Licensing is a marketing and brand extension tool that is widely used by everyone, from major corporations to small businesses. From entertainment to sports and heritage to corporate brands, all categories can be incorporated into a licensed product to increase brand exposure into consumers' day-to-day lives.

Licensing can extend a brand into new categories, areas of a store or into new stores entirely. Brand licensing is a way for brand owners to increase their current fan base and move into new businesses without major investment in new manufacturing processes. It allows retailers and manufacturers to stand out from the competition and offer consumers the hottest brands as well as drive sales.

A pavilion and keynote address will make the sector a focus at BLE 2019, which will invite studios to come forward and participate. The BLE Animation Pavilion will offer exhibiting options for smaller studios as well as startups in an effort to provide an even playing field for all in attendance at the event to contribute, collaborate and break into the industry. BLE will take place from October 1 to 3 at ExceL London.

BLE Event Director Anna Knight said: “The animation industry in Britain and Europe is so exciting right now—a real cluster of creativity and vibrancy with studios of all sizes producing inspired, innovative and commercially viable content. Just look at Animaccord and Masha and the Bear, Magic Light Pictures and The Gruffalo, Acamar and Bing, Moomin with the new Moominvalley and, of course, the granddaddy of them all, Aardman with Shaun the Sheep and Wallace and Grom it among many others. We want to celebrate these studios, their stories and successes at BLE and give them a platform from which to shout and do business, and we really hope they will jump on the bandwagon and take advantage of all of the opportunities open to them to show retailers and licensees exactly what they have to offer.”