Gift Focus - Mar/Apr 2019 (Issue 112)

8 giftfocus GLEE EXPANDS ITS MARKETING TEAM Glee’s dedicated marketing team, responsible for the promotion of the garden, outdoor leisure and pet exhibition, has been expanded with the appointment of Grace Reilly as senior marketing executive. Grace will help develop Glee’s presence across both print and online media, as well as working with Glee’s content and sales team to enhance the exhibition’s offering for suppliers and retailers in the UK and abroad. Grace comes to the position after three years working in the client service team, acting as the first point of contact for buyers and exhibitors within the ITE UK portfolio. A self-confessed candle addict, Grace is particularly excited to see what Glee’s Home, Gift and Clothing exhibitors will be showcasing at September’s show. Glee event director Matthew Mein commented: “Grace is a great addition to the team. Her previous exposure to Glee, its brands and the wider market means she can hit the ground running. She will be an integral part of growing Glee’s offering and will certainly become a well- known face as she continues to meet with buyers and manufacturers over the coming months.” Grace added: “I’m pleased to be able to confirmmy new role. Glee is a fabulous show and one that I have always loved visiting. I look forward to joining the rest of the team on the road and to helping grow Glee’s brand awareness.” To find out more, visit gleebirmingham.com CREATIVE RETAIL AWARDS ANNOUNCE STUDENT AWARD TO DESIGN THE LEGO STORE OF THE FUTURE The organisers behind the Creative Retail Awards are looking to find bright new student talent to design the LEGO store of the future for a brand-new Student Award. The brief asks students to imagine what a LEGO retail store will look like in 2025, how technology will play a role alongside the traditional play and experiential features of a LEGO store today and how it will change the way people shop in-store and interact with the space. The award, sponsored by Morplan Ltd, highlights the value of innovative design within retail and encourages students to think about the role of physical retail in the future – what could these spaces become, and how do we make them a destination? Students are required to design a concept store that shows an understanding of the brand, its values and its commitment to inspiring and developing tomorrow’s builders. Guidelines for how to enter can be found at creativeretailawards.com/studentaward The Student Award will be judged by a panel of experts from the LEGO Agency and LEGO Retail. The winner will receive two tickets to the Creative Retail Awards ceremony, which is set to be held in London at Proud Embankment on the 6 th June, 2019. The winner will receive their award on the night from representatives of the LEGO Team and Morplan in front of a worldwide audience of retailers, design agencies and brands. The winner will also receive LEGO merchandise. industry news BRAND LICENSING EUROPE OPENS APPLICATIONS FOR 2019 RETAIL MENTORING PROGRAMME Brand Licensing Europe (BLE), taking place from the 1 st -3 rd October, 2019 at ExCeL London, has opened applications for this year’s Retail Mentoring Programme following a record take-up by UK buyers from a cross section of retail in 2018. BLE’s Retail Mentoring Programme educates retailers about the benefits of licensing – which include new customer acquisition, increased customer loyalty, the opportunity to stock wider and exclusive product ranges and profitability – and helps themmake more informed decisions when negotiating licensing deals and discovering new brand partners. Delivered through a series of seminars, workshops and one-to- one consultancy sessions, the programme is CPD-accredited and delivered free of charge to qualifying retailers, who will receive: a place at the Licensing Essential Course and Spring Fling in May, organised by LIMA; an invitation to judge the Licensing Awards, organised by Max Publishing; and access to exclusive retail content at BLE, where they can meet more than 260 leading brand owners and agents across entertainment, art, sports, corporate brands, gaming and heritage. The programme also offers a full day with a licensor to help retailers understand licensing from the brand owner side, as well as receiving tips on how to work with some of the best-known properties and agents. Previous hosts include The Point. 1888, NEC Universal, The Natural History Museum and Nickelodeon Viacom Consumer Products. “With bottom lines getting squeezed and competition fiercer than ever, retailers are under increasing pressure to differentiate themselves by delivering product that consumers love, want and can’t buy anywhere else – this is where brand licensing can help, by leveraging loyal fanbases for retailers to tap into,” said BLE event director Anna Knight. “By enrolling in our Retail Mentoring Programme, retailers gain a better understanding of what brands are a good fit for them through a range of practical, hands-on events that are designed to immerse them into the world of licensing and really get under its skin. We know how time-poor buyers are, and this programme has been designed to be as productive as possible and deliver maximum return on their time.” To apply to take part in the programme, visit brandlicensing.eu/retail-mentoring-programme