Iconic British retail brands Liberty and Sainsbury’s, and global entertainment powerhouse Hasbro, are just three of the speakers confirmed for the second European Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit (B&LIS), taking place 21 June at the Royal Geographical Society in London.
Liberty, Sainsbury’s and Hasbro join an already packed agenda of speakers including Penguin Random House, The Smiley Company, Abysse Corp, Difuzed, MDR Brand Management, TrendBible, The Point.1888, KidsKnowBest, Hunter Price and ASDA.
The event’s agenda, focused on Shaping the Future of Licensing and Retail, can now be viewed online where tickets can also be purchased. Special rates are available for Licensing International and Products of Change members, as well as delegates booking a two-day pass for B&LIS and SiLC, which is co-located on 22 June.
“Retail disruption. Supply chain challenges. SVOD. Metaverse. Influencers. NFTs. Representation. Changing consumer trends. Meaningful retail experiences. Our industry is going through a transformation like we’ve never seen before, all led by an increasingly complex and demanding customer,” says Anna Knight, SVP of Licensing, Informa Markets.
“The European Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit brings together 300+ brand licensing leaders and delivers thought-provoking content and networking opportunities to help drive the industry forward and get the business insights to address some of these critical topics.”
B&LIS sessions will run from 0930 – 1730 on 21 June, followed by a drinks reception in the evening. The current programme is as follows:
08:00 Registration Opens
09:20 Introduction from Global Licensing Group
09:30 Evaluating the Modern Brand Landscape
Start the day by setting the scene on some of the key trends coming through in licensing with exclusive insight delivered by License Global and other knowledge partners.
Speakers include:
- Ben Roberts, Senior Content Strategist, License Global
10:10 Leaders Panel: Building a Post-Pandemic Retail & Licensing Strategy
A panel of industry leaders will air their expectations, hopes and fears for a post-Covid future as it relates to retail.
Speakers include:
- Daniel Avener, CEO, MDR Brand Management
- Jeremy Orriss, Director of Licensing, Difuzed
- Marianne James, VP EMEA and Asia Licensed Consumer Products, Hasbro
- Jalil Rahman, Director of Brand Partnerships & Licensing, Liberty
10:50 Following the Money: How the New Age of Consumers Spends
The panel will focus their discussion on Gen Z and millennials.
Speakers include:
- Sian Rider, Strategy Director, KidsKnowBest
- Allana Holmes, Head of Sales, Hunter Price
11:45 Everything You Need to Know About Web 3.0
This dynamic session will explore some of the hottest topics in our industry right now, including NFT, Metaverse, IoT, AR, VR…
Speakers include:
- Trevor George, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Recur
12.45 Networking lunch
13:45 Think Tank: Can the Licensing Process be Rebuilt?
From supply chain challenges to the need for faster speed to market, does the licensing process need to be reviewed?
Speakers include:
- Ruth Golightly, Leading Womenswear Clothing / Footwear / Accessories, ASDA
- Emily Fawcett, Head of Global Licensing, Abysse Corp
- Moderator: Susan Bolsover, Global Licensing and Consumer Products Director, Penguin Random House UK
14:30 Forecasting the Future of Retail through Consumer Trends
Understand how emerging and future consumer behaviours influence the retail space. Speakers include:
- Hannah Craggs, Head of Subscription, TrendBible
- Abi Wison, Buying & Design Manager – Celebrations, Sainsbury’s
15:45 Category Breakout Sessions
To provide additional depth around emerging categories, join our interactive roundtables as they spotlight them in more detail. Hear a case study and take part in a Q&A discussion with a choice of four categories soon to be confirmed.
16:30 The Good Fight: How Purpose Breeds Success
What is purpose and why is it important to businesses and customers?
Speakers include:
- Nicolas Loufrani, Founder and CEO, The Smiley Company
- Helena Mansell-Stopher, Founder & CEO, Products of Change
- Moderator: Will Stewart, Founder & CEO, The Point.1888
17:30 Closing Remarks followed by evening drinks reception
B&LIS one day tickets are priced at £275 and can be purchased from Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit Europe. SiLC one day tickets are priced at £275 and can be purchased from Sustainability in Licensing Conference. POC and Licensing International members can enjoy a 20% discount on these rates (non-cumulative). Alternatively, two-day tickets can be purchased from either site for the discounted rate of £525.
