Brand Licensing Europe is continuing to build its conference programme, confirming the opening day keynote today (16 July).
John Friend, head of Xbox gaming consumer products at Microsoft, will take to the stage on Tuesday 24 September at 12.30 with a session entitled When Everyone Plays, We All Win: Next Level Consumer Products & Licensing on Xbox.
From Halo, Fallout and Call of Duty to the brand itself, Xbox has become a leader in connecting players worldwide with the franchises, stories and characters they love. Through immersive storytelling, strong brand engagement, authentic omni-channel extensions and intellectual property adaptations, Xbox is redefining the gaming experience on and off the screen.
In a fireside chat with Global Licensing Group’s EMEA head of content Ben Roberts, John will explore the dynamics of the video games industry and share the opportunities that brands, licensees and retail partners have to strengthen the connection between gaming worlds and fans.
“Our goal has always been to fuel our community’s fans and fandom with best-in-class products at a global scale,” commented John. “We have the privilege to represent the biggest and best portfolio in the industry with franchises ranging from Fallout, Halo, Call of Duty and so many more. We thrive in finding ways to develop and celebrate our franchises outside of the games and be that extension of these fandoms via premium products and experiences brought to life. I am honoured to be selected as the keynote at this year’s BLE to discuss the state of licensing in the gaming industry, as well as Xbox’s strategy across its broad catalogue of hit game franchises, and how we seek to move people from interested to fan to evangelist through fresh and innovative consumer products programmes.”
BLE event director Ella Haynes continued: “When it comes to using consumer products to tap into global opportunities presented by fandom, the Xbox team is the gold standard and we can all learn a thing or two from them, so I’m over the moon that John Friend will be presenting our day one keynote at BLE this September.
“With a global valuation of over $200 billion – more than film, TV and music combined – and three billion active players, the video games business is back to growth and looking strong. The biggest game of 2023 was Hogwarts Legacy – a whopping 22 million copies were sold – a game based on the Harry Potter licence. The link between gaming and brand licensing is growing stronger year on year with consumer products proving to be an incredibly valuable tool in elevating fandom and loyalty by allowing fans to immerse themselves even deeper in the brand and its storylines, especially between release dates.”
John Friend is the second keynote to be announced for BLE following the announcement that Sara Davies MBE will participate in a day two fireside chat. Additional sessions confirmed so far for this year’s agenda include:
Tuesday 24 September
10.00 Licensing 101: Learn the licensing basics
11.00 State of the Nation: The Licensing Landscape of 2024
12.30 Keynote 1 with John Friend
13.45 How to build a lifestyle brand
Wednesday 25 September
10.00 Licensing 101: Learn the licensing basics
12.30 Keynote 2 – Crafty Licensing: Transforming a Business through Brand Licensing – with Sara Davies MBE
16.00 Mapping a sustainable pathway: How the industry is adapting to new demands
Brand Licensing Europe takes place 24-26 September 2024 at ExCeL, London and visitor registration is now open.
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