Global Licensing Group, a division of Informa Markets and event organisers of Licensing Expo and Brand Licensing Europe, has detailed its 2021 and new event format, bringing with it a hybrid of in-person and virtual offerings.

Licensing Expo will take place live and in-person at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on August 10th to 12th, while accompanying the tradeshow is an online event, which will be held two weeks later on August 24th to 25th.

Meanwhile, Brand Licensing Europe will take place live and in-person at ExCeL London on November 17th to 19th, 2021, with an online event also following two weeks later on November 30th to December 1st, 2021.

The new format has been devised to meet the demand for face-to-face meetings with the flexibility and convenience of an online event setting as a means of encouraging  IP exploration, new connections and thought leadership.

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 a robust online platform, exhibitors and visitors will have access before, during and after the events to schedule and host meetings, enjoy on-demand content and thought leadership and search and discover the widest range of properties available for license anywhere in the world.

The Las Vegas and London events will be organized in accordance with Informa’s AllSecure health and safety standards designed to ensure all participants can attend events safely and with confidence. AllSecure practices are comprised of learnings and best-practices from across the leading trade event companies around the world, in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, to create physical environments that meet industry standards for gathering.

“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, vice president 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, Licensing International, Global Licensing Group 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.”