Category Archives: Live

Peppa Pig supports Team GB at Tokyo Olympics in new campaign as children’s ambassador

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Hasbro has detailed a new collaboration with Team GB in the UK that will see Peppa Pig join the British Olympic team as a special children’s ambassador to get kids excited for the summer Olympics in Tokyo. The event has been rescheduled from 2020 to 2021, a move that was forced by the world’s lockdown measures.

Big Inspiration for Little Piggies is a new campaign designed to get the nation’s kids moving and into the spirit of the Olympics – set to be one of the most watched sporting events of the year next year – by cheering on their favourite national athletes.

The campaign will be underpinned by a roster of live events, retail activations, digital content, and bespoke merchandise.

“With a year to go until the Olympics there couldn’t be a better time to inspire young kids and their families to get active,” said Hasbro’s Marianne James, VP EMEA consumer products. “Our Big Inspiration for Little Piggies campaign is a great opportunity to tap into the enormous interest surrounding the Olympics to both support the Team GB athletes and nurture a lifelong love of sports in the younger generation that will leave a lasting legacy.”

Partners are already lining up to produce exclusive new consumer products across categories including toys, apparel and accessories, stationery, home gifting and publishing.

The campaign will span multiple touchpoints with a brand-new bespoke style guide featuring innovative new designs that put Peppa and all her friends right into the action with unique sporting outfits and active wear to inspire a range of Team GB licensed merchandise for children, placing the preschool brand in good company with Team GB’s official mascot, Pride The Lion.

New branded content is also being developed across digital channels that will harness the popularity of Peppa Pig and Team GB by encouraging children and families to take advantage of the global sporting event and promote an active, healthy lifestyle.

Throughout summer 2021, Hasbro will be readying a packed calendar of interactive marketing activities that will see Peppa Pig model her very own Team GB kit at various events across the country, sports-related meet-and-greets, experiential displays, retail activations and fun competitions hosted at multiple locations.

The collaboration will kick off with a digital presence in Team GB’s inspired community campaign I Am Team GB from 23rd – 30th July to capitalise on the should-have-been Olympic buzz, and get kids enthusiastic about getting active with Peppa Pig.

Experiential production outfit Gamepath will mark UK launch with immersive Monopoly deal

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Gamepath, a new company dedicated to developing and staging experiential and live gameplay productions in partnership with leading global entertainment brands has launched into the UK. The new outfit will make its UK debut with the launch of an immersive Monopoly experience in collaboration with Hasbro.

Further details of inaugural projects will be revealed in the coming months, but will include partnerships with other major and iconic titles across the gaming and cinematic genres.

Gamepath comes in under the umbrella of H&R Entertainment, the parent company of Selladoor Worldwide theatrical production company. Gamepath’s work will encapsulate the best of escape rooms – a booming global industry – combined with immersive theatrical magic, and innovative translations of much-loved titles in Covid-secure venues in London and beyond.

With the gaming industry in the UK projected to be worth an estimated £23bn by 2023, and the global tabletop board games market projected to be worth more than $12bn by the same year, and with over 10,000 escape rooms in existence worldwide, Gamepath will look to bring new audiences for live entertainment from the growing gaming sector and with a unique fusion of theatrical storytelling, thrilling gameplay and global brands.

Led by head of development Julia Posen, who came to the company from Walker Books and previously BBC Worldwide, the company comprises associate producer Paul Mansfield, development producer Tom Beynon, and is headed up by CEO David Hutchinson and CFO Philip Rowntree.

Hutchinson said: “We’re delighted to launch our new company, Gamepath, dedicated to developing and producing experiential productions in partnership with leading global brands. The gaming sector is a huge industry, and by working alongside household brands developing them into innovative, dynamic live gaming experiences – we’re hoping we can bring a whole host of new audiences to live performance who want to consume entertainment in a different way.”

Posen added: “We’re excited to be working with the leading industry players like Hasbro. For each project we work on, we always seek to ensure the creative heart is worthy of the brand name its based upon. It’s a responsibility taking such iconic properties into a live arena and making sure the experience really delivers something special to our audiences. Our projects will have genuine creative purpose and storytelling that honours all that has gone before.”

H&R Entertainment Ltd is made up of Selladoor Worldwide, I Am Marketing, Desk Tidy Design, and now Gamepath.

Brand Licensing Europe 2020 to be all-virtual event called Festival of Licensing

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Brand Licensing Europe will not be taking place in its physical form this year, but has transitioned to an all-virtual, four-week long global event called Festival of Licensing.

Running from October 6th to 29th this year, the large scale virtual gathering promises to be ‘the most inclusive global licensing event to date,’ and a ‘never-before-seen celebration of the business of brand licensing,’ that will be held in partnership with the industry trade association Licensing International.

Festival of Licensing builds off of the momentum of the Global Licensing Group’s Licensing Week Virtual event which took place in June this year in place of the Las Vegas Licensing Expo. The Festival of Licensing will comprise of four regionally tailored events in key licensing territories.

Week one will run 6th to 8th of October with its focus on the European market, powered by Brand Licensing Europe. Week two will be Asia focused running from 14th to 15th October and powered by Licensing Expo China and Licensing Expo Japan. Week three will be powered by Licensing Expo and will place its focus on the North America and Latin America markets, running from October 20th to 22nd. The fourth week will be a Global C-suite virtual conference, powered by the Licensing Leadership Summit and will be held on October 28th to 29th.

  • Week 1: 6-8 October – Europe, powered by Brand Licensing Europe
  • Week 2: 14-15 October – Asia, powered by Licensing Expo China and Licensing Expo Japan
  • Week 3: 20-22 October – North America and Latin America, powered by Licensing Expo
  • Week 4: 28-29 October – Global C-suite virtual conference – Licensing Leadership Summit

The first three events will be time-zoned around the respective territories they serve and deliver visitors and exhibitors the chance for IP discovery with exclusive brand and property showcases from up to 200 exhibitors and the virtual take on the annual License This! and Pitch the Brands competition finals.

Content wise, Festival of Licensing will host live keynote headliners from the world’s most influential brands that address the most pressing topics of the current and changing business environment, more than 100 hours of live and on-demand, territory and category specific content to guide businesses through the new consumer landscape, and a retailer only space with exclusive content and expert Q&A sessions.

While it won’t entertain the usual Hand and Flower networking sessions, the virtual event will offer ‘thousands of opportunities to meet, do business and strike deals’ through the Festival Matchmaking Service, enabling both pre-planned online video meetings and impromptu exhibitor booth drop ins.

Ticking the Experiences box, while the planned theme of fashion will be postponed until Brand Licensing Europe comes back in its physical form next year, the Festival will host Fully Licensed! a programme of special live daily evening entertainment and experiences in each region. It will also host Community & Wellbeing, a celebration of the global licensing industry, a wide range of career/business advice and mentoring, an industry fundraiser and wellbeing workshops focused on our physical, nutritional, creative, psychological and social needs.

The festival will conclude with Licensing Leadership Summit taking place 28th to 29th October. Originally scheduled as an in-person, senior-level, global gathering of the industry’s C-Suite and thought-leaders from brands, agents, manufacturing and retail, the new virtual offering will draw on key learnings from the previous three weeks and future-looking topics that will facilitate debate and shape the future of the global licensing industry.

Informa Markets’ Global Licensing Group Vice President, Anna Knight, said: “We are incredibly excited to announce Festival of Licensing and proud of the opportunities and experiences it offers to the global licensing industry. Although the decision to transition Brand Licensing Europe to an all-virtual event was a difficult one and we will miss seeing everyone at ExCeL this year, I’m proud that we have a comprehensive offering in its place and look forward to the European event kicking off Festival of Licensing.

“We have had great feedback from June’s Licensing Week Virtual, so we know that there is huge potential and appetite for industry connection during this challenging time when meeting face-to-face is difficult. Our partners are telling us that driving domestic and international connections, discovering new IP and brands and learning how to navigate the new consumer landscape are paramount to the health of forward-planning for the business of brand licensing, and Festival of Licensing will support all of these needs.

“We also want Festival of Licensing to offer amazing experiences for everyone who joins us. One of the joys of virtual is that it can make the previously impossible possible, and we plan to use the power of the platform to fuel the imagination, delight and inspire in a fitting celebration of this industry and the people within it.”

Maura Regan, President, Licensing International, added: “This global virtual event is an exciting platform to provide our members and the broader industry with the connections and tools to continue to move their business forward. Our industry is truly global, and this event promises to bring us all together (while apart) designed expressly to engage and facilitate smart business in real time, regardless of where in the world you may be.”

Brands who are interested in exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities should visit www.festivaloflicensing.com

 

 

Top Drawer confirms virtual event for 2020 as UK gov plans to ease restrictions in October

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The UK lifestyle trade show, Top Drawer – a destination for brands across home, gift, craft, fashion, and greetings – as confirmed that this year’s event will be held virtually, a step taken in light of the current coronavirus pandemic.

The move follows the UK government’s announcement that it will not be easing restrictions on exhibitoins in England until October 1st this year. Clarion Events has now confirmed that the A/W20 edition of Top Drawer will be held virtually.

Show director, Alejandra Campos, said: “While we had hoped we could deliver an event for the community, safely and successfully, we have also been busy planning for such an eventuality. We are now ready to launch Top Drawer virtual, a unique digital alternative that is sure to inspire, engage and connect our community of brands and buyers.

“The support of our exhibitors and visitors over the last few weeks has been incredible, and we are pleased we can provide them with the opportunity to network, forge new business and access the shared learning that they always turn to Top Drawer for.”

Top Drawer’s new digital platform will offer the show’s community new opportunities to network and expand trade. The September programme will provide both UK-based and international buyers easy access to exciting product launches, expert advice, inspiring case studies, next season trends, and much more.

Additional information about the virtual edition of the show will be released in coming weeks.

 

Intellivsion CEO joins Comic-Con@Home panel to talk the future of family gaming

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Intellivision CEO, Tommy Tallarico will be taking centre stage at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con@Home event, alongside a cast of experts in the technology and family gaming space, to discuss just how emerging new tech will shape the future of entertainment.

Intellivision is recognised as a pioneer in the videogaming space, and was one of the first consoles to bring sports licensing into the video gaming arena when it struck up its first US-centric deals with the likes of Major League Baseball in the 1980s. Since then, video games have become an influential part of culture, creativity and connection across the decades.

Tallarico will be joined by the co-founder and CEO of Resolution Games, Tommy Palm, and the tech-entertainment expert and founder of Collabsco, Valerie Vacante for a discussion on how creators are designing new experiences across various platforms to shape the future of family gaming.

Called Transforming Together Time: Family Gaming and the Future of Play, the panel session will take place on Thursday, July 23. The panel will discuss the history and future of gaming, from the console wars, memorable mobile gaming moments and gamifying the world with augmented reality, to taking off into new immersive worlds through VR, voice, and beyond.

According to the latest Verizon research the global gaming market is booming, with 3 billion gamers estimated by 2023. Verizon recently reported a 75 per cent increase in gaming traffic, and according to a recent study by Hasbro, 96 per cent of families playing games feel closer.

“With all of the family togetherness during lockdown, it comes as no surprise that parents are looking for more ways to keep their families engaged and entertained from within the home. We are seeing exponential growth across VR, AR, Voice and Interactive Gaming Market in addition to PC, mobile and console platforms,” said Valerie Vacante, director of strategy at LiveArea and founder of Collabsco.

“Families are spending more time gaming together in new ways than ever before, the near future of gaming is multigenerational, collaborative and immersive.”

Transforming Together Time: Family Gaming and the Future of Play will feature real world examples behind some of the most beloved family gaming experiences and latest announcements. Find out more about the exciting work from Resolution Games, Intellivision Entertainment and Collabsco’s collaborators Virsix Games, Firebolt Games, Rocket Impact and Pressure Games among others.

“Comic-Con is one of the most significant cultural events on the planet. And, VR is quickly emerging to be the ultimate platform where core gamers, Sci-fi and fantasy fanatics, and others can go to immerse themselves in their favourite worlds. Fans can also engage with their favourite characters and games like never before by actually being IN the experience. Seeing these two come together is an exciting sign for what’s to come,” – Tommy Palm, co-founder and CEO at Resolution Games.

“It’s always a huge honour to be a part of Val’s panels. She always brings in the biggest and brightest people at the top of their industries and her commitment to family and fun is boundless.”  – Tommy Tallarico, CEO, Intellivision Entertainment

 

 

 

Licensing International heralds its German event, Day of Licensing a virtual success

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Licensing International has heralded its Day of Licensing – its premier German licensing event usually held in Cologne – as a virtual success, having transposed the conference to an online only event last week.

Over 600 registered visitors attended the virtual show – a change of pace from its usual gathering in Cologne due to the ongoing covid-19 measures – where they got a better look at the franchises and properties driving the industry forward in the near future.

The event hosted a number of brand presentations, many of which are still available for registrants to download, with one presentation bringing in 3,000 views. All together, the Day of Licensing boasts 3.8 terabytes of data for 9.5 hours of content.

“Overall a fantastic, smooth running day, thanks in no small part to the excellent platform-build and back-end support from Blank Promotion,” said Peter Hollo, external lead consultant for Licensing International in Germany. “It’s never easy to translate a physical gathering into a virtual setting, but I’m proud of what we were able accomplish. With this Digital Day of Licensing, I think we’ve set a high bar for future events – a great template for more events of this kind.”

Gisela Abrams, SVP global partnerships, Licensing International, added: “Ensuring that this important event could happen virtually was crucial to us to support our members and the industry. I am grateful to all the participants who engaged with the platform and more importantly, with each other, to make this event such a success.”

The event saw the likes of Alibaba/Alifish executive Alex Tsai offer insights into the world of a giant of commerce in the keynote session, while anchoring the day were video streams from exhibitors including Bavaria Media, CAA-GBG, Edel Kids, Euro Lizenzen, Hasbro, Jochen Schweizer, KIDDINX, Mattel, Playmobil, Pokemon Company, ProSieben Sat1 Licensing, Studio100 Media, Studio71, ViacomCBS Consumer Products, WDR mediagroup, Wildbrain CPLG and ZDF Enterprises.

Attendees also had access to a Matchmaking Area and the Licensing Lounge, which allowed attendees to share fun snapshots into their home offices and pet “colleagues.” All presentations are still available in the “Mediathek,” where they can be downloaded at www.tagderlizenzen.de until July 24, even for new visitors who register now.

 

WildBrain CPLG to build lifestyle licensing programme for The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The entertainment, sport and brand licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG, has signed a deal with The Metropolitan Museum of Art to exclusively represent the iconic New York institution as it looks to build out a licensing programme across EMEA.

Housing it under its Lifestyle division, WildBrain CPLG will assemble a licensing programme for The Met designed to appeal to families, millennials, and a diverse international audience across categories, including homewares, apparel, accessories, stationery, gifting, toys and activities, health and beauty, and collaborations.

The licensing agency will create a merchandise programme that combines The Met’s collections and art works, with the diversity and energy of New York and the museum’s mission to ‘collect, study, conserve and present significant works of art across all times and cultures in order to connect people to creativity, knowledge and ideas.’ The team will initially focus on building product ranges that utilise assets from a cross-section of The Met’s 17 curatorial departments and are tied into current fashion and homeware trends.

Victoria Whellans, group brands director at WildBrain CPLG Lifestyle, said: “The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the world’s most dynamic and inspiring museums and we’re very excited to add this prestigious institution to our expanding Lifestyle portfolio. As we begin building a unique licensing programme which will reinforce The Met as both educational and accessible, we look forward to bringing fresh, authentic and unexpected product ranges to a diverse selection of consumers across EMEA.”

Lisa Silverman Meyers, head of licensing and partnerships at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, added: “WildBrain CPLG has a unique passion for storytelling and shares our belief in the power that museums have to foster understanding through art and culture. Their dedication to our goal of bringing The Met to new places in new ways, paired with WildBrain CPLG’s proven track record of success throughout EMEA makes them an ideal partner for the Museum.”

Founded in 1870, The Metropolitan Museum of Art lives in three iconic sites in New York City – The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. The museum is home to two million works spanning 5,000 years of art and ranks as the most-visited art museum in the Western hemisphere.

The Met is also the number one tourist attraction in New York City, with over seven million visits and 30 million web visitors in 2019. The Met celebrated its 150th anniversary on 13th April 2020.

ToyAid raises over £140,000 for Global’s Make Some Noise covid-19 charity campaign

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Toy Aid, the charitable initiative set up by KidsKnowBest’s Joel Silverman and Wow! Stuff’s Richard North, has revealed the total money raised as part of Global’s Make Some Noise charity campaign to be an impressive £143,075.

The Toy Aid movement’s aim was to raise money for charities that support disadvantaged children, young people and their families – those most vulnerable during the recent pandemic.

Founders Silverman and North have seen ‘massive support from allies all over the toy and licensing industry’, with companies pledging support via monies from the sale of ‘Toy Aid-able’ toys, video games and entertainment products as well as licensing fees and business services.

“There are so many individual thank yous that myself and Richard wish to make (hopefully in person in the not too distant future), commented Silverman. “And special thanks must also go to Ian Downes, Tracey Richardson and Norton PR who all stepped up to show their support from the outset.

“Of course the biggest thank you goes to every single company that has donated money and products to this amazing cause, in no particular order: Smyths Toys Superstore, SEGA, Playmobil, TOMY, Spin Master, ViacomCBS, Ravensburger, Golden Bear, EPOCH, Rubies, Plum Products, Rubik’s, Interplay, KidKreations, Canal Toys, WickedVision, Topps, Winning Moves, Big Potato Games, Retail Monster, Dr Zigs and Products of Change.

“Now Toy Aid is complete, I really hope everyone has positive times ahead and the toy industry as a whole is remembered for the support they gave in a time of need for many families. I never in my wildest dreams thought this would reach £10,000 so to raise over £140,000 is just fantastic.”

Hyve confirms – Autumn Fair 2020 is cancelled

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Hyve, the organising team behind Autumn Fair, has confirmed the cancellation of this year’s home and gift retail industry show.

The announcement arrives following speculation that the show was to be called off owing to the ongoing situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and the social distancing measures and laws around gatherings still in place. This year’s Autumn Fair will now be replaced with a virtual event this September.

Hyve has also confirmed that Spring Fair will continue to take place on the 7th-11th February 2021 and Autumn Fair will return to the NEC on the 5th-8th September 2021.

Hyve and the team behind Autumn Fair are now working closely with partners and clients to deliver a virtual forum this September with exclusive seminar content and practical advice designed to educate and inform participants. More information on the virtual forum will be available on the website in due course.

“We have been listening to both our exhibitors and visitors, and the feedback from the market has been incredibly supportive of Autumn Fair. We’re excited to have the opportunity to take a fresh approach and launch a virtual forum this September,” said Jessica Dawnay, event director, Spring & Autumn Fair.

“We are also looking forward to when the industry can meet again in person and will focus all efforts and resources on helping the industry bounce back in 2021, both at Spring Fair in February 2021, and Autumn Fair taking place 5th-8th September 2021.”

“Autumn Fair is consistently one of our favourite and important exhibitions of the year. That said, the idea of a virtual show is inspired, and I look forward to getting fully involved in showcasing our latest puppet and soft toy collections online,” said Peter Lockey, The Puppet Company Ltd

Autumn Fair and JWF continue to provide exclusive webinars, industry news and product updates that keeps the home and gift retail community informed, connected and inspired on The Community hub.

Cityneon picks up multi-year licensing rights for James Cameron’s Avatar touring exhibition

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Victory Hill Exhibitions, a subsidiary of Cityneon Holdings, has picked up the multi-year licensing rights for a global touring exhibition based on James Cameron’s blockbuster film Avatar. Cityneon will work closely with Disney Location-Based Experiences and James Cameron and Jon Landau’s Lightstorm Entertainment on the venture.

With Avatar set to release the first of four sequels next year, Cityneon will look to curate an engaging experience for audiences to visit worldwide. The state-of-the-art touring exhibition will feature numerous interactive, multi-sensory segments where guests can explore the wonders of Pandora, the distant moon which is the setting for the films.

Ron Tan, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Cityneon, said: “We are honoured to work with Disney and Lightstorm Entertainment. All of us share the same vision of bringing these experiences alive with artistry and inventiveness. We are thrilled to be part of this collaboration. There’s a lot of anticipation for the film’s first sequel, and we’re excited to be part of the global effort to complement the film’s release with a truly immersive experience for fans in various markets.”

Lightstorm Entertainment’s president of franchise development, Kathy Franklin, added: “Our powerful new relationship with Cityneon for this global touring exhibition will play a key role in our continuing expansion of the reach and impact of the Avatar franchise around the world.”

Released in 2009, James Cameron’s Avatar was the highest-grossing film in motion picture history with a box office gross of nearly $2.8 billion, a record held for ten years. Captivating audiences across the globe with its otherworldly visuals and groundbreaking special effects, the film quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. Avatar is set to be followed by four sequels, with the first sequel scheduled for release in December 2021.