Wednesday, November 17, 2021

ViacomCBS Consumer Products to Attend BLE 2021

ViacomCBS Consumer Products will be an exhibitor at Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) 2021, taking place as an in-person event November 17-19 at ExCeL London, followed by an online experience from November 30 - December 1.


At BLE 2021, ViacomCBS Consumer Products will be showcasing ViacomCBS' portfolio of world-class properties and brands, including: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Baby Shark's Big Show!, Blue's Clues & You!, Clueless, Emily in Paris, Mean Girls, MTV, PAW Patrol, Rugrats, Santiago of the Seas, SpongeBob SquarePants, Star Trek, Star Trek: Prodigy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Godfather, and Top Gun: Maverick under the Product Categories of Character/Animation, Digital Content/Gaming, Digital Influencers, Film, Gaming/Apps, Music, and TV/Broadcast.

ViacomCBS and Nickelodeon staff will also be taking part in a variety of panels during BLE 2021, including giving a keynote address on Day 2 of the event.

ViacomCBS Consumer Products' booth will be located at Exhibit Hall — A121.

The Smurfs brand will also have a booth at BLE 2021, located at Exhibit Hall — B152.

Below is a round-up of ViacomCBS' highlights for Brand Licensing Europe 2021:


ViacomCBS Consumer Products to share Diversity & Inclusion insights plus new toy research during BLE Day 2 keynote

ViacomCBS will share insights from its corporate Diversity & Inclusion efforts with a specific focus on its recently conducted toy research study during Brand Licensing Europe’s second day keynote.

Mark Kingston, Senior Vice President, International, ViacomCBS Consumer Products will lead the keynote and review the impact on culture, community and industry when there’s a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging. The keynote will also include Ameeta Held, Vice President, Insights and Business Strategy, Consumer Products, ViacomCBS, referencing original toy research detailing the importance of authentic representation in dolls and the impact on choice.

The keynote, which takes place in-person at BLE from 13:00-14:00 on Thursday 18 November, will also set the background as to why the consumer products and licensing community plays such a pivotal role in diversity and inclusion.

“As an organisation we are dedicated to creating content that reflects the global audiences we serve, and within consumer products we are especially committed to ensuring our products are inclusive and representative,” says Mark Kingston. “Our latest research shines a light on the important role our industry plays in our continued conversation around Diversity & Inclusion and I look forward to presenting our thoughts and findings alongside my colleagues at BLE.”

Ahead of ViacomCBS’ keynote, representatives from Black Lives Matter Licensing UK will take to the stage to talk about the group’s purpose, goals and activity in the sector to date.

Informa Markets’ VP of Licensing Anna Knight says, “It’s not possible to underestimate the importance of this keynote to our industry and I implore everyone who is attending BLE to pre-register now and secure a spot. Consumer products has a huge responsibility – and opportunity – to represent, embrace and empower diversity if we are to build a more inclusive and equal future for consumers across the world.”

ViacomCBS is one of over 150 exhibitors currently confirmed for BLE, which takes place in-person at ExCeL London from 17-19 November followed by an online event on 30 November to 1 December. The Exhibitor list features companies from all three licensing categories – Character & Entertainment, Brands & Lifestyle, and Art, Design & Image – and with strong representation from Europe, the UK and wider afield.

You can view the show’s exhibitor list here.

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BLE unveils content agenda for online event

Brand Licensing Europe has unveiled its online agenda which will go live on 22 November as part of the online experience supporting the in-person event, taking place 17-19 November at ExCeL London, allowing attendees to enjoy sessions on-demand and use their time at the show to focus on in-person meetings, live experiences and walking the floor.

The two-day online event (30 November – 1 December) offers additional virtual networking and learning opportunities. The networking allows those who attend BLE in-person to book follow up and overflow meetings and ensures that people who are unable to travel to London for BLE don’t miss out on valuable business opportunities. With 1,500+ meetings already confirmed, the free meetings platform is already open allowing registered attendees to start planning their diary and send meetings requests.

The event’s online content programme will continue the show’s ‘What’s Next’ theme and includes three online-only ‘In Conversation’ sessions with senior executives from ViacomCBS Consumer Products; a Sustainability Panel with Products of Change and Licensing U, alongside the option to watch recordings of the Team GB and ViacomCBS live keynotes; the five ‘What’s Next at Retail’ sessions taking place at the show and more – all of this content will be available to watch on demand until 28 February 2022.

ONLINE-ONLY CONTENT INCLUDES:

‘D&I In Conversation’ sessions with ViacomCBS executives
• Diversity in the Workplace with
o Wincie Knight, VP Global inclusion Strategy, ViacomCBS International
o Nancy Lenghorn, Global Chief Inclusion and Culture Officer, MediaCom (moderator)

• Diversity in Content with
o Wendy Harris – SVP of Content & Creative Affairs, 9 Story Media Group
o Farrell Hall – Chief Inclusion Officer, 9 Story Media Group
o Nina Hahn – Senior Vice President, International Production & Development, Nickelodeon International & Head of ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS) Kids
o Keith Dawkins, Founder & CEO, Rock Hill Media Ventures (moderator)

• Diversity in Products with
o Simta Sawhney, UK Category Direct, ViacomCBS Consumer Products
o Shalom Lloyd, Founder & Managing Director, Naturally Tribal
o Saphia Maxamed, President @London Entertainment Inc & Founder, Black Lives Matter Licensing (moderator)

Brands for Social Change
Join Products of Change as they talk to Yellow Octopus, Newlife, Preloved Kilo and George at Asda to discuss how they are diverting clothes from landfill and building a fully circular fashion industry. Speakers include:
o Amanda Gallacher, Sustainability and Brand, George at Asda
o Sheila Brown, CEO, Newlife
o Steve Lynam, MD, Preloved Kilo
o Jack Ostrowski, Founder and CEO, Yellow Octopus
o Helena Mansell-Stopher, Founder, Products of Change (moderator)

“The quality of content for BLE online is phenomenal and hats off to ViacomCBS for curating three amazing sessions delivered from very senior perspectives on some of the most important topics businesses within licensing are addressing right now,” says Anna Knight, VP Licensing, Informa Markets.

“These sessions – and more – are just a small part of a much bigger focus for BLE and the Global Licensing Group around sustainability and D&I during 2022. We promise to continue sparking these incredibly important conversations at each of our flagship events and conferences and through License Global content.

Licensing U
BLE and Licensing International are bringing the Licensing U programme to Europe for the first time. Featuring 14 presentations across three tracks – Basics, Spotlights and Tactics & Strategies – Licensing U is a one-stop-shop education programme about the $292bn licensing industry for newcomers and experienced professionals.

Licensing U will take on a fully virtual format and will be available on demand for three months from 22 November 2021. Tickets start at £145 if purchased ahead of the event, or £160 in the platform, and can be purchased when registering for BLE. (Licensing International members can enjoy a 10% discount).

“We’re pleased that Licensing U, which has long been a mainstay of Licensing Expo Las Vegas, is now part of BLE, with outstanding speakers and presenters, offering information and insights for both industry newcomers and seasoned executives,” said Maura Regan, President of Licensing International.

LICENSING U AT BLE

Basics Track:
How does licensing work? What do I need to know to get started? Executives and experts will create the foundation of your licensing knowledge to help you understand the ins and outs of the business.
• Basics of Licensing
• Licensing Law for Non-Lawyers
• Working with Agents & Consultants:
• Style Guides: Bringing Brands to Life
 
Spotlights Track:
We’ll take a deep dive into some of the key growth categories within the licensing business, covering the unique aspects of those classifications, current trends and spotlighting some of the opportunities and challenges that are ahead.

• Art Licensing
• Location-Based Licensing
• Sports Licensing
• Gaming & eSports
• Fashion

Tactics & Strategies Track:
Aside from the products and brands themselves, the success of a licensing program is determined by how it’s brought to market. These sessions will examine some of the forces at play, and how licensing executives create strategies to give them the best chance to succeed.

• The Key to Successful Partnerships & Collaborations
• Confronting Supply Chain Challenges
• The Changing Face of Retail
• Sustainability
• How to Promote Diversity & Inclusion in Licensing, Marketing and Advertising: A UNICEF Playbook

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10 Mins With… IMPS – The Smurfs

Everything is coming up “blue” for The Smurfs, who return to the Brand Licensing Europe event next week.

Everyone’s favorite blue characters, The Smurfs, are back at Brand Licensing Europe, taking place Nov. 17-19 in London, and showcasing a host of new opportunities.  

IMPS has represented the property around the globe since 1984 and taken The Smurfs into multiple categories including publishing, theme parks, family entertainment centers, live shows, videogames and music, as well as brokered retail and co-branded promotions, broadcasting and so much more. The efforts have secured The Smurfs a place in entertainment history.  

License Global caught up with Fabienne Gilles, head of consumer products and business development, IMPS – The Smurfs, for a chat around the latest with the brand. You can also find a longer conversation with Gilles in the November issue of License Global.  

License Global: What are your goals for this year’s Brand Licensing Europe?  

Fabienne Gilles: We can’t wait to be in London and reconnect in person with our friends and licensing partners! 

We are so proud of the new “The Smurfs” TV series and the global visibility it is getting thanks to our broadcast partners such as Nickelodeon, TF1, KiKA , Milkshake and Netflix. This is very exciting for us, and Brand Licensing Europe will be a great opportunity to “smurf” the wave and initiate new collaborations.

As ambassadors, we also want to promote the sustainable development goals of the United Nations and help our partners and the industry to engage and take concrete actions to preserve our blue planet. And of course, we are ready to celebrate and bring some Smurf fun! 

What do you look for in a licensing partner?  

Matching values are very important for good and long-term, win-win partnerships, but we are also keen to explore territories where we are not expected such as fashion, which is what we did with The Smurfs x Supreme collaboration. 

Good products and powerful marketing are very important, “smurf-stainability” is a priority and out-of-the-box ideas are the most exciting! 

What changes have you seen in the industry?  

More and more brands are putting a priority on sustainability, and this is something we really want to encourage and accelerate with our partners. Also, with the pandemic, virtual and online have become bigger than ever. Gaming, AR, VR, the metaverse … it all brings many new ways to connect with fans, advertise brands and reach consumers. 

Why are events like BLE so important?  

It is so important for the industry to come together – it creates a lot of powerful energy! It is a unique opportunity to showcase our brand, discover novelties and create new contacts. And of course, we love to meet our partners in person, initiate new plans with them and share good moments. 

What are some of your recent product collaborations and how did they come about?  

With our partner Jazwares, we have a powerful new master toy deal in place to celebrate the arrival of the TV series. And you can expect many great Smurfs products and some unexpected collabs in the months and years to come in every category. The digital Smurfs offer is also growing fast, and many projects are already on their way with great partners such as Pop Reach, Microids, The Sandbox, Bare Tree Media and Azerion. The future looks bright and blue. 

Find IMPS at Brand Licensing Europe. Register for the event for free here.  

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Originally published: November 12, 2021.

Additional source: TVKIDS.

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