French Retail Giant Carrefour to Reveal Brand Extension Strategies in Exclusive Keynote Panel at Brand Licensing Europe

Carrefour, Sun City, and Jazwares headline retail partnership announcement as BLE reveals 2026 programme and registration details ahead of October event

LONDON, Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- French retail giant Carrefour, the fourth biggest grocer in Europe with a footprint of 12,000 stores globally, will join licensees Jazwares and Sun City for an exclusive keynote panel, “The Power of Partnership in European Retail” at this year’s Brand Licensing Europe, 6-8 October at Excel London.

Attendees at this dynamic session will first hear Carrefour’s Director of Toys & Leisure Group Marianne Lesimple reveal the retailer’s approach to licensing partnerships, retail strategy innovation and its framework for selecting and executing high-impact brand collaborations.

Marianne Lesimple, Carrefour’s Director of Toys & Leisure Group

Marianne Lesimple will then be joined by Vincent Vandamme, Head of French Office, Jazwares and Sun City’s Chief Operating Officer Emmanuel Assouline for a panel discussion exploring the trio’s recent Pokémon collaboration, including exclusive insight into how the partnership came to life, the strategic decisions that shaped it and the exciting plans for its activation across Europe, before concluding with an open audience Q&A. The panel will be moderated by Matthieu Battini, EMEA Sales Director, Brand Licensing Europe.

Carrefour, European Grocer

The session will take place on 6 October at 11:30 am in the License Global Main Stage on the Brand Licensing Europe show floor.

Key takeaways will include:

• How brands and licensees can expect to work with a major European retailer like Carrefour
• European retail landscape insights, including regional consumer trends and how to navigate the market
• The processes involved in working with major partners
  
  

“We are beyond excited to bring together three major players in brand licensing, retailer Carrefour and licensees Jazwares and Sun City, for the first time at Brand Licensing Europe,” says Ella Haynes, Event Director, Global Licensing Group, which includes tradeshow events Brand Licensing Europe and Licensing Expo.

“The BLE audience will exclusively hear why Jazwares, Sun City and Carrefour were such a perfect match for this Pokémon collaboration, get a behind-the-scenes look at the journey from concept to execution and leave armed with valuable lessons on leveraging collaboration to drive success in the licensing industry. Carrefour delivered a fascinating headline address to a packed audience at France Licensing Day in June, so we are delighted to bring this new keynote session to a much broader and bigger European audience.”

Warner Bros. Discovery Consumer Products to present 25 years of Harry Potter movies keynote

This is the second BLE 2026 keynote to be announced to date, with a third to follow. Warner Bros. Discovery Consumer Products Group will take to the License Global Main Stage at Brand Licensing Europe on Wednesday 6 October at 13:45 to deliver the keynote, “Unlocking the magic: How Warner Bros. Discovery keeps Harry Potter spellbinding after two decades.”

Other highlights on this year’s BLE content agenda include:

• Tuesday 6 October 16:00 - Global brands, local relevance: How Universal builds franchises that thrive across markets: In this fireside chat, Rafa Macias, Executive Vice President, Global Consumer Products & Games, will share how Universal turns entertainment properties into enduring global franchises. From identifying cultural opportunities and emerging trends to empowering regional teams and partners, Rafa will discuss how Universal balances global scale with local relevance to build brands that connect with fans wherever they live.
  
• Thursday 8 October 10:00 - Timeless brands, modern moves: Heritage & museum licensing strategies
  An expert panel bringing together leaders from London Zoo, the Natural History Museum, Van Gogh Museum and Tate to share their strategies for building successful brand partnerships while protecting their heritage and mission.

“I am thrilled to be joining colleagues from London Zoo, Van Gogh Museum and Tate Modern to discuss how we as institutions are re-imaging the world of heritage licensing. This is a truly innovative and exciting part of brand licensing, and I am looking forward to sharing our insights with visitors at Brand Licensing Europe in October,” Maxine Lister, Head of Licensing, Natural History Museum.

“Through this panel, I will be demonstrating how a heritage brand like ZSL can remain relevant, innovative and purpose driven. Drawing on 200 years of conservation, science and connecting people to nature, our licensing programme is equally focused on the future. I will be sharing what a partnership with London Zoo or ZSL offers more than brand heritage alone; it offers the chance to create trusted consumer connections while supporting wildlife conservation in over 80 countries around the world. Partnering with brands, whether it is through exploring sustainable products in novel ways, creative collaborations, experiential partnerships or bringing our extraordinary archives to life, we are looking for partners who can help us engage new audiences and share our conservation mission,” Abbie Taylor, Brand Licensing Manager, ZSL.

Tuesday 6 October

• 09:30: Your guide to Brand Licensing Europe
• 09:45: Brand licensing explained
• 10:30: Press briefing: Exclusive reveal of the data driving brand licensing in Europe
• 10:30: The Little Prince: From classic masterpiece to global pop icon (sponsored session)
• 12:30: New to show and solo traveller networking
• 13:00: Toei Animation beyond the fandom: The retail case for anime's biggest franchises (sponsored session)
• 15:30: From contracts to forecasts: AI across the licensing lifecycle (sponsored session)
• 16:00: Global brands, local relevance: How Universal builds franchises that thrive across markets
• 17:00: Show Floor Drinks – everybody welcome!
  
  

Wednesday 7 October

• 09:30: Mastering brand partnerships: How agents can elevate your licensing strategy
• 09:30: Coffee networking
• 10:30: State of the Nation: The brand licensing forecast, presented by License Global
• 10:30: 5 keys to successful brand collaborations – a German perspective
• 12:30: Topic Table Talks
• 13:30: Planneta Junior - Milo: The journey to a global brand (sponsored session)
• 13:45: KEYNOTE: Unlocking the magic: How Warner Bros. Discovery keeps Harry Potter spellbinding after two decades
• 14:30: From factory to market: Understanding your manufacturing and licensee partners

Thursday 8 October

• 10:00: Licensing across Europe: insights from France, Germany and Italy
• 10:00: Timeless brands, modern moves: Heritage & museum licensing strategies
• 11:00: Trust wears well: Building authentic partnerships consumers believe in
• 12:00: Young Persons Network - Careers afternoon

View the 2026 Brand Licensing Europe content agenda at www.brandlicensing.eu.

Brand Licensing Europe is the only pan-European annual event dedicated to licensing and brand extension taking place 6-8 October at Excel London. Register before 5 October for a free visitor pass.

For media information and interview enquiries, please contact:  
Charlie Le Rougetel at BIGTOP
charlie@bigtop-pr.co.uk/
+44 (0)7736 330676  

Global Licensing Group PR
LicensingPR@Informa.com

About Brand Licensing Europe   
Launched in 1998, Brand Licensing Europe is the only pan-European annual event dedicated to licensing and brand extension. The London event features over 2,500 brands and more than 7,500 licensees, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and licensing agents. Brand Licensing Europe is a part of the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, the licensing industry's leading trade show organiser and media partner. Its mission is to provide licensing opportunities around the world by bringing brands and products together.   

About License Global  
License Global, a part of the Global Licensing Group, is the leading publication for the brand licensing industry, delivering award-winning editorial content, including news, trends, analysis and special reports about the global consumer product and retail marketplace. Through its magazine, website, daily e-newsletter, webinars, videos and event publications, License Global reaches more than 150,000 executives and professionals in all major markets. The magazine also serves as the official publication for the sector's trade events, which include Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe and Licensing Expo Shanghai.  

About Global Licensing Group     
The Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets is the licensing industry’s leading tradeshow organizer and media partner. Its mission is to provide licensing opportunities around the world by bringing brands and products together. The following events and information products are produced for the licensing industry by the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets: Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Shanghai, License Global magazine, licenseglobal.com and License Global Daily E-News. Global Licensing Group events are sponsored by Licensing International.  

About Licensing International       
Licensing International is the leading trade organization for the $369+ billion global brand licensing industry. Licensing International’s mission is to foster the growth and expansion of brand licensing around the world, raise the level of professionalism for licensing practitioners, and create greater awareness of the benefits of licensing to the business community at large. Founded in 1985, more than 1,200 Licensing International member companies in over 40 countries enjoy access to an array of benefits, including extensive educational programming and worldwide networking events. Visit www.LicensingInternational.org for more information.

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