Licensing Expo dated for August 10-12, while BLE will run from November 17-19; both will have in-person and online experiences.
Global Licensing Group has today (December 10) confirmed the 2021 dates and a new event format for both Licensing Expo and Brand Licensing Europe.
Licensing Expo will take place live and in-person at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on August 10-12. Accompanying the trade show is an online event, which will be held two weeks later on August 24-25.
Brand Licensing Europe, meanwhile, will take place live and in-person at ExCeL London on November 17-19, 2021, with an online event also following two weeks later on November 30-December 1, 2021.
Global Licensing Group – which is a division of Informa Markets – believes the shift to a multi-platform format will ‘blend the best components of in-person and online to create an enhanced experience for all participants no matter their circumstances or location’.
Supported by the online platform, exhibitors and visitors will have access before, during and after the events to schedule and host meetings, watch on-demand content and search for a wide range of properties.
Both the Las Vegas and London events will be organised in accordance with Informa’s AllSecure health and safety standards designed to ensure all participants can attend events safely and with confidence.
“We truly understand the importance of relationships and in-person connections to the licensing industry and have therefore made the decision to move both events to a time later in the calendar year,” said Anna Knight, vp of the Global Licensing Group. “In addition, we have also seen a fantastic response to Licensing Week Virtual, which we ran in June, and October’s month-long celebration Festival of Licensing.
“Following consultation with many of our customers, we have decided to carry forward the successful elements of these virtual events and learnings from them to run alongside our in-person events in 2021 and beyond. Multi-platform events are definitely the future, and the combination of live and online offers no limits to global participation.”
Maura Regan, president of Licensing International, Global Licensing Group’s event sponsor, added: “I know I’m not alone in eagerly anticipating the moment when we can all gather again in person, and this revised timeframe and hybrid solution for our industry’s two flagship gatherings will offer the best chance for that to happen soon and safely.
“While we certainly learned this year that nothing can replace actual face-to-face interaction, the unique value of virtual events is their global accessibility. This plan for the 2021 iterations of Licensing Expo and BLE will allow us to have the best of both worlds.”
