Brand Licensing Europe is a highlight event for Products of Change, bringing together the licensing community and so many of the companies from the POC Community.
Once again, Products of Change partnered with the Global Licensing Group for this year’s BLE, working together to bring the conversation of resilient, innovative and responsible business to the brand and licensing community.
BLE 2026 had its highest ever number of exhibitors, with 325 companies sharing the show floor.
“What an amazing show this has been,” said BLE event director Ella Haynes. “Everyone is talking about how busy and buzzy it has been and – more importantly – how everything feels elevated – from the volume and diversity of the brands, to the quality of the visitors and the meetings they are having and our incredible content programme curated by License Global. All of this has truly cemented BLE’s position as THE place where the future of brands, retail and fandom happens in Europe.”
This momentum was also felt on the Products of Change stand, where we had a showcase of some of the outstanding and innovative product from across our Membership, including the LEGO Group, io.tt, James Cropper, BioFluff, Fabacus, Peagreen, Baneco, Organic Sound, RDP Creative, Movopack and more.
The POC Membership network is a thriving community, bringing together brands at many different points in their sustainability journeys. At its heart are the innovators and changemakers who are boldly finding new ways to work, proving what is possible when sustainability is built into the foundations of business.
The innovations reflect where the industry is heading and highlights the solutions that can help accelerate that progress.
The POC booth was consistently a-buzz with attendees drawn by the eye-catching product, our handy industry resources, or the Products of Change mission, highlighted by another packed POC Member drinks on the Wednesday evening.
POC’s CEO and founder, Helena Mansell-Stopher also hosted a fascinating on-stage conversation with Jody Plows, CEO of Nobody’s Child, and Andrew Xeni, founder of both Nobody’s Child and Fabacus.
Not only is Nobody’s Child a successful womenswear brand, shortlisted for the Times Top 100 fastest-growing businesses for the second year in a row, winning multiple Drapers Awards, partnering with M&S and launching more and more retail locations, it also has ethical and sustainable practices at its core.
And, as the brand grows, these practices are only being built on and developed rather than pushed aside, which the brand says has played a key role in its success. Read the full write up of the panel here.
In another session on the Global License Stage, Ian Hart and Elizabeth Foster from Licensing International and License Global, shared some of the organisations research finding from the past year.
The licensing market size has reached approximately $420 billion, with fashion prevailing as the leading branded licensing category, with food and beverage, toys, collectibles, health and beauty, and digital entertainment also showing significance.
Brand collaborations are increasingly extending into new categories, formats and audiences, including adults and collectors. Meanwhile, Asia and Europe were identified as important regions for brand growth through 2027, alongside North America. Website search data indicated strong interest in children’s properties, family franchises, anime and Japanese characters, viral internet properties, literary properties and upcoming film releases.
The heritage sector also demonstrated its strength in the licensing world, with numerous heritage brands exhibiting as well as featuring in a dedicated discussion on the Main Stage, discussing how licensing has allowed them to bring their properties to new audiences while crucially staying true to their cultural ties and the importance of responsible practice.
Products of Change is looking forward to seeing its industry colleagues next at the POC Conference on 11 November. Find out more here.
