed, emoji, Manchester City FC and many, many more.
Brand Licensing Europe runs October 7-9, 2025 at ExceL London. Visitors can register for a free pass for BLE 2025. European visitors attending from outside the U.K. may need to apply for an ETA.
