With just weeks to go before Brand Licensing Europe 2023 opens its doors, the voting deadline for the popular Kelvyn Gardner License This! competition has been extended.
To allow creatives still enjoying their summer holidays to get their submissions in for this year’s Kelvyn Gardner License This! competition, the organiser of Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) has announced that it is pushing back the deadline for entries. The popular free-to-enter competition, which has been the springboard for many successful brands and careers over the years, now closes at 17:00 BST on 4th September.
Organised by Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) and License Global, the competition propels illustrators, publishers, designers or animators with unlicensed brands into the spotlight, helping them break into the lucrative $340b+ global brand licensing industry, secure new deals and/or agent representation.
License This! is free to enter; applicants are required to submit a written overview, video pitch and detailed vision explaining why their brand is suitable for licensing. The video is replacing the live pitch, which previously took place in front of the judges at BLE.
This year’s judging panel will review each entry based on the level of ingenuity, licensing potential, alignment with today’s marketplace and why it’s unique. The judging will take place ahead of BLE with the winner and three runners-up announced on stage ahead of the Day One opening keynote on Wednesday 4th October.
The winner will receive over £7,000 of free exposure and promotional support to help develop their brand, as well as a free of charge turnkey booth at BLE 2024, a year’s Licensing International membership, a year’s Products of Change membership and bespoke mentorship and contact opportunities.
Three finalists will also receive an editorial feature in the BLE Show Daily, pop-up banner display at Brand Licensing Europe 2024 and one hour mentorship for finalist group with industry experts.
This year’s judging panel will be chaired by Robyn Cowling, Licensing Consultant/Brand director, Rocky Horror Show, Golden Goose, and include:
- Sarah Lawrence – Licensing director, This is Iris
- Dale Boreham – Senior Design manager, Moonpig
- Teri Niadna – Managing director, Brandgenuity
- Dan Grant – Licensing director, Danilo
- Billy Langsworthy – Co-founder, Mojo Nation & Brands Untapped
- Maxine Lister – head of Licensing, Natural History Museum
- Sabrina Segalov – Senior Licensing manager, Sanrio Global
- Emily Fawcett – head of Global Licensing, Abysse Corp
- Clare Piggott – Managing director, Larkshead Licensing
- Charlie Langhorne – Co-founder & MD, Wild in Art
- Phil King - Managing director, Trademark Products
- Ben Roberts, License Global, Content director, EMEA
- Ian Hart, License Global, senior digital editor, UK & EMEA
Entries are welcome now at License This! 2023 competition. For any questions on the entry process, please contact event organizers lily.drennan@informa.com or anna.lommatzsch@informa.com.
To register to attend or exhibit at BLE 2023, visit here.
