As Brand Licensing Europe prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Unique Party’s vice president and general manager Jim Cairns explains why Europe’s biggest licensing trade show is essential to the party trade.
Anyone who’s anyone in the licensing trade will be heading to London’s Olympia this autumn as Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) opens its doors for the 20th time. Taking place from 9 – 11 October, BLE is the holy grail for all things related to celebrating the product extension of popular brands and characters – and that, of course, includes costumes and other party products.
“Licensing can be a total gamble,” says Jim. “What proves to be a raging success in some categories sometimes doesn’t translate to others! Maintaining close relationships with licensors and retailers allows us to keep up-to-ate and BLE helps us achieve this. Although not an exact guarantee of success, this is a major contributing factor in ensuring the best possible performance of a brand.”
Jim admits that, ultimately; “Unique Party is always looking for the ‘next big thing’, as is everyone – exciting brands that fit perfectly into our portfolio. We recently signed Hatchimals and L.O.L Surprise – two truly special brands which reflect the essence of our core target demographic.”
According to Jim, Unique Party’s licensing portfolio has grown significantly over the years since it started attending BLE. “We continue to sign major brands,” he added, “which delights our customers!”
