As Brand Licensing Europe prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Dana Baars, head of marketing for OppoSuits, 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 is important for us and so is BLE,” begins Dana. “Because we are a global brand it’s great to connect with our licensing partners there who are more focused on Europe. Also, we are based in Amsterdam so London is not that far away!”
The team at OppoSuits is always looking for new trends and Dana explains that’s why it’s great to connect with licensing partners in person at BLE, saying: “They have the best insights on properties and assets that would be a fit for our brand.”
“Overall it’s good to see that there are a lot of smaller licensors and properties that have found their place within the industry,” Dana adds. “Social media and online video are playing an important role in that of course, as they make it easier for brands to connect with their audience.”