The Point. 1888 plans busy year of licensing for University of Cambridge through Virtual Summit

The University of Cambridge is on for a busy year of licensing, thanks to plans unveiled today by its UK agent, The Point.1888 and Fitzwilliam Museum Enterprises Ltd., the subsidiary of the University of Cambridge responsible for licensing.

The mission of the University of Cambridge has always been to contribute to society through education, learning and research at the highest international level. Known for its education and research excellence, there has been a growing interest in its collection of museums, libraries and botanic garden, which cover art, artifacts, polar exploration, anthropology, zoology, geology and the history of science.

Since signing with FME in early 2020, The Point.1888 has already facilitated successful partnerships for the university with online homewares, wall art, furniture, and accessories platform Fy, with a range of  eight prints which launched In September 2020.

To add to this success from last year, the goal for 2021 is to roll out more licensing programmes for the university brand as well as its museum collections and botanic garden.

In order to deliver on this, The Point.1888 is in the final stages of organising a Virtual Summit to be held early summer, for licensees and retailers to get to know the institution, see the key collections and hear all about the forthcoming plans.

The event will be key for extending the brand into new categories this year, which include Homewares, Garden, High end food gifting, Collaborations, Toys and Games, Apparel and Accessories.

One success initiated in early 2020 by FME Ltd involved the adaptation of works of art from the Fitzwilliam Museum to show what social distancing might look like through the ages. The team went on to inspire consumers with a launch of greeting cards, print-on-demand stationery, gin, homewares, apparel and, of course, face masks.

Bethan Garton, commercial director at The Point.1888, said: “The University and its museums normally welcome 7 million visitors each year which has been negatively affected by COVID.  We were pleased in 2020 to support their important work via licensing to generate much needed income. Our plans for this year will do so much more and we’re delighted to be seeing it all put into action.”

Len Dunne, CEO of FME Ltd, added: “All of our income goes to support the vital research and activities of our museums and botanic garden. We are excited to expand our UK licensing activities programme working with the dynamic team at The Point.1888.”

The University of Cambridge appoints Plus Licens AB as European licensing agency

The University of Cambridge has appointed Plus Licens AB as its new European licensing agent as part of the establishment’s plans to build its licensing programme outside of the UK.

Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the fourth-oldest university in the world with alumni including 110 Nobel Prize Laureates, 47 Heads of State and 190 Olympic Medalists.

Rich in history, the University’s famous Colleges and University buildings attract visitors from all over the world, while its museums and collections hold treasures that offer an exciting insight into some of the scholarly activities, both past and present, of the University’s academics and students.

With alumni that include Newton, Keynes, Hawking and Darwin, Cambridge has always been and continues to be a place of where curious minds make great discoveries including gravity, DNA and evolution to name a few.

Len Dunne, CEO, Fitzwilliam Museum Enterprises, said: “FME Ltd manages both the University trademark programme and the commercial rights of the rich collections of its museums.

“In the UK, FME Ltd has retail, online (CuratingCambridge.com), wholesale and licensing divisions and, with the support of Plus Licens, it would like to give the opportunity to the rest of the European based licensees and consumers to enjoy a unique Cambridge experience. It is proud to be working with Plus Licens, its very first licensing agent for the territory.”

Eva Brännström, executive vice president, Plus Licens AB, added: “We are extremely proud and happy to have been appointed the pan-European agent by University of Cambridge. The University and the great museums represent everything that the world needs now more than ever: education, history, art and science.

“Plus Licens is committed to long term relationships and we now look forward to start a brand program based on the good values and fantastic art programs available from The University of Cambridge.”