Games publishers looking to move into the licensed products sector should head along to Olympia next week for Brand Licensing Europe.

Organiser Advanstar is claiming that the event – which runs on October 2nd and 3rd in the venue’s Grand Hall – is going to be the biggest ever in its history. It will boast 189 exhibitors on the showfloor, while there will also be more international exhibitors: 29 compared to 23 last year. Visitors have also pre-registered from no less than 76 countries.

The major film studios – Disney, 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Marvel, LucasFilm and New Line Cinema – will be presenting teasers, trailers and licensing opportunities for forthcoming movie properties in the Screening Suite, a fully working cinema in the Grand Hall.

In addition, The Licensing Academy is a two-day series of complementary seminar and workshop sessions running alongside BLE. Each session is free to attend, with topics covered including Spotting Trends in Internet-launched Brands and Characters and Kids, Tweens and Shopping.

There will be plenty of interest to video games visitors. Fox is acting as the worldwide licensing agent for Microsoft’s Halo franchise, while it will also be presenting more projects in the live-action drama category including Prison Break, plus a number of new movie properties; the BBC will be showcasing Doctor Who, Robin Hood and Torchwood, plus its vast range of children’s programming; while Lego Group will be aiming to show how it is using licensing as an opportunity to further strengthen its brand.

Other stand highlights will include Target Entertainment (which is formally launching The Nutcracker in the UK and Europe), The Licensing Company (showing film properties such as Indiana Jones IV, Clone Wars and The Golden Compass), Rocket Licensing (Dangerous Book for Boys), Pokemon UK and Chorion (which will take the wraps off its new landmark property, The Mr Men Show).

For further details and to register, simply log on to www.brandlicensingeurope.com