Sarah Ward, ceo of The Giftware Association, is getting ready to join fellow judges Victor Caddy, partner, Wynne-Jones and Kelvyn Gardner, managing director, Licensing International (chair), at the live final of Brand Licensing Europe’s BLE License This! competition, which takes place at the show at 1pm on October 3.
The License This! initiative, spearheaded by BLE, is now in its 11th year, and helps to secure unlicensed brands and properties to extend their brands through licensing collaborations.
Eight entrepreneurs have been shortlisted for 2019, following a record number of entries and an intense judging day in London.
The Character & Animation finalists are:
Adorabubbles
Carrot and Toast
Slime Fury (Argentina)
My Little Opera
Noodoll
The Brand & Design finalists are:
Orange and Lilly (Hungary)
Owlasanas
MINU’ Tiny Little Wonders (Italy)
“The contest has evolved as a filter for genuine new licensing talent, not just from the UK but with a great international dimension,” enthuses chair and Licensing International UK managing director Kelvyn Gardner. Having two categories – character & animation and brand & design – has boosted entry numbers and quality, with past winners and finalists having launched successful licensing programmes.
* BLE 2019 takes place at ExCeL London from 1-3 October 2019. Register for free at www.brandlicensing.eu/register-now
