Brand Licensing Europe drew a record 325 exhibitors to Excel London this week, up 20% on 2025. Among the 85 first-timers were some unlikely names for an entertainment-led show: the National Gallery and the Royal Spanish Football Federation, sharing the floor with Netflix and The LEGO Group.
The breadth on display, from Hello Kitty and Bluey to Le Tour de France and the Smurfs, reflects a licensing market that Licensing International figures put at $389.8bn globally in 2025, up 5.45%, with sport, publishing and food and drink all growing faster than the character and entertainment properties that still dominate the floor.
Among the first-time exhibitors was Pazu Games. “Avatar World is a global game and BLE is at the forefront for us when it comes to doing business in Europe,” said Noa Raz, the company’s global licensing director. “We will definitely be back next year.”
For licensees walking the floor, the draw was as much about contacts as content. “Attending BLE for the first time was a game changer for us,” said Gracie Owens, marketing manager at Monmore Confectionery. “We left energised and equipped with an exciting network of new contacts to pursue.”
Event director Ella Haynes said the scale and variety of this year’s exhibitor list had lifted the show’s atmosphere: “Everyone is talking about how busy and buzzy it has been and, more importantly, how everything feels elevated, from the volume and diversity of the brands to the quality of the visitors and the meetings they are having.”
