Tag Archives: Brands & Retail Conference

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

Spin Master, Mattel and more come on board for Pitch Smarter Conference

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Ryan Beaird, Event Director of the Brands & Retail UK 2022 screening conference, has announced more major global character and entertainment brands have come on board for the inaugural event. The Brands & Retail UK ‘Pitch Smarter’ Conference, sponsored by Fabacus, will take place British Library on the 20 January 2022 from 9am till 6pm.

Joining Bulldog Licensing, ViacomCBS, Hasbro, Moonbug Entertainment, BlueZoo Rights and Acamar Films are Mattel, Spin Master, Penguin Ventures, Warhammer (Games Workshop), MGAE, SEGA and Activision, with only a couple of brands left to be announced.

The event is free for licensees and retail buyers to attend and full registration is now open at www.BrandsRetail.eventbrite.co.uk

Major character and entertainment UK licensees who have signed up to attend include: Amscan, Aykroyd and Sons, Blueprint Collections, Blues Clothing, Brands In, Brecrest, Cooneen, Dennicci, Danilo, Dreamtex, Character World, Character.com (Retail Buyer), Event Merchandising, Golden Bear, Lowe and Sons, Immersive Everywhere, Pyramid International, Rainbow Designs, Rubies, TDP, ToyTopic, Poetic Brands Vtech and Winning Moves.

To round off the day [6pm to midnight] there will be an event party at the exclusive Ivy Club. Anyone booking tickets before 1 December can take advantage of a special early-bird rate of £55; after that, tickets cost £75 each.

Drinks, canapés and bowl food will be served in the glamorous Loft of the Ivy Club. “I’m also putting on karaoke for the more ‘expressive’ types in the Licensing industry,” says Ryan. “And as the event is in January and it will be cold, I will be organising coaches from the British Library to the Ivy Club.”

The booking site is now live for Retail Buyers and Licensees only to attend – details can be found on the event website, brandsretail.uk.

For more information contact Ryan.Beaird@BrandsRetail.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pitch Smarter Brands & Retail Conference 22: new event to launch in January next year

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Ryan Beaird, Pitch Smarter Brands & Retail Conference Event Director (and former Licensing International UK Marketing Manager) has announced a new screening event for the UK licensing industry launching in January next year.

The Pitch Smarter Conference 22 will take place at the British Library on 20 January, from 9am till 6pm, and is free for licensees and retail buyers to attend. Registration is set to open soon at www.brandsretail.uk

“In the seven-plus years in the licensing industry I always felt, as did others in the business, the need for a screening day for the UK licensing industry,” says Ryan Beaird. “Feedback from the industry was positive so I felt that, given my years of event experience, the time was right to launch a new event in the calendar. Also, cementing it in the diary as the ‘first’ event in 2022, and before the toy show season started, just made sense. It also fits nicely into the retail calendar by being held in January.

“Our new Pitch Smarter Conference will get everyone in one place, together, on both sides of the licensing industry, making life easier for retail buyers and licensees to see what 20 character and entertainment brands have planned for their existing IPs – but more importantly, the opportunity to see new content and what IP owners and agents have planned for 2022 and going forward. If a brand taking part wants the audience to sign NDAs we can organise this, giving them piece of mind in showing under-wraps content as well.”

Brand owners and licensing agents can book slots of 15 minutes (30 minutes back-to-back slots are available) to screen and showcase their properties on stage in the 250-seat capacity British Library theatre, which has a giant front projection screen. There are only 20 slots available on the day.

There will also be a VIP party after the event for attendees. Details will be announced soon in the licensing press.

Anyone interested in booking a screening slot can email Ryan directly at ryan.beaird@brandsretail.uk