Brand Licensing Europe details change to show hours in light of HRH funeral

In light of the recent announcement of HRH Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral taking place on Monday 19th September 2022 – and the confirmation that this date is also a UK Bank Holiday – there will be some changes to this year’s Brand Licensing Europe show hours.

The attendee opening hours for BLE 2022 are now:
• Tuesday 20th September: 12:00pm – 6:00pm (was 9am-5pm)
• Wednesday 21st September: 8:00am– 6:00pm (was 9am-5pm)
• Thursday 22nd September: 9:00am – 4:00pm (no change)

Exhibitor and contractor hours will be changed and communicated directly.

“We have done everything possible to reduce disruption to our visitors, exhibitors and contractors, whilst also taking into account that many people in the UK do not wish to work on Monday 19th September in order to pay their respects to Her Majesty and be with their families on such a momentous occasion,” said Anna Knight, SVP Licensing at Informa Markets.

“Monday is the busiest day for the set-up of the event, and we therefore need a few additional hours on Tuesday morning to enable exhibitors enough time to complete set-up of their stands and to welcome you to the event,” says Anna Knight, SVP Licensing at Informa Markets.

The changes will impact a number of timed events that were due to take place on the morning of Tuesday 20 September. These have now been rescheduled as follows:

• Orientation Session: 12-12.20pm (License Global Theatre)
• Show Tour: 12.20 – 12.40pm (departing from the License Global Theatre; various locations)
• Speed Networking for Licensing U delegates: 2.45-3.15pm (Wellness Lounge)
• French Community Drinks: 5.30-6pm (BLE Bar)
• BLE Opening Night Drinks: 6-8pm (BLE Bar and Motul Cafe)
• We also expect a couple of changes to catwalk shows, which will be communicated later in the week.

BLE and Licensing International will host a joint webinar on Tuesday 13th September at 13:00 BST where SVP of Licensing Anna Knight and Licensing International president Maura Regan will talk through the changes and answer any questions. Registration for the webinar is free: https://licensinginternational.org/events/ble-2022-everything-you-need-to-know-before-you-go-2-2/

“We understand that the adjusted hours will require attendees and exhibitors to reschedule meetings on Tuesday morning and we apologise for the inconvenience this will cause,” continued Anna Knight.

“We very much appreciate everyone’s flexibility and understanding as we navigate these unprecedented times. We would like to stress the venue will remain open as usual on Tuesday morning for those with pre-booked travel – there are plenty of seating areas and cafes for those wishing to work or take meetings before the show opens at 12pm.”

With just one week to go until doors open, retailers, manufacturers, product designers and other brand licensing professionals are invited to secure their free ticket on the BLE website. FAQs can be found on the BLE website to help with any questions or expect impact on travel – click here to read.