In an exclusive interview, Anna Knight, Senior VP at Informa Markets’ Global Licensing Group, shared some insights into the upcoming 2025 edition of Brand Licensing Europe (BLE), taking place October 7-9, 2025, in London. Join us as we explore what’s next for the licensing industry!
What are the key highlights and new features introduced at this year’s show?
This year, we are focused on Europe. We’ll have a press briefing on day one, which is open to everyone, to reveal very specific data on retail and licensing trends across all European markets presented by Licensing International, Circana and License Global, all giving exclusive reveals.
Our day two keynote will discuss economic retail and brand licensing trends across key European markets with an economist, a trend expert, a major licensing agent and a very prominent retailer.
Our online Event Planner, opening to visitors on July 8, will allow retailers and manufacturers to browse global and regional brands and request meetings to start filling their calendars ahead of the show. Additionally, BLE will feature several sessions focused on how to do business in specific EU markets and, of course, we will have thousands of brands from European and global exhibitors including Paramount, The Pokémon Company International, the LEGO Group, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Discovery Inc, The Smiley Company, STUDIOCANAL, Hasbro, Real Madrid FC, Le Petit Prince, Capcom, Beanstalk – Brand Extension Licensing Agency, Difuzed, emoji company GmbH, Manchester City Football Club and many more. The UK market may be the biggest in the European continent, but we are committed to making the show a truly European experience.
How strong is European and international attendance expected to be this year?
We have consistently strong attendance from the main European licensing territories – France, Italy, Germany and Spain – in addition to the UK of course – and we are seeing the number of key manufacturers, retailers, brand owners and agents from The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg increasing. We’re also starting to see more exhibitors from Central and Eastern Europe and the Nordicsand expect attendee numbers from these regions to also increase. This is common for BLE – exhibitors from a new region come first and visitors follow shortly behind.
We have retailers and manufacturers attend from outside Europe as well. This is where Licensing Expo and BLE are very complementary. Expo represents the global outlook and BLE is where attendees can understand what’s happening in Europe specifically. I think there will be more Asian representation this year, and we are currently in talks with more companies to bring Asia pavilions in.
How is the show spotlighting current major trends in licensing? Are there specific categories or properties gaining momentum this year?
Our day one keynote will focus on the nostalgia trend, with renowned guests discussing how to revive a brand and connect with both old and new generations, exploring the creative processes behind making a brand relevant again.
Gamingwill be one of our key topics as well. It continues to gain traction, especially with the rise of mainstream films based on gaming IP and collaborations across different platforms. We’re seeing people using gaming products for diverse experiences. Anime also remains a significant trend.
Additionally, sportis still an area of interest for us. This year, one of our content sessions will expand beyond football to include Formula 1 and other sports, providing key insights for attendees.
BLE and Licensing Expo represent different geographical regions, and we see that reflected in the content at the shows. You will find character and entertainment, brands and lifestyleand art and design properties at both shows. But, at BLE, for example, you’ll see more fashion brands and participation from fashion manufacturers, as well as an increasing number of heritage brands exhibiting, which makes perfect sense given Europe is the fashion capital of the world and we have so much heritage in each country to draw from.
The world around us is experiencing a troubling time. I think about the ongoing discussion around tariffs and trade and the insights shared at Licensing Expo regarding this issue. How do you think this will affect the show?
At Licensing Expo, we ran a session about tariffs, which offered really practical advice about the situation as it was at the time from people who were living it and breathing it. If, as we get closer to BLE, we feel we need to provide a similar level of advice, we will. It’s obviously a decision to make closer to the time, though I am sure it will come up in a lot of the sessions focusing on the economy and consumer trends.
At Expo, the industry really benefited from being together and being able to discuss challenges face to face, and the conversations I was party to focused on ‘How are we going to get through this?’ and ‘How can we spread the burden with our partners throughout the supply chain so we can minimise the impact on consumers?’ It’s not the first challenge we’ve faced – we’ve also come through supply chain disruption and COVID. We are resilient. We just get more creative and figure stuff out. That’s just the norm now.
Let’s talk about ETA. Who needs one, how easy is it to apply, and is it impacting international attendance in any noticeable way?
International visitors may need to apply for an ETA to enter the UK. There are few exceptions, especially in the business sector. The process is similar to the ESTA application that many of us need to enter the U.S., with an online application that takes about 10 minutes and is quite cost-effective at £16 (around €19). The ETA is valid for multiple entries to the UK – up to six months per visit over a two-year period or until your passport expires.
My recommendation is not to leave this to the last minute, leading to unnecessary panic.
However, I don’t think this will affect attendance at all. The key is to communicate this information clearly and ensure that no one is caught off guard.
Are there specific keywords that define this year’s show?
Definitely European. And in light of what’s happening around the world, hopeful and pragmatic. But also creative, inspirational and meaningful. And, finally, community. BLE has such a strong community feel and that’s such a beautiful feeling when you come into the show.
