Category Archives: Live

Brands & Retail Pitch Smarter Summer Conference set for 6 & 7 July

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Following huge support for the Winter Pitch Smarter Conference from the UK’s consumer product and retail industry, Ryan Beaird, Event Director for Brands & Retail UK, has announced there will be a Summer Conference in July.

Taking place on 6–7 July 2022, again at the British Library, the event will close with a Summer Terrace Party for over 200 industry executives at the end of Day 2.

“The support from licensors, licensees and retail buyers has been phenomenal for the Winter Conference and demand was so high I had a reserve list of licensors wanting to book pitching slots, which meant I had to expand the show,” says Beaird.

“I am delighted that Acamar Films, Mattel and ViacomCBS are supporting the new summer event, having taken the first three slots on Day 2, and I will be announcing more great brands who have reserved slots very shortly.

“I now want to open the event up to sports, charity, publishing, heritage, commercial/lifestyle brands, so planning is going into bringing these licensors into the conference and giving them the opportunity to share their updates and their fantastic brands to a room full of licensees and retailers.

“I am working with the British Library events team on holding the conference party on their amazing Roof Terrace which will be welcome news to those reading this. I think we are all longing for sunshine and being outside again.

“I am also delighted to confirm that the conference price for the audience will stay the same – 100 per cent FREE.”

Free registration for the Brands & Retail UK Pitch Smarter Summer Conference will go live on 25 February 2022.

For more information about taking part, visit www.brandsretail.uk or contact Ryan Beaird at Ryan.Beaird@BrandsRetail.uk.

Twenty tickets (at time of press) are still available for the Winter party at the Ivy Club on 24 February. Priced at £75 each, they are available from the website.

 

Twycross Zoo unveils Gruffalo Discovery Land

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Leading conservation charity Twycross Zoo has announced that a multi-million pound major new development, The Gruffalo Discovery Land, will open this spring, in a UK first. 

The new four-acre attraction, located at the Warwickshire zoo, brings together the much-loved characters from best-selling children’s book The Gruffalo, created by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, and a conservation organisation that exists to protect wildlife, preserve endangered species and educate the next generation on the importance of protecting our planet.

Twycross Zoo’s aim for the new experience, developed in partnership with The Gruffalo brand owners Magic Light Pictures, is to inspire and inform more children than ever before about the importance of conservation and the natural world. Featuring real-life animals, animatronics, film clips and much more, The Gruffalo Discovery Land at Twycross Zoo will allow visitors to encounter Fox, Snake, Owl, Mouse and the Gruffalo along their interactive journey through the Deep Dark Wood.

The announcement comes following research by Twycross Zoo that reveals over three quarters of children, as young as four, have a good or extensive understanding of extinction or endangered animals. However, when it comes to the solution, only 16 per cent have a strong understanding of how conservation efforts could help to tackle climate change, showing that more needs to be done to educate the next generation on how they can help to protect our planet.

Sixty-five per cent of parents believe that the less time children spend outdoors, the less they appreciate wildlife and nature, and 85 per cent of parents feel that imaginary characters from books, such as The Gruffalo, have a positive impact on children’s understanding of conservation, and play an important role in encouraging their children to care about wildlife.

Dr Sharon Redrobe OBE, CEO of Twycross Zoo, says: “We hope to spark the imaginations of our youngest visitors about the wonders of nature in this most engaging and interactive way. Even small actions can, collectively, have a big impact on the future health of our planet – and every young person can play their part.

“The arrival of The Gruffalo Discovery Land moves us closer to achieving our 2030 vision to become a European Centre of Excellence for conservation. This brand-new immersive experience will educate more young children than ever before and increase their understanding of the vital role that they will play to ensure our planet thrives in the future.”

The Gruffalo Discovery Land at Twycross Zoo will open in Spring 2022. For further details, visit www.twycrosszoo.org/the-gruffalo-discovery-land/

Aardman and Wild in Art announce creative partnership

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Animation studio Aardman has entered into a creative partnership with Wild in Art that will produce public art trails featuring sculptures of well-loved characters Morph and Shaun the Sheep in towns and cities across Britain, from January 2022.

The characters will provide a 3D canvas, and creative inspiration, for a wealth of art and design from a carefully curated mix of well-known and emerging artists. The new trails will further Wild in Art’s mission to bring art out of the gallery and create shared experiences, whilst the learning programmes and activations develop the next generation of artists.

The first-ever sculpture trail to feature Morph launched on 29 January this year when ‘Morph’s Epic Art Adventure’ arrived in North Tyneside. This first event, hosted by North Tyneside Council, will see Morph of the North with twenty 1.8m-tall Morph sculptures decorated by commissioned artists from across the country with a wide range of themes, including floral, character designs and plays on the word ‘Morph’.

This is the second Wild in Art trail to take place in and around North Tyneside Town Centre, following the hugely successful delivery of The Snowman and The Snowdog in Winter 2020. The aim is to drive footfall into town centres, supporting the local economy, whilst also encouraging families to get outdoors and active, and nurture an interest in art and creativity in the community.

The opportunity to host a ‘Morph’s Epic Art Adventure’ trail is open to towns and cities across the UK. Shaun the Sheep will be the second collaboration as part of this new partnership, and news and opportunities for this concept will be announced soon.

Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co-founder of Wild in Art said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Aardman and to bring these internationally renowned characters to art trails across the UK.

“Morph and Shaun the Sheep will bring colour and creativity to host locations. Each sculpture will be a conversation starter, with a different story to tell, allowing residents and visitors to explore their town or city from a different perspective. It’s a Covid-friendly way for people to socialise, support local artists and our charity partners/a local charity and enjoy some exercise in the fresh air.

“We’ve got some exciting plans in development and we look forward to revealing more host locations in the coming months.”

Rob Goodchild , Commercial Director at Aardman, added: “We are very happy to be working with the great team at Wild in Art to bring more art trails featuring our characters to the streets of the UK, including the inaugural Morph art trail – a character that’s encouraged creativity in generations of kids since the seventies. We look forward to finding fun and creative angles to connect our characters with each location and inspire people – young and old – to get creative.”

 

 

Licensing Expo to return to Las Vegas in May 2022

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Licensing Expo, the world’s largest licensing trade show, will return to Las Vegas from May 24-26, 2022, reconnecting the global licensing industry in person for the first time since 2019.

Organised by Informa Markets in partnership with industry trade association Licensing International (which has served as the exclusive Licensing Expo sponsor since its inception), Licensing Expo reconvenes following a two-year hiatus to celebrate its 40th live edition with safety very much at the heart of the experience.

“While we are still living and working during a pandemic, the health and safety of everyone attending Licensing Expo will remain our number one priority, and this year’s event has been specifically designed to account for varying levels of attendee comfort with a range of options to suit, whether that’s a preference for one-on-one interaction or to maintain physical distance,” says Anna Knight, VP of Licensing, Informa Markets.

Robust safety measures
All Licensing Expo participants will be required to wear a face mask while indoors at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center (MBCC) and present proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test. Mask wearing will be monitored by the Informa organising team, who are also recommending that participants take a Covid-19 test before leaving their destination to travel to Las Vegas. These safety rules will be in place regardless of Nevada state mandates. Onsite testing will be available off the show floor at the participants’ expense, and this can be used to enter the show or to fulfil any international or domestic pre-departure testing requirements.

“Health and personal wellbeing remain a top priority for us all. As we continue to review and implement vigilant health protocols during this time, we’re excited for the all-important and safe return to Licensing Expo in Las Vegas,” says Licensing International President Maura Regan.

“Bringing licensing professionals from around the world back together in person affords us all opportunities for new partnerships, networking, and learning – and a critical chance to move businesses forward. We’re confident Licensing Expo 2022 will bring the industry back together for a long-awaited reunion!”

Industry support
With four months still to go, the industry is throwing its full support behind Licensing Expo, with exhibiting companies already confirmed, including ViacomCBS, Hasbro, Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Mattel, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Lego, Joester Loria Group, Beanstalk, Buzzfeed, The Pokémon Company, NFL Players Association, Games Workshop, Peanuts Worldwide, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America, Frida Kahlo, Yale University, MGM Studios, Spin Master, BBC Studios, Crayola Properties, BrandComply fuelled by Octane5, and TOPPS/Garbage Pail Kids.

Licensing Expo will also adopt a theme for the first time ever, with 2022 spotlighting Location-Based Experiences: immersive, interactive out of home experiences like theme parks, escape rooms, gaming arcades, amusement parks, bowling alleys, VR worlds, and much more. LBE will be the focal point for one of Licensing Expo’s two in-person keynotes, in addition to interactive LBE activations on the show floor highlighting the creativity and consumer engagement possible when brands and experiences collaborate.

“LBE really suffered during the pandemic lockdowns, but experiences have now reopened to customer delight and the sector is predicted to boom,” explains Anna Knight. “It’s been interesting to note the increasing number of collabs between brands and LBE in recent years. We’re keen to shine a light on this growing licensing category and excited to investigate its future with Licensing Expo attendees.”

Licensing Expo online platform
This year’s event will be supported by the Licensing Expo official online platform, available to all exhibitors and visitors pre, during and post-show, allowing them to browse exhibiting brands & IPs, see who’s attending, view exclusive content and schedule meetings to take place both in-person in Las Vegas and online post-event until June 3.

The platform garnered extremely positive feedback at Brand Licensing Europe in November 2021, which reunited the European licensing community in London after a two-year break.

Anna Knight concludes: “Thousands of retailers, manufacturers and designers attended BLE to meet close to 200 brands, and we received really positive feedback about the importance of BLE and Licensing Expo in driving business for the licensing industry. Hundreds of deals were signed at BLE, so we’re very much looking forward to bringing back Licensing Expo in-person and welcoming everyone to Vegas in May.”

Register for free for Licensing Expo here.

 

Channel 5’s Milkshake! announces UK tour

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Channel 5’s Milkshake! has announced a brand-new live tour show for 2022: Milkshake! Live: Milkshake! Monkey’s Musical.

An all-singing, all-dancing live spectacular starring everyone’s favourite Milkshake! characters, the show will hit the road from February 2022, travelling to over 40 venues around the country, with more dates still to be added.

Milkshake! Monkey will be joined by two Milkshake! presenters plus some of his favourite Milkshake! friends – Paddington, Pip and Posy, Blues Clues & You!, Daisy & Ollie, Milo, Noddy and more.

The tour launches on Saturday 12 February at the Weston-Super-Mare Playhouse and continues through to Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on Sunday 30 October 2022. More dates will be added in due course.

Tickets for all dates are on sale now and available from www.milkshake.tv/milkshakelive.

Geronimo Stilton live experience launches in Milan

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The world premiere of the first Atlantyca Geronimo Stilton exhibition – “GERONIMO STILTON LIVE EXPERIENCE: THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME – is taking place until 20 March 2022 at The Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan.
The exhibition is aimed at children aged 4 to 12 and their families. Visitors will be accompanied by expert Time Ranger guides as they immerse themselves in the lost world of the dinosaurs, the mysterious world of the ancient Egyptians, and the adventurous world of Treasure Island, playing exciting interactive games and solving puzzles on a quest to rescue top rodent reporter Geronimo.
The Geronimo Stilton book series, published in Italy by Edizioni Piemme-Mondadori Libri, has become a global phenomenon with 175 million books translated into 51 languages sold worldwide and three animated series co-produced with Rai Fiction and distributed in over 130 countries. International publishing rights as well as animation and licensing rights are managed by Atlantyca Entertainment worldwide.

“Geronimo Stilton has always had special powers: he manages to make even the most superficial topics interesting and stimulating even for his young fans,” says Claudia Mazzucco, Atlantyca Entertainment CEO. “The exhibition in Milan makes this gift of his even more real and creates a new bridge between the world of adults and that of children. By visiting the exhibition, children will discover new educational content and will  travel through different historical eras, but adults will also have more fun than they have had in a long time. Because Geronimo Stilton always makes us feel playful and eager to make discoveries, just as we were when we were our children’s age.”

For more information see www.geronimostiltonexperience.it

Geronimo Stilton becomes the official children’s virtual tour guide of Pompeii

Spielwarenmesse 2022 cancelled

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Following the cancellation of Toy Fair New York, there was more disappointing news for the international toy sector today with the announcement that the 72nd Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany, will not be taking place.

After weeks of speculation, organisers Spielwarenmesse eG confirmed that the show, slated for 2–6 February, is officially cancelled. As an alternative, exhibitors, specialist retailers and media representatives can meet up on the Spielwarenmesse Digital platform.

“We have fought hard to be able to hold the live event and we received strong support initially from toy markets worldwide,” said Christian Ulrich, Spokesperson of the Executive Board at Spielwarenmesse eG. “A large number of suppliers without international distribution networks appealed to the organisers even in December to continue with the fair, which is so important to international business.

“In the last few days, conditions have been deteriorating and, due to the rapid growth of the Omicron variant, the situation with the pandemic is now markedly different. In response to this a large number of Spielwarenmesse exhibitors, out of concern for the health of their teams, cancelled their stands. The Spielwarenmesse thus no longer looked capable of providing its customary broad overview of the international toy market. A further complication was that it was no longer possible to plan ahead with any certainty because it was possible at any time that the event could be cancelled by the authorities.

“We regret having to make this decision and are grateful to everyone who remained committed to a physical trade fair to the very end,” concluded Ulrich.

A multifunctional platform is available both for exhibitors and for visitors: thanks to Spielwarenmesse Digital, they will still have networking opportunities and the facility to discover the latest trends, within the original timetable of the trade fair.

BREAKING NEWS: Brands & Retail UK Pitch Smarter Conference postponed to 24 February

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Ryan Beaird, Event Director of the first Brands & Retail UK conference (sponsored by Fabacus), has confirmed there is a revised date for the event. The conference will now take place on 24 February 2022 (9am till 6pm) at the British Library (venue unchanged).

The event party will also be taking place on the evening of 24 Feb 2022 at the Ivy Club from 6pm onwards and tickets are now open to the wider licensing industry priced at £75 each.

“I know this has been a very difficult time for companies and their staff so the brands and myself agreed the event should move to late February, which has been a popular decision,” says Ryan.

“All the brands taking part have supported the change of date and I am delighted to confirm the lineup for the conference has not changed. I am also very pleased Warner Bros will now be taking the final slot and closing the event for us.”

The Retail Buyers panel is also unchanged with Ruth Golighlty (ASDA George), Karen Hewitt (character.com) and David Lucas (Studio Retail) answering the audiences’ questions.

Stephen Phipson, CBE CEO of MAKEUK.org, will also deliver the keynote for the new date as well.

“Visitors’ safety was always on my mind and I think we will be in a better position later in February,” concludes Ryan. “I look forward to seeing everyone on the 24th Feb – fit and healthy”.

The event is free for Licensees and Retail Buyers – visit www.BrandsRetail.eventbrite.co.uk

Consultants and service providers are welcome to book a ticket to the networking party at the Ivy Club and watch the Retail Panel and keynote from 4pm. There will be a coach taking attendees to the Ivy club at 6pm.

Ryan can be contacted at by email at Ryan.Beaird@BrandsRetail.uk

Toy Fair New York cancelled

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The Toy Association, producer of Toy Fair New York, has announced the cancellation of Toy Fair New York, originally set to take place, February 19 to 22, 2022 at the Javits Center in New York City.

“Key to our efforts these past two weeks has been the balance of some 700 remaining committed toy manufacturers saying they need and want Toy Fair 2022 to build their businesses, weighing that against those departing and seriously on the fence, and needing to provide a sufficient quantity and quality across the retail buying community necessary to deliver a positive experience,” said Steve Pasierb, President & CEO of The Toy Association. “As that balance has shifted, we are obligated to make the best decision in everyone’s interest no matter how heartbreaking for so many and potentially damaging some business’ future prospects. The wide range of other events that occur across New York City during Toy Fair week are now also impacted.”

Toy Fair New York has a 117-year unparalleled track record of success. It remains The Toy Association’s responsibility to protect business rights, promote toy companies, advocate for members, and help members sell more product – which includes delivering a worthwhile investment in a quality, essential trade event.

“Certainly, there are legitimate concerns around the pandemic that has guided thinking,” added Pasierb. “Many are saying they are very comfortable with being at the Javits Center and at the show given strict health and safety protocols in place, while travel concerns and for some, staff absences due to illness at home, rightfully weigh on their minds.”

With about 700 toy manufacturers who remained committed to exhibiting at Toy Fair, “constant, unfounded rumors” on social media and elsewhere defied The Toy Association’s best efforts to sustain the show amid global uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.

Pasierb concluded: “Delivering a best-in-class next Toy Fair for all the varied audiences it serves so well is now our focus. We will be working with all exhibitors on next steps to unwind February 2022 and build a solid base for visitors from across the world to again experience Toy Fair.”

 

 

Panini America sponsors The MINT Collective

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The MINT Collective presented by eBay, has announced that exclusive trading card partner of the NFL, NBA, UFC, Premier League, FIFA World Cup and WWE, Panini America, will be the first trading card manufacturer to join as an Official Sponsor of the first-of-its-kind event uniting sports collectors, professionals, and investors. The MINT Collective is taking place March 25-27, 2022 in Las Vegas.

Those attending The MINT Collective’s speaker series, MINT Signature Sessions, featuring keynotes from leaders in the industry, will hear from Panini America’s VP of Marketing, Jason Howarth, and receive an exclusive UFC Chronicles White Sparkle parallel card.

“The trading card category has seen unprecedented growth, transforming the category into a global marketplace and as a result bringing new collectors into the market. Panini has experienced this first-hand anchored by the power of our brand IP and expansion of trading cards into new markets,” says Mark Warsop, CEO of Panini America. “We are excited to partner with The MINT Collective to bring collectors and business leaders together from the collectibles world and to deliver a new experience to engage with one another.”

The MINT Collective will celebrate the love of collecting and explore its role in portfolio building and long-term earning potential. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with top collectors and experts, leading sports and collectible brands, investment strategists, and influencers seeking to shape the future of this industry; buy, sell and trade in an exclusive marketplace; take part in an on-site auction; view rare memorabilia at a Collector’s Carnival; and go behind-the-scenes at UFC APEX.

The MINT Collective is a joint endeavor from IMG, a global leader in sports, events, fashion, and media, and Collectable, the leading fractional investing platform for blue chip sports collectibles. Tickets for The MINT Collective are now on sale at TheMINTCollective.com.