Licensing Blog

Welcome to our Licensing Blog, which takes a light hearted look at our mysterious world.

Summer's over so bring on the Licensing Awards(Posted: 17-09-2010)

Wow. That summer went fast, didn't it? One minute the kids were breaking up for the summer, and the next they've gone back. I can't believe how much new school uniforms cost. Whose idea was it to put a logo on a garment and charge over the top for it? Hope that never catches on'

While lots of us were swanning about on holidays some were beavering away in anticipation of the two big autumn events here in the UK ' the Licensing Awards and Brand Licensing Europe.

The Licensing Awards ' or the Cleavage Cup Final as one colleague called it ' was once again an excuse for the industry to get dressed up and drink over-priced wine. It started out well for us, as for once my choice of hotel had risen above the bargain basement category (in truth only because last year's fifty quid a night pad was fully booked). You couldn't touch the opposite wall of the bathroom whilst sitting on the toilet ' that's how far we have risen! I got over my "William Hague" moment and decided to go ahead and share my room with a male colleague. Hope the press doesn't get hold of that one. I should have checked the tube map before we set out though, as we trudged to the hotel from Lancaster Gate in 15 minutes when we could have sashayed from Queensway in 5.

Presenting the awards was Chris Addison ' he of The Thick of It and occasionally Mock the Week ' who was well informed and very funny. As the first recipient approached accompanied by loud music he quipped 'During the awards there will be lots of grey haired people coming on the stage to modern rock music. Don't let it confuse them or us' which I thought was a top class comment.

          

Attendees from Licensing World'                                'and Rainbow Productions

The food was pretty good, the wine over priced (have I already said that?) and the company excellent, as you can see from the pictures. There were some great raffle prizes and lots of money raised for the Light Fund. Well done to those mad buggers from Roy Lowe for cycling from Nottinghamshire!!

Gambling, disco dancing and drinking ensued in vast quantities after the formal part of the evening ended. In the upstairs bar one poor lady took a dreadful tumble across a couple of chairs and a table in her efforts to remain vertical. I was told of another female licensing colleague who reported a certain nameless gentleman struggling to focus his red, bleary eyes on her cleavage well before midnight. My 4am tumble into bed was a blessed relief.

Resolve sachets and paracetamol were at the ready next morning, as I had stupidly committed to collecting my neighbours 5 year old daughter from school at 1pm, and couldn't be too late at London Bridge station. My kids excitedly went through the goody bags when they got home from school, swapping and rejecting items in equal measure. My recent browsing of eBay has noticed a marked increase in the number of Mad Max trilogy dvds and doggy dress up outfits for sale. Wonder why.

Brand Licensing Europe next then. See you at Olympia!