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Wednesday 9 November 2011

Industry opinions on BLE showing positive response

Brand Licensing Europe 2011 took place from the 18-20 October, and had busy halls and a good vibe, especially on the first and second days.

As a snapshot of the growing number of international visitors, Total Licensing received digital subscriptions at the show from people from 42 countries.

What did you think of Brand Licensing Europe 2011?

As opinions come filtering through and news of business deals signed and agreements forming, let us know how you thought the show went for you and your company.

--

Nichola Durbridge, The Copyright Group

Linda and I only re-acquired The Copyrights Group on 4th October so the new Copyrights' licensing team of myself, Linda, Polly Emery and Rachel Clarke had to hit the ground running for Brand Licensing Show. It was a busy and positive show for us with really good licensee meetings and strong international attendance. We received congratulations on the re-emergence of Copyrights from many licensees and fellow agents as we walked the show and this re-affirmed our belief that there is still a place for an independent service-orientated licensing agency in today's industry. We are looking forward to following up the many leads from the Show.

--

Roger Bull, Managing Director, Consultants in Intellectual Property

It was a very good event this year. I was really busy on day 1 and 2, didn't attend day 3.
General atmosphere very lively and happy, good catering and coffee. I'm saving up for Las Vegas next year. Well done to the team
--

Ian Downes, Start Licensing

I thought the show was fairly busy and seemed to deliver a good volume of visitors. We met new licensees, some retail buyers and of course existing customers. I think the latter category of visitors are important to acknowledge and the fact that BLE creates a really good forum to coordinate with existing customers. The show helps create focus and momentum. I would like to see some new categories of companies attend the show – I think licensing is mature enough now to push into new areas and sectors of business – for example people from the leisure sector.

I also think Advanstar/LIMA should consider a separate event which is aimed at suppliers such as Lawyers/Accountancy firms who can have a forum to sell to companies like our own. I am keen to met companies like this but not at BLE – I think it warrants its own market. I think an extra hour on day one and/or two would have been welcome. We would always like more retail visits but we did well in that sector – I do worry that retail buyers are restricted by pre ordained schedules and maybe we could open at 8am one morning for buyers only so they could walk the show. All in all a good show for us but I think licensees need to accept that licenses have a value and we can’t sanction no advance , no guarantee deals ‘because of the economy’ – Intellectual Property is a commodity that has a cost associated with it in terms of development , maintenance and ownership.

--

Richard Bickersteth, Managing Director, Looking Forward Productions

Our attendance at Brand Licensing Europe this year was focused on promoting the launch of the new preschool show Gombby’s Green Island from our Portuguese client Big Storm Studios, which is already securing strong TV ratings in Spain and Portugal. BLE felt much busier and far more international than last year. As a result it was the perfect event to introduce a client to the best in class licensing agents and toy companies from around the world. With such a strong attendance, one less positive thought crossed my mind: is the Licensing industry really bucking the trend of other industries or have we all got our fingers crossed behind our backs as we make those deals!

--

Eric Belloso, Bondi Band

BLE has been for some years already THE reference in the European Licensing industry. This year, the show confirmed this trend and the mix of quantity of people travelling over to London and the quality of decision making people attending the show made no doubt that this fair is by far the best show in Europe for our industry. Furthermore, the most important players of the parties involved in this business (licensors, agents, licensees and retailers) were attending the show and this create a great opportunity to meet everybody in three days without having to travel European or worldwide to see those people. Lastly, the dimension of this show makes it “human” and totally manageable with a rhythm of 30 minutes meeting. If you add to all those elements the great level of conferences, there is, at least from my side, nothing to complain about!! I’ll be back next year!!

--

Helen Howells, HoHo Entertainment

This year saw Hoho's first outing at Brand Licensing show and it was a big step to take for a small, new production company. But we had a great show and a very positive reaction to the launch of our first pre-school series, Cloudbabies. We will definitely be back next year - my only bug bear – having to try and organise next year's space right in the middle of the show.

--

Morag Lloyds

This was my first year with my own stand at B.L.E. As an artist it was a fantastic experience for me. It has opened up so many doors allowing me to talk directly to buyers, and to be able to show and discuss my work with some fantastic contacts that I just would never had had the opportunity to talk to had I not been there. I have learnt so much about art licensing in the process. The other thing I really found so helpful was meeting other artists and sharing experiences. I cant wait for BLE 2012.
--

Luma Creative, creators of the Magic Belles
We're used to attending as prospective licensees, so this was the first year that we were on the other side of the fence. We have to say, it was a lot more fun being on this side! Hard work, but fun! We had a busy three days. The bulk of our meetings were pre-arranged through our agent DCD Publishing, but we also had a good amount of unexpected visitors - including some very exciting new contacts. I think it helped that we were new and that nobody had seen the brand before. It piqued peoples' interest.
The show seemed busy and we were surprised by the amount of Italians who visited our stand and who seemed to be wandering the aisles. It seemed like we weren't in London at times.
Day three was the calmest, which is what we were expecting, though it's when we had some of our strongest meetings. That said, we couldn't help thinking that two slightly longer days would be better than three - if only for our hoarse voices!
All in all, it was a great experience and we made some very promising contacts. We're already in the process of booking our stand for next year!
--

Chris Jolly, Brand Director, The Feelings

Exhibiting for the first time with the launch of The Feelings at this year’s Brand Licensing Europe, we had a great reaction by many expressing that we had created something new and original which was long overdue. "The Feeling" we got from people was that they were bored of the same old properties with nothing new and original being introduced to Licensing, even re hashing many older properties to fill the gaps, its time for something new.

--

Cathy Snow, Trading Manager, RSPCA

As this was the first year our new style guide and licensed artwork has been available we (RSPCA) were cautiously optimistic regarding the response. So we were delighted at the overwhelmingly positive comments from potential licensees and retailers. We came away with plenty of new contacts and some fantastic opportunities. I don't think we could replicate the same level of interest at any other event.

--

Jane Garner, Director, Kilogrammedia

BLE just seems to get busier and better each year – most of our UK based clients exhibit and the feedback from them all has been very positive. The extra day is very useful and although people tend to look a little weary towards the end of the show it’s because they have been so busy which can only be a good thing!
--

Angela Hall, MD of H&A

Brand Licensing Europe has become a key focus European event for the licensing industry and this year I found it continued to be well supported by UK and European visitors. We are well in touch with the industry and key trends, yet BLE is the perfect opportunity to refresh ourselves on licensing opportunities for H&A. As such, this year we found a brand which we had looked at some time ago and now feel there is a new possibility for us to use.

--

Emilee Feldman, My Mediabox

We noticed a number of new exhibitors and participants in attendance at BLE this year! It was a busy show that allowed a great opportunity to catch up with colleagues and peers within the industry as well as to connect with new ones. This year, more than ever before, we have noticed that participants are eager move forward with online applications such as My Mediabox.
--

Fred Gaffney, Gaffney Global

Best show ever! Changing times. HIT/Mattel. Great fit. Many many opps!

--

Grahame Grassby, Stella Projects
Brand Licensing Europe is an important fair for the Australian market as many of the licensed products distributed in Australia are sourced from UK and European companies.
I really like BLE as it provides a great opportunity for the indie UK properties to be seen.
This year’s fair was upbeat and of particular note was Mattel’s acquisition of Hit Entertainment.
From a TV perspective both Fremantle and Zodiak seem to be doing really well at the moment.

--

Peder Tamm, President, Plus Licens
Having taken part at many fairs during the years, this was one of the best. It was a truly international fair and we could reach out with our world wide rights to clients from countries such as Brazil. China, Turkey and others. The fair proved to be very instrumental for us indeed.
Eva Brannstrom, Executive Vice President, Plus Licens

This years fair is bigger, has more visitors, it's bustling and growing in all the right directions. BLE is more and more becoming THE licensing show for the European Licensing industry. BLE might for us become more important than Vegas in the future. We were also glad to see many of our existing clients there, especially from Eastern Europe and Russia.

--

Saphia Maxamed, LIMA Member Services Manager

Another successful show for us this year. I met up with a number international visitors. Our returned members from Russia and Japan were among those with hectic schedules.
Interestingly, I spoke to a number of Middle Eastern companies and I am looking forward to see the growing numbers of visitors from that part of the world.
It was also very nice to see LIMA global networking party - living up to its name- (gathering an international audience)
Thanks to all attendees who made the party such a success - we will definitely host another party at BLE 2012.

--

Jane Kennedy, Head of Sales, Consumer Products, Zodiak Rights
This year's show was very busy and there was a very positive feeling about the place, the atmosphere really was buzzing. All the attendees, brand owners, licensees and buyers alike, seemed to be very active, busy and enthusiastic which is always a great sign. Deals were being done on the stands and it was great to see retail attendance was high again this year. The third day was still generally quieter, however it gave us a change to accommodate all the walk up enquiries we had on the first two days. It’s also good that it fell after MIPCOM this year as we were really able to give the most up-to-date TV sales info to support our brands.

--

Sandra Vauthier-Cellier, 4Kids/4sight:
We got quite a bit of walk up traffic which is a good indication that our booth displays work and people were intrigued to find out more about Max Adventures and Chicaloca. Having the dogs on the stand on Tuesday helped as well, they were an absolute hit with everyone and people enquired about The Kennel Club. We also had Max Adventures ice cream which was a good ‘ice – breaker’ (pardon the pun).

--
Simon Kay AT New Media
Overall impression of the show: less people, higher quality leads. We prefer that.
--
Tristan McGee. Hari’s World
Our primary focus for the event was to attract Hari’s World Licensing Representation however aside of our programmed meetings there was an encouraging level of interest from those walking by and experiencing the opportunity of the Hari’s World Brand for the first time and we are now amidst a positive follow-up!

--
Rob Corney, Bulldog Licensing
This year's BLE was a superb show. Perhaps the pre-show expectations were lower than normal given the bigger picture in the economy, but it seemed like the most positive show for years with both licensees and retailers actively seeking out new opportunities to bring excellent brands and innovative product to market.

--
Morten Geschwendtner, Ink
The show went very well for us. We believe the attendance was up when looking at people from our markets which is positive. Compared to Vegas, where we mainly meet licensors, at BLE we meet licensors and licensees together and deals are initiated. The present economic situation makes people focus on the long term brands where the risk is not as big as new brands…
--
Kirsty Guthrie, Pip the Cat
We had a fantastic show with the very best of visitors – both licensees and retailers. The state of the current economic market was discussed with many but there doesn’t seem to be the doom and gloom outlook that there was over a year ago. Overall impression of the show. An excellent show for Pip the Cat. The best so far!

--
Janet Woodward JELC:

The show was surprisingly buoyant and busy, and we were delighted with the response. For a small company such as ours, BLE is a huge commitment and it is always a relief when it proves successful for us.

--
Vickie Corner, V&S Entertainment
BLE 2011 was our debut outing for Everything's Rosie and we had a very positive response. We had a superb reaction from existing licensees, potential new licensees and retailers which goes to show that despite the current economic climate, if a property strikes a chord with the licensing community and its consumer fanbase then it will make a mark.

--
Matthew Reynolds, Pedigree
I felt it was a strong turnout and it was great to see key retailers attending across multiple categories. There is obviously the wider economic situation hanging around us all, whoever you are big or small. However big brands & licensing are always key tools to build your way out of these challenging times, this is particularly important to Pedigree as securing the best licenses is a key part of our company purpose and ongoing strategy.
--

Carole Postal, President, CopCorp Licensing
As an American agency exhibiting at BLE, we were able to meet with partners and potential partners not just from Western Europe but also Central Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India and even Australia at this show. Even though BLE is smaller than Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, we come to London every year because we know we’ll get to see many people who don’t go to Vegas. Meeting people in person is still important to us. When building and growing successful global licensing programs for non-media properties such as It’s Happy Bunny, Pink Cookie, Barcode Kitties, Zoodorable, and Tom Arma, we know it’s essential that sub-agents, licensees and other licensing partners have a real affinity and genuine enthusiasm for our brands. Face-to-face meetings are still the best way to gauge and stoke that enthusiasm and that’s why we love BLE.
Jodi Gottlieb, Vice President – Licensing & Creative Services, CopCorp Licensing
This was the first time CopCorp has taken its own exhibitor booth at BLE so this was my first year at the show and I thought it was great. Traffic was good and the size and layout of the show were very manageable. Traffic was definitely slower on the third day but I used that as an opportunity to walk around a bit. I liked that there weren’t any gigantic booths since that made it much easier and more enjoyable to see and talk to everyone. We kept our own booth simple and focused but I think it was also very effective having our various properties – including It’s Happy Bunny, Barcode Kitties, Crusade, Fiona & The Funky Pirates, (not so) Scary Monsters, Pink Cookie, Ringling Bros., Tom Arma, and Zoodorable – all together in one place for people to see.

--

Roger Bull, Owner, Consultants in Intellectual Property Ltd

It was very buzzy this year. Good for me and enjoyed the atmosphere generally. Attended first two days.

--

Nigel Crick

I was a first timer on Tuesday and I really enjoyed the show. Met loads of people I didn't expect to see. There seemed to be a good positive atmosphere. I will be visiting again next year but for more than a day.

--

Lauren Sizeland, Director of Business Development & Licensing, V and A Licensing

It was a great show. It felt as if there were more visitors and we were positioned in the same place, so a fair comparison year on year.

The economy wasn't influencing conversations - the enthusiasm for the V&A brand and associated opportunities was the overriding interest for us

I think international attendance increased from Eastern Europe and USA.

There were disappointingly few retailers - I understand all the gift buyers were in Hong Kong for the Mega Show, as it's the key trade show for gift buyers to attend.

However, we had good walk-up traffic. The majority of our visitors were not expected and much more worthwhile than in previous years

Although the third day started quiet, the day picked up - partly because it's the day I arrange meetings in advance, so makes the most of an otherwise potentially quiet day. Interestingly it was better overall than the third day at Licensing Expo!

As the early morning, particularly on day 2 and 3 are relatively dead and many meetings needed to continue after 5pm, it would make sense to change the hours to start at 9.30 or 10am (which would also help avoid the hideous travel experience exhibitors have to arrive before 9am) and finish at 5.30 or 6pm.

We've signed up for a stand in 2012.

--

Mark Kingston, Nickelodeon
There was a fantastic atmosphere and a real buzz at BLE this year. With great attendance across licencees, retailers & promotional partners, the three days were a massive success. From Nickelodeon’s point of view we wanted to showcase our portfolio, build our partnerships and make a statement about our intentions for the year ahead. We definitely achieved on all these levels. Our diaries were filled with back to back meetings with key partners and retailers, we generated some great business opportunities and made a number of news announcements about our new deals. BLE is an invaluable event in the calendar and we’re looking forward to next year already.
--

Thursday 3 November 2011

Industry opinions on BLE.. continued

Brand Licensing Europe 2011 took place from the 18-20 October, and had busy halls and a good vibe, especially on the first and second days.

As a snapshot of the growing number of international visitors, Total Licensing received digital subscriptions at the show from people from 42 countries.

What did you think of Brand Licensing Europe 2011?

As opinions come filtering through and news of business deals signed and agreements forming, let us know how you thought the show went for you and your company.

--

Nichola Durbridge, The Copyright Group

Linda and I only re-acquired The Copyrights Group on 4th October so the new Copyrights' licensing team of myself, Linda, Polly Emery and Rachel Clarke had to hit the ground running for Brand Licensing Show. It was a busy and positive show for us with really good licensee meetings and strong international attendance. We received congratulations on the re-emergence of Copyrights from many licensees and fellow agents as we walked the show and this re-affirmed our belief that there is still a place for an independent service-orientated licensing agency in today's industry. We are looking forward to following up the many leads from the Show.

--

Roger Bull, Managing Director, Consultants in Intellectual Property

It was a very good event this year. I was really busy on day 1 and 2, didn't attend day 3.
General atmosphere very lively and happy, good catering and coffee. I'm saving up for Las Vegas next year. Well done to the team
--

Ian Downes, Start Licensing

I thought the show was fairly busy and seemed to deliver a good volume of visitors. We met new licensees, some retail buyers and of course existing customers. I think the latter category of visitors are important to acknowledge and the fact that BLE creates a really good forum to coordinate with existing customers. The show helps create focus and momentum. I would like to see some new categories of companies attend the show – I think licensing is mature enough now to push into new areas and sectors of business – for example people from the leisure sector.

I also think Advanstar/LIMA should consider a separate event which is aimed at suppliers such as Lawyers/Accountancy firms who can have a forum to sell to companies like our own. I am keen to met companies like this but not at BLE – I think it warrants its own market. I think an extra hour on day one and/or two would have been welcome. We would always like more retail visits but we did well in that sector – I do worry that retail buyers are restricted by pre ordained schedules and maybe we could open at 8am one morning for buyers only so they could walk the show. All in all a good show for us but I think licensees need to accept that licenses have a value and we can’t sanction no advance , no guarantee deals ‘because of the economy’ – Intellectual Property is a commodity that has a cost associated with it in terms of development , maintenance and ownership.

--

Richard Bickersteth, Managing Director, Looking Forward Productions

Our attendance at Brand Licensing Europe this year was focused on promoting the launch of the new preschool show Gombby’s Green Island from our Portuguese client Big Storm Studios, which is already securing strong TV ratings in Spain and Portugal. BLE felt much busier and far more international than last year. As a result it was the perfect event to introduce a client to the best in class licensing agents and toy companies from around the world. With such a strong attendance, one less positive thought crossed my mind: is the Licensing industry really bucking the trend of other industries or have we all got our fingers crossed behind our backs as we make those deals!

--

Eric Belloso, Bondi Band

BLE has been for some years already THE reference in the European Licensing industry. This year, the show confirmed this trend and the mix of quantity of people travelling over to London and the quality of decision making people attending the show made no doubt that this fair is by far the best show in Europe for our industry. Furthermore, the most important players of the parties involved in this business (licensors, agents, licensees and retailers) were attending the show and this create a great opportunity to meet everybody in three days without having to travel European or worldwide to see those people. Lastly, the dimension of this show makes it “human” and totally manageable with a rhythm of 30 minutes meeting. If you add to all those elements the great level of conferences, there is, at least from my side, nothing to complain about!! I’ll be back next year!!

--

Helen Howells, HoHo Entertainment

This year saw Hoho's first outing at Brand Licensing show and it was a big step to take for a small, new production company. But we had a great show and a very positive reaction to the launch of our first pre-school series, Cloudbabies. We will definitely be back next year - my only bug bear – having to try and organise next year's space right in the middle of the show.

--

Morag Lloyds

This was my first year with my own stand at B.L.E. As an artist it was a fantastic experience for me. It has opened up so many doors allowing me to talk directly to buyers, and to be able to show and discuss my work with some fantastic contacts that I just would never had had the opportunity to talk to had I not been there. I have learnt so much about art licensing in the process. The other thing I really found so helpful was meeting other artists and sharing experiences. I cant wait for BLE 2012.
--

Luma Creative, creators of the Magic Belles
We're used to attending as prospective licensees, so this was the first year that we were on the other side of the fence. We have to say, it was a lot more fun being on this side! Hard work, but fun! We had a busy three days. The bulk of our meetings were pre-arranged through our agent DCD Publishing, but we also had a good amount of unexpected visitors - including some very exciting new contacts. I think it helped that we were new and that nobody had seen the brand before. It piqued peoples' interest.
The show seemed busy and we were surprised by the amount of Italians who visited our stand and who seemed to be wandering the aisles. It seemed like we weren't in London at times.
Day three was the calmest, which is what we were expecting, though it's when we had some of our strongest meetings. That said, we couldn't help thinking that two slightly longer days would be better than three - if only for our hoarse voices!
All in all, it was a great experience and we made some very promising contacts. We're already in the process of booking our stand for next year!
--

Chris Jolly, Brand Director, The Feelings

Exhibiting for the first time with the launch of The Feelings at this year’s Brand Licensing Europe, we had a great reaction by many expressing that we had created something new and original which was long overdue. "The Feeling" we got from people was that they were bored of the same old properties with nothing new and original being introduced to Licensing, even re hashing many older properties to fill the gaps, its time for something new.

--

Cathy Snow, Trading Manager, RSPCA

As this was the first year our new style guide and licensed artwork has been available we (RSPCA) were cautiously optimistic regarding the response. So we were delighted at the overwhelmingly positive comments from potential licensees and retailers. We came away with plenty of new contacts and some fantastic opportunities. I don't think we could replicate the same level of interest at any other event.

--

Jane Garner, Director, Kilogrammedia

BLE just seems to get busier and better each year – most of our UK based clients exhibit and the feedback from them all has been very positive. The extra day is very useful and although people tend to look a little weary towards the end of the show it’s because they have been so busy which can only be a good thing!
--

Angela Hall, MD of H&A

Brand Licensing Europe has become a key focus European event for the licensing industry and this year I found it continued to be well supported by UK and European visitors. We are well in touch with the industry and key trends, yet BLE is the perfect opportunity to refresh ourselves on licensing opportunities for H&A. As such, this year we found a brand which we had looked at some time ago and now feel there is a new possibility for us to use.

--

Emilee Feldman, My Mediabox

We noticed a number of new exhibitors and participants in attendance at BLE this year! It was a busy show that allowed a great opportunity to catch up with colleagues and peers within the industry as well as to connect with new ones. This year, more than ever before, we have noticed that participants are eager move forward with online applications such as My Mediabox.
--

Fred Gaffney, Gaffney Global

Best show ever! Changing times. HIT/Mattel. Great fit. Many many opps!

--

Grahame Grassby, Stella Projects
Brand Licensing Europe is an important fair for the Australian market as many of the licensed products distributed in Australia are sourced from UK and European companies.
I really like BLE as it provides a great opportunity for the indie UK properties to be seen.
This year’s fair was upbeat and of particular note was Mattel’s acquisition of Hit Entertainment.
From a TV perspective both Fremantle and Zodiak seem to be doing really well at the moment.

--

Peder Tamm, President, Plus Licens
Having taken part at many fairs during the years, this was one of the best. It was a truly international fair and we could reach out with our world wide rights to clients from countries such as Brazil. China, Turkey and others. The fair proved to be very instrumental for us indeed.
Eva Brannstrom, Executive Vice President, Plus Licens

This years fair is bigger, has more visitors, it's bustling and growing in all the right directions. BLE is more and more becoming THE licensing show for the European Licensing industry. BLE might for us become more important than Vegas in the future. We were also glad to see many of our existing clients there, especially from Eastern Europe and Russia.

--

Saphia Maxamed, LIMA Member Services Manager

Another successful show for us this year. I met up with a number international visitors. Our returned members from Russia and Japan were among those with hectic schedules.
Interestingly, I spoke to a number of Middle Eastern companies and I am looking forward to see the growing numbers of visitors from that part of the world.
It was also very nice to see LIMA global networking party - living up to its name- (gathering an international audience)
Thanks to all attendees who made the party such a success - we will definitely host another party at BLE 2012.

--

Jane Kennedy, Head of Sales, Consumer Products, Zodiak Rights
This year's show was very busy and there was a very positive feeling about the place, the atmosphere really was buzzing. All the attendees, brand owners, licensees and buyers alike, seemed to be very active, busy and enthusiastic which is always a great sign. Deals were being done on the stands and it was great to see retail attendance was high again this year. The third day was still generally quieter, however it gave us a change to accommodate all the walk up enquiries we had on the first two days. It’s also good that it fell after MIPCOM this year as we were really able to give the most up-to-date TV sales info to support our brands.

--

Sandra Vauthier-Cellier, 4Kids/4sight:
We got quite a bit of walk up traffic which is a good indication that our booth displays work and people were intrigued to find out more about Max Adventures and Chicaloca. Having the dogs on the stand on Tuesday helped as well, they were an absolute hit with everyone and people enquired about The Kennel Club. We also had Max Adventures ice cream which was a good ‘ice – breaker’ (pardon the pun).

--
Simon Kay AT New Media
Overall impression of the show: less people, higher quality leads. We prefer that.
--
Tristan McGee. Hari’s World
Our primary focus for the event was to attract Hari’s World Licensing Representation however aside of our programmed meetings there was an encouraging level of interest from those walking by and experiencing the opportunity of the Hari’s World Brand for the first time and we are now amidst a positive follow-up!

--
Rob Corney, Bulldog Licensing
This year's BLE was a superb show. Perhaps the pre-show expectations were lower than normal given the bigger picture in the economy, but it seemed like the most positive show for years with both licensees and retailers actively seeking out new opportunities to bring excellent brands and innovative product to market.

--
Morten Geschwendtner, Ink
The show went very well for us. We believe the attendance was up when looking at people from our markets which is positive. Compared to Vegas, where we mainly meet licensors, at BLE we meet licensors and licensees together and deals are initiated. The present economic situation makes people focus on the long term brands where the risk is not as big as new brands…
--
Kirsty Guthrie, Pip the Cat
We had a fantastic show with the very best of visitors – both licensees and retailers. The state of the current economic market was discussed with many but there doesn’t seem to be the doom and gloom outlook that there was over a year ago. Overall impression of the show. An excellent show for Pip the Cat. The best so far!

--
Janet Woodward JELC:

The show was surprisingly buoyant and busy, and we were delighted with the response. For a small company such as ours, BLE is a huge commitment and it is always a relief when it proves successful for us.

--
Vickie Corner, V&S Entertainment
BLE 2011 was our debut outing for Everything's Rosie and we had a very positive response. We had a superb reaction from existing licensees, potential new licensees and retailers which goes to show that despite the current economic climate, if a property strikes a chord with the licensing community and its consumer fanbase then it will make a mark.

--
Matthew Reynolds, Pedigree
I felt it was a strong turnout and it was great to see key retailers attending across multiple categories. There is obviously the wider economic situation hanging around us all, whoever you are big or small. However big brands & licensing are always key tools to build your way out of these challenging times, this is particularly important to Pedigree as securing the best licenses is a key part of our company purpose and ongoing strategy.
--

Carole Postal, President, CopCorp Licensing
As an American agency exhibiting at BLE, we were able to meet with partners and potential partners not just from Western Europe but also Central Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India and even Australia at this show. Even though BLE is smaller than Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, we come to London every year because we know we’ll get to see many people who don’t go to Vegas. Meeting people in person is still important to us. When building and growing successful global licensing programs for non-media properties such as It’s Happy Bunny, Pink Cookie, Barcode Kitties, Zoodorable, and Tom Arma, we know it’s essential that sub-agents, licensees and other licensing partners have a real affinity and genuine enthusiasm for our brands. Face-to-face meetings are still the best way to gauge and stoke that enthusiasm and that’s why we love BLE.
Jodi Gottlieb, Vice President – Licensing & Creative Services, CopCorp Licensing
This was the first time CopCorp has taken its own exhibitor booth at BLE so this was my first year at the show and I thought it was great. Traffic was good and the size and layout of the show were very manageable. Traffic was definitely slower on the third day but I used that as an opportunity to walk around a bit. I liked that there weren’t any gigantic booths since that made it much easier and more enjoyable to see and talk to everyone. We kept our own booth simple and focused but I think it was also very effective having our various properties – including It’s Happy Bunny, Barcode Kitties, Crusade, Fiona & The Funky Pirates, (not so) Scary Monsters, Pink Cookie, Ringling Bros., Tom Arma, and Zoodorable – all together in one place for people to see.

Friday 7 October 2011

Après MIP

MIP Junior and MIPCOM, that took place in Cannes, are over for another year, and aside from the beautiful weather, the general consensus from the industry is very positive.
The aisles were packed and many people noted to Total Licensing the sheer volume of 'new' that was around. New animation, either sourced from existing properties or completely new; new programming; and of course, new technology, giving everyone a feeling that times, they are a'changing.
It was also very interesting to attend some of the conferences held in the Russia House area of the exhibition (154 Russian companies attended the show) and here about the market that is now emerging to the rest of the world.
Visitor and exhibitor levels are at their highest since 2007 - another encouraging sign. The usual quote of celebrities attended, including Kiefer Sutherland and Ashley Judd, adding to around 12,500 people in attendance.

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Total Licensing UK Launches!

Welcome to the latest magazine in the Total Licensing portfolio!

As Brand Licensing Europe 2011 fast approaches, we would like to introduce you to our brand new magazine, Total Licensing UK, which is available to view digitally, with the printed edition hitting your desks next week.

This new magazine, which will be available at the show as a standalone copy, and will also be inserted into the main Total Licensing Autumn/Fall issue so that all of our 80,000 readers will be able to read it, takes an in-depth look at the comprehensive UK market, with breaking news, company profiles, brand updates, a look at British licensees, and much more, plus our biggest ever BLE preview to date.

It is important to us at Total Licensing to ensure that our readers are kept up to date with what is happening in the industry, and this is one of the reasons we launched the new magazine. There will be further territory-specific magazines added to our growing portfolio over the course of the next year as well.

You can view Total Licensing UK here:



The Total Licensing Autumn/Fall issue is also available digitally, and printed copies will reach you by next week as well.

In this issue, we have an in-depth look at the huge global trend for 'nostalgia' and all that encompasses, sports branding and licensing, breaking news, opinions from industry executives, spotlights on Russia and Japan, and much, much more.

You can also pick up this issue at BLE - it's one of our biggest to date - and view it by following this link:

Thursday 15 September 2011

The Licensing Awards 2011

We attended The Licensing Awards on the 13th of September, and a top evening was had by all. A record 1300 guests were in attendance, with comedian Greg Davis (headmaster from The Inbetweeners) as host. Licensing Source Book as ever did a fabulous job, well done!


Here's a list of all the winners:

Best Licensed Toys or Games Range

Star Wars Talking Plush Range from Underground Toys

Best Licensed Dress Up or Party Range

Sesame Street Dress Up Costumes from Smiffy’s

Best Licensed Children's Apparel Range

The Gruffalo SS11 Range for Sainsbury's TU from Brecrest Babywear

Best Licensed Adult Apparel Range

Where’s Wally? Underwear and Nightwear for Next from Somerbond

Best Licensed Written, Listening or Learning Range

Peppa Pig Electronic Learning Range from InspirationWorks

Best Licensed Paper Products or Stationery Range

Star Wars Classic Poster and 3D Poster Range from GBeye

Best Licensed Giftware Range

Hello Kitty Nerdy Range from Blueprint Collections

Best Licensed Home Décor, Tableware or Housewares Range

Sophie Conran Buckets Of Fun from Burgon & Ball

Best Licensed Food and Drink Range

Nando’s Food Gift Range from Kimm & Miller UK

Best Licensed Brand Range

Red or Dead Bicycle Collection from Raleigh

The Innovation Award

Volkswagen T1 Camper Van Tent from The Monster Factory

Best Pre-School Retailer of Licensed Products

Asda (includes George@Asda)

Best Kids Retailer of Licensed Products

Next

Best Brands Retailer of Licensed Products

John Lewis

Best Direct Selling Retailer of Licensed Products

Amazon

Top Retailer Award

Next

Best Pre-School Licensed Property

Fireman Sam

Best Schoolers/Tween or Teen Licensed Property

Ben 10

Best Brand Licensed Property

JCB

Best Sports Licensed Property

London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Best Celebrity Licensed Property

JLS

The Best Classic Licensed Property

Star Wars

Best Licensed Marketing Communication 2011 Award

Mr Happy Should've Gone To Specsavers from Chorion

Honorary Achievement Award

John Sinfield

Thursday 21 July 2011

A snapshot into the Korean marketplace


The five-day Seoul Character and Licensing Fair opened on Wednesday alongside the Asia Animation Forum all held, as in recent years at the impressive Coex facility in the heart of the Korean capital.

To those from outside Korea, the show is a curious mix of business to business and business to consumer. The first two days are primarily aimed at the business community whilst the latter three attract over 200,000 consumers – mostly young children.

As with many shows this year, a high percentage of the properties on view were pre-existing; many were shown here last year or in previous years. A notable exception to this rule was Sunwoo who launched their Angry Birds program at the show.

Amongst major multi-national media companies, only Cartoon Network had a presence though representatives from Disney and others were involved in the concurrent Bizmatching sessions where buyers meet experts from around the world.

On the show floor however, the event seemed if anything more Korean and less international than in previous years. Amongst the 200 or so exhibitors there is only a handful of non-Korean exhibitors.

The emphasis, more than ever, was on preschool in general, and vehicles of one sort of another in particular. Samg had a major presence for their Vroomies property which now has over 100 licensed properties whilst Iconix previewed Tayo the Little Bus and Hong-Kong based Good Link focused on Ming the Minibus. Additional vehicular properties include Ava Entertainment’s Heroes of City and Roi Visual’s Robocar Poli.

As you would expect in Korea, the latest technology played its part with properties for gaming and communications and Apps all in evidence and a number of licensees exhibited mobile and tablet accessories and skins.

The show, supported by Government agency Kocca and other official partners is keen to attract exhibitors and more visitors from overseas. However, in essence it is still a very Korean event. More attention needs to be paid to dual-language badges, signage and information along with a structure which will attract the business community before the event before the show will achieve it’s aim to any great extent. If it is a snapshot of the Korean marketplace you are after, this show is the place to be. If you are looking further afield to Asia in general, Hong Kong in January is probably a safer bet.

Tuesday 19 July 2011

This week for TL - South Korea, and the RSPCA

This week, Total Licensing is exhibiting at the Seoul Character & Licensing Fair in South Korea.
The show has been running for nine years, and is a gateway into the Korean, and Asian, content market. Attendance stands at nearly 200,000, with around 200 nati
onal and international exhibitors.
The show is organised by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), Coex, and sp
onsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism.
Check our newsletter for news coming out of the show.

In addition to this,
this week Total Licensing also paid a very interesting visit to the RSPCA in Surrey, to meet with the team responsible for the refresh of the licensing programme. With help from JELC, the RSPCA is really generating interest as a brand.
In 2010, the licensing and retail partners generated enough income to buy
enough food for all the animals in 39 centres, and pay the yearly running costs for one rehoming centre and 10 animal hospitals.
This is yet further evidence of what a diverse industry we work in, and that licensing has moved on beyond recognition, in many areas, than when it first began.

A thanks from us to the kind people at the Chobham branch who took the time to show us the good work they do there as well - although we did manage to come away empty handed! (For now).

Friday 1 July 2011

Licensing show - more opinions rolling in!

The Licensing Expo International, which took place at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, is over for another year. Below, please find some comments from those who also attended the show.

Some of the strong themes from the 2011 show included the continuing trend for nostalgia, and of course many more companies making the foray into gaming.

The International Licensing Excellence Awards took place and winners included Victoria and Albert Museum and Dom Perignon, Hello Kitty, Discovery Communications/The Joester Loria Group, and Toy Story 3 which took the title of Best Licensed Program of the Year.

Opinions varied strongly on the show, with many people claiming that the show had regained some of the positivity and momentum of previous years, and others citing disappointment at the lack of anything ‘new’ in the halls.

The majority of people spoken to agreed, however, that the meetings and talks that were held were all worthwhile - the recent years’ economic downturn having the converse effect of meaning that only people who were there to do serious business attended the show.

Please find comments below from executives from Skechers, Eone Entertainment, King features, Scholastic, Bulldog Licensing, Muhammad Ali Enterprises, Baby Genius, Kilogrammedia, Little Airplane, Start Licensing, V&A, Chorion, MyMediabox, The Wildflower Group, Oxford Limited, CPLG, Penguin Group, Space Enterprises, INK and JELC

What others thought of the show…

“Licensing Expo 2011 was an enormous success for Skechers. With a growing entertainment initiative, very strong public visibility of our brands, and a major press release strategically released on the Monday before the show announcing our licensing agreement with Li & Fung; we were not only booked completely with appointments, but also enjoyed the luxury of a vast array of walk-in prospects that appear, at face value, to be quite promising. Traffic at the Skechers booths, located on one of the main aisles, was very steady. We were particularly excited to welcome visitors from all points of the globe who showed substantive interest in exploring licensing programs for Skechers, Skechers Fitness and Skechers Entertainment. We were impressed not only with the quantity of visitors received, but with the quality of the companies they represented. As a result of our exposure at Licensing Expo, we look forward to announcing many more licensing deals in the near future.”
Paul Flett, Senior Vice President, Global Licensing - Skechers USA

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“Definitely a worthwhile trip, it’s essential to have a presence at this show – it’s expected. Particularly with Peppa just taking off in the US, it was a good chance to showcase the brand. On the UK side, some licensees only make global license agreements so it was great to revisit conversations with potential licensees with US now as a potential too – the feedback was very positive. It’s great to meet up with licensees (both existing and potential) to update on all of our properties, as well as retailers of which there was a very high presence this year. We’ll be back next year.”
Hannah Mungo, Head of UK Licensing – Family, Eone Entertainment

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"In light of the economy, King Features had an excellent Licensing Show. People were there to do business. And aside from the continued growth of our classic properties like Betty Boop and Popeye, King Features enjoyed heavy traffic on high end properties like the art of Romero Britto and our latest exclusive project with Bloomingdale's featuring Vintage Beetle Bailey....

a celebration of classic comic art and high fashion coming this October."
Frank Caruso, Vice President, Creative, King Features

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“The Licensing International Expo has grown in stature and professionalism since it first moved to Las Vegas three years ago. The show provides a valuable opportunity to meet with potential partners from around the world and for attendees to share in the excitement of the latest merchandising and licensing campaigns. I was impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of the participants and the attendees. We found it to be a worthwhile experience.”
Leslye Schaefer, SVP of Marketing and Consumer Products, Scholastic Media.

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“Licensing Show was a phenomenal success for us... Gogo's is now the biggest-selling collectable brand across US retail including Walmart, Walgreens, etc. and so the traffic to the stand was unprecedented as licensees and retailers recognised the sheer scale of the opportunity with a brand which has already taken most other major territories by storm. Right across the Bulldog portfolio, we have top-performing brands, whether we're looking at LIFE and Shoot which have been selected right across top fashion outlets and major gift retailers in the UK through to Monkey which has been picked up extremely widely at retail. International trade was very strong for us with brands like Goochicoo which is now rolling out its UK success into other areas of the world and it was great to meet with a number of the top UK retailers. In fact, I think the only negative about the whole show for us was the fact that the numbering of the floor plan had once again been outsourced to Fibonacci as 'clear' and 'consecutive' were too obvious for Licensing Show.”

Rob Corney, Director, Bulldog Licensing

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“Although it appeared to me that foot traffic was down from previous years, Muhammad Ali Enterprises had a great show. We had a very positive response from licensees and potential partners as we shared our new ALI70 campaign for 2012 and lots of productive meetings.”
Kelly C. Hill, VP Worldwide Licensing, Muhammad Ali Enterprises, LLC

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"It could have not been a better attended show. The show had it all, anything and everything was possible to achieve. From licensing partners to the highest level of retail and strategic partners, our potential success was unlimited.
The Freedman service at the show was fantastic as well. That was a ton of planning.
Thanks to everybody for a job well done.”

Howard Balaban, Founder and Executive VP of New Business, Pacific Entertainment Corporation – Creators of the Baby Genius Brand.

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“As ever the show was very busy for us – most of our clients either exhibit or attend and we’re always keen that they meet with as many members of the press as is viable. I thought perhaps the aisles were a little quiet at some points but also heard that there was a lot of ‘real’ business being done. As ever Eye Candy and The Mix Bar were popular evening hangouts although a bad cold meant that regrettably I saw less of the social life than in previous years.”

Jane Garner, Director, Kilogrammedia PR

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"Licensing Show was like a pinball machine, complete with bells, flashy lights, and the adrenaline that always comes with trying to get the high score. It was an exhilarating three days and, from my point of view, the industry feels healthy and upbeat and ready to roll the dice on exciting new brands, particularly those with a strong on-line presence."

Josh Selig, Founder and President–Little Airplane Productions

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“My view was that the Show was more subdued than before and from a UK point of view less well attended - I would caveat that by saying I was a visitor not an exhibitor but I felt the bigger stands were starting to dominate the show to the detriment of other exhibitors and offsite meetings were impacting floor traffic. Bang on the Door had a stand and did well with visitors from 'emerging' markets such as Brazil - indeed for them markets such as Brazil are showing rapid growth and a good approach to innovate. This is one of the values of this show it does bring together the international community and it is a gateway to international markets - that said as more shows crop up and shows like the London Show are more successful it will be difficult to maintain anequal momentum for all shows. I also felt for such a glitzy city that the show hall , the fabric and structure looked a little tired and it could benefit from some thought in terms of making it a better 'display' venue.”

Ian Downes, Start Licensing

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“We that we found the show quieter than last year. We were in a different location and probably one with a generally lower footfall, so that may be the reason for it being quieter for us. However, on the positive side, a higher proportion of those who enquired seem to be valuable leads for us to follow up and after all we want quality rather than quantity!

It seemed there was a much smaller contingent from the UK also. Perhaps that's because the shows in Europe are more effective and therefore less need for Vegas.

Obviously, I was delighted that we won the LIMA award for Best Art Licensed Brand of the Year and I hope that will help leverage our endeavours to expand into the US.”

Lauren Sizeland, Director of Business Development & Licensing, V&A Licensing

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“This year’s Licensing Expo was even busier than the 2010 show. We had back-to-back meetings with agents, licensees and other partners from around the world. It was particularly interesting to see a growing number of retailers attending the show. As coordinated cross-category licensed programmes become increasingly important, retail buyers want to experience the industry firsthand at Licensing Expo while tracking brand developments and new trends.”

Bettina Koeckler, SVP Licensing EMEA at Chorion

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“This year's licensing show was a great success for Mediabox. The show had it all- from animal mascots parading the show floors to otters and penguins adding to booth decor. We had back-to-back meetings with potential customers and it was great to catch up with our current clients. Our booth was in a great location and it opened a lot of opportunities for us to meet a variety of attendees as they stopped by to grab information and to see what Mediabox is all about.
The show always serves as an invaluable opportunity to learn what is new in the industry, to meet people from around the globe, and to share how Mediabox can help with licensing efforts. We are looking forward to next year's show!”
Caitlyn Blizzard, Sales and Marketing Coordinator, My Mediabox

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“Licensing Show was busier than ever, though the halls seemed strangely empty. We were really happy to see such buzz around Moshi Monsters and Peppa Pig both launching in North America. As always, it was great catching up with licensors and agents outside the UK, not to mention the late nights with colleagues from London. Gaming companies had a much bigger presence this year, and we left the show with two brands in particular that we really, really want to publish. Fingers crossed!”
Eric Huang, Publishing Director, Media and Entertainment, Penguin Group

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"Overall, we found the Licensing Expo to be very good for The Wildflower Group. Girl Scouts of the USA, Pillow Pets, Natural History Museum, and Bunnies By The Bay continued to generate a lot of buzz for us as we finished up pending deals and opened up discussions on new product categories. There was a lot of excitement for our two newest properties – the world-famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the popular app Cut the Rope – especially since mobile apps is a growing category for licensed content, and Cut the Rope is one of the top-selling apps."

Michael Carlisle, principal of The Wildflower Group

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“This was my first trip to the Licensing Expo in Vegas representing the University of Oxford licensing programme and hopefully it won’t be my last. I had an opportunity to meet all our international agents as well as licensees such as Discovery Bay Games at or after the show – it’s great to put a face to a name when you’re new in a job! Plenty of information was exchanged from product and range updates, to the latest news and developments from Oxford Limited, as well as a couple of contracts too. Parties, dinners and drinks kept me more than occupied after the show and of course Vegas itself did not disappoint at all – sunshine, sightseeing and shopping!”

Hannah Aspey, Licensing & Brand Manager, Oxford Limited

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“The Saturday Virgin flight was filled with a good mix of Licensors, Licensees and retailers and this was reinforced with good meetings in and around The Mandalay for the official three days of the show. I hope to be back there next year.”

Mark Hurry, Space Enterprises
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“Overall impression of the show: From the feedback I got, the general feeling seemed to be that there were fewer people at the show than last year and not much ‘buzz’. However, our actual experience as an exhibitor on the Plain Lazy stand was slightly different. It’s certainly the case that we did not have huge numbers of unsolicited meetings. However, those meetings we did have, were with very solid, reputable companies with a genuine interest in the Plain Lazy brand.”
Jane Evans, JELC
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“Making the trip to Vegas is always very valuable for us because it is the one time in the year when we get to see the full line-ups of our biggest partners from the US and consequently the only opportunity we have to show them to our customers. We would have liked to see more of our customers going, but it is a long and expensive trip and several are only attending BLE in London this year.”
Peter Schnohr, Ink
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“Was it a worthwhile trip: Absolutely 100% worthwhile – imperative part of CPLG’s calendar and “Job Done” further cementing our relationships with both licensees and licensors Globally.”
Tim Juckes – CPLG

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“Definitely a worthwhile experience from an acquisition, new business, retailer and manufacturer prospective. This show gathers companies from around the world under one roof for 4 days so from a practical stand point, very easy, efficient and was a very productive trip! This trip also gives us the opportunity to catch up with peers and partners and get updates on trends and industry changes.”

Sandra Vauthier-Cellier

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“While there is serious business to be done on the show floor there is also serious business to be done after hours! It’s a great opportunity to network, catch up with old friends, discuss general business and have fun. For me it was all about the international aspect – and though obviously great to see such a strong British contingent of licensees especially – it was the opportunity to build international relationships. It also provided the opportunity first hand to get a real flavour of the US domestic business, which often sets the benchmark for us on this side of the pond.”

Susan Bolsover, CPLG.