LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / October 2, 2024 / Brand Licensing Europe was the biggest ever, breaking previous record levels of attendee and retailer visitor numbers; a fitting way to celebrate the event's 25th anniversary.
By midday on the final day (Thursday 26 September) and with four hours of meetings still to go, BLE had broken the following records: Overall attendee numbers were nearly 11,000. Record retail visitors were more than 1,400 up 46% on 2019 and 22% on 2023. Record visitor numbers from mainland Europe and over 240 exhibiting companies, a 5% increase from 2023. Attendees from 172 countries were delighted by the buzz, diversity and number of brands on show floor.
Anna Clarke, SVP Licensing, Informa Markets, said: "What a fitting way to celebrate BLE's 25th anniversary by breaking all previous records held by the show. It is testament to the hard work, commitment and passion of an amazing team who really care about delivering the very best event for this industry. On behalf of them and me, thank you again to everyone in the European licensing industry that supports us year after year - attendees, exhibitors, partners, retailers, media and more. It means everything."
Retailers attending BLE this year include Aldi, Asda, ASOS, Bargain Max, Bershka, Boots, C&A, Celio, Dexy Co, Dick's Sporting Goods, Dunelm, El Corte Ingles, Forbidden Planet, Frasers Group, H&M, Habitat, JENNYFER, Lidl, LUSH, Mango, Marks & Spencer, Mercadona, Miniso, Next, PEP, Pets at Home, Poundland, Primark, Pull&Bear, Reiss, Sainsbury's, Selfridges, Specsavers, Stradivarius, Tesco, Undiz, Uniqlo, Urban Outfitters, WH Smith, Zara, Zavvi and many more.
BLE's head of retail Laura Freedman-Dagg said: "Retail attendance at BLE has grown once again to record levels and we're delighted with the category and geographical representation of buyers coming to the show this year.
"We've had fantastic feedback from retailers on the brands they've been able to meet through pre-booked meetings - which also reached record breaking levels - and ‘shopping the show floor' for product inspiration and unexpected new connections. We work hard to bring new retailers to the show each year and there's nothing more gratifying than seeing them walking the show and engaging with our exhibitors who, once again, have really brought their A-game."
Additional highlights:
242 exhibiting companies, a 5% YOY increase, including more than 60 new exhibiting companies.
10% increase in meetings over last year, over 6,200 meetings arranged through the BLE online Event Planner.
Earlier in the week, BLE organisers celebrated the show's 25th anniversary with a birthday party and photocall with many licensing professionals who attended that first even in 1999 and still attend today.
SAVE THE DATE: BLE 2025 will take place 7-9 October at ExCeL London.
About Brand Licensing Europe
Launched in 1998, Brand Licensing Europe is the only pan-European annual event dedicated to licensing and brand extension. The London event features over 2,500 brands and more than 7,500 licensees, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and licensing agents. Brand Licensing Europe is a part of the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, the licensing industry's leading trade show organiser and media partner. Its mission is to provide licensing opportunities around the world by bringing brands and products together. 
About License Global
License Global, a part of the Global Licensing Group, is the leading publication for the brand licensing industry, delivering award-winning editorial content, including news, trends, analysis and special reports about the global consumer product and retail marketplace. Through its magazine, website, daily e-newsletter, webinars, videos and event publications, License Global reaches more than 150,000 executives and professionals in all major markets. The magazine also serves as the official publication for the sector's trade events, which include Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Shanghai and the Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit.
About Global Licensing Group  
The Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, a subsidiary of Informa plc (LON:INF), is the licensing industry's leading tradeshow organizer and media partner. Its mission is to provide licensing opportunities around the world by bringing brands and products together. The following events and information products are produced for the licensing industry by the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets: Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Shanghai, Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit License Global magazine, licenseglobal.com and License Global Daily E-News. Global Licensing Group events are sponsored by Licensing International.   
About Licensing International     
Licensing International is the leading trade organization for the $340+ billion global brand licensing industry. Licensing International's mission is to foster the growth and expansion of brand licensing around the world, raise the level of professionalism for licensing practitioners, and create greater awareness of the benefits of licensing to the business community at large. Founded in 1985, more than 1,500 Licensing International member companies in over 40 countries enjoy access to an array of benefits, including extensive educational programming and worldwide networking events. Visit www.LicensingInternational.org for more information.    
Media Contacts:
Global Licensing Group PR
[email protected]
Charlie Le Rougetel at BIGTOP
[email protected]
+44 (0)7736 330676 
SOURCE: INFORMA MARKETS - GLOBAL LICENSING GROUP