BLE opens its doors

Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) opened its doors today (Tuesday October 7) at ExCeL London with new data from Licensing International and Circana showing that the European licensing industry continues to outperform the wider economy, delivering growth ahead of inflation and strong consumer demand across multiple categories

This latest data reveals that items using the name, logo, characters or designs of another brand, franchise, or intellectual property rose 3.4% in 2024 taking the value of the European brand licensing market to $79.3 billion. Growth was recorded across both Western Europe (+2.9% to $67.4 billion) and Eastern Europe (+5.9% to $11.9 billion).  

In the UK – the largest market in Europe and second only to North America – revenue grew by 1.7% to $17.9 billion. The largest property type in Germany was Characters/Entertainment, which accounted for 61.8% of sales (down from 65.3% the year before). Corporate Brands accounted for 12.6% of sales (up from 8.7% the year before).

What’s not to miss at BLE 2025:

Thousands of license-ready brands 

300 exhibitors. Thousands of license-ready brands in the BLE character & entertainment, brands & lifestyle, sport, and discovery & design zones from Europe and beyond including Crayola, Ginger Betty, Santoro, V&A, 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 more.

View the exhibitor list and brand directory to see the full range of IP. 

First time visitor seminar recommendations:

Wednesday October 8 – 09:15 am: Sip and Share Networking 

Thursday October 9 – 10:00 am: Speed Networking 

Day two keynote (License Global Theatre E200); Wednesday October 8, 12:30pm
Hear about economic, cultural and retail trends across Europe from the points of view of a European retailer, economist, trend expert and major global agent. 

Networking Hub (A291)
New for this year and following a hugely successful launch at Licensing Expo in May, the Networking Hub is powered by Licensing Unlocked and Licensing International to provide workshops, strategic sessions and practical demonstrations to gain actionable insights on real-world strategies to navigate the licensing landscape successfully.

The BLE Character Parades – Wednesday October 8 at 11:30am
Grab a selfie with your favourite characters and follow the parade as it snakes through the show toward the front of Excel. Don’t forget to tag #BLE2025 in your photos!

Pickleball court – swing by to play (D231)
Erve is celebrating its LOTTO partnership by ‘serving’ up a full-size Pickleball court at BLE – everyone is welcome to sign up for a game and there will be very special guests playing at 2:30pm on Wednesday.

F1 area & automotive brands (E251)
Fuel your passion for motorsport by visiting some of the biggest names in automotive racing at BLE.

The Teletubbies’ BIG FUN bus tour (E181)
Come say “EH-OH!” to the Teletubbies’ BIG FUN Double-Decker bus, where the colorful quartet is in the driver’s seat, steering straight for fun including photo ops, quizzes (and prizes) and meet and greets with the icons themselves.

A sweet stop with Strawberry Shortcake (E171)
Roll up to Strawberry Shortcake’s Berry Bestie Bake Truck for a berry special sweet treat! Indulge in cupcakes and macarons inspired by Strawberry and her flavourful friends: Orange Blossom, Lemon Meringue, Raspberry Tarte, Blueberry Muffin, Lime Chiffon, and Apple Dumpling. 

‘Lovely day for a Guinness’ activation (A241)
This activation brings the iconic slogan to life through immersive experiences blending nostalgia with modern appeal. Featuring interactive installations, themed pop-ups, exclusive merchandise and curated zero Guinness tastings.

Retail Lounge cared for by the Care Bears (E141)

An exclusive lounge for retailers to meet, relax and recharge. Registered retailers include Carrefour, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Aldi, Amazon, Charlotte Tilbury, Dunelm, FatFace, Deichmann, Intertoys, LIDL, Miniso, Undiz and World Duty Free. 

Secure a spot on the 2026 Retail Mentoring Programme
Find out more about applying for next year’s Retail Mentoring Programme from BLE’s head of retail Laura Freedman-Dagg in the Retail Lounge (E141).

Themed cafés and bars

• Smurfs’ Cosy Café – C141 hosted by Smurfette, Clumsy and Chef Smurf, this enchanting spot offers a perfect retreat to recharge with specialty beverages and treats.
• Pan Am Sky Bar – C270. Offering attendees a first-class opportunity to connect with industry leaders while enjoying the nostalgic elegance of aviation’s golden era. This iconic lifestyle brand brings nearly 100 years of heritage to BLE’s lounge experience.

And relax… at the… 
Zen Den – stand E151 
Care Bears’ focus on mental health and wellness aligns perfectly with the Zen Den at BLE to offer attendees a space to relax, recharge and prioritise their wellbeing. Stop by at 3pm on Wednesday for a heartwarming hug from Cheer Bear. 

• Massage Lounge – stand F145 
• In partnership with the Community Massage Project, professional massage treatments are available for relaxation and wellness. Visitors pay-what-they-feel and in turn help support gifting free massages to local charities.

The Creative Hub in partnership with Brands Untapped – stand E145 a-c 
Stop by the new Creative Hub for a unique opportunity to connect with the licensing industry’s finest creative talent. 

Register for a free visitor ticket to BLE today – 7-9 October, Excel London

Show dates and times: 

Tuesday October 7: 9am – 5pm
Wednesday 8 October: 9am – 5pm
Thursday 9 October: 9am – 4pm