Global Licensing Group has appointed Laura Freedman-Dagg to the newly created role of head of retail, licensing.
Prior to taking maternity leave, Laura (pictured) held the position of event manager, Brand Licensing Europe, where she was integral in growing the trade show’s retail proposition, successfully attracting an increasing number of high-quality European retailers to attend the event each year.
In her new role, Laura will work across the business’s global event portfolio, including Licensing Expo, the European and North American Brand & Licensing Innovation Summits and Brand Licensing Europe, to continue to deliver strong content and meaningful meetings for retailers and exhibitors.
“The new head of retail role reflects the continued investment from Informa Markets to focus on driving retail attendance at our industry-leading licensing events,” commented Anna Knight, vp licensing. “We know from talking to our customers that meeting and engaging with retailers is a huge priority for them, hence our introduction of many new initiatives over the last few years.
“Equally, retailers also rely on our events to facilitate introductions between them and brand owners. As BLE event manager, Laura nurtured incredible relationships with key retailers, and I know she’ll continue to deliver ROI for them and our exhibitors and partners.”
Laura continued: “One thing I’ve learnt over the years is that the retail buying calendar isn’t homogenous so it’s important that the whole portfolio of Global Licensing Group events can deliver value when – and where – it’s needed.
“Not only do we have world-class events already scheduled in the calendar, but we also have the reach and flexibility to innovate and introduce new, creative solutions. Our ethos has always been to stay close to our customers (retailers and exhibitors) so that we can understand what the market needs from us and act quickly to deliver it. This role will allow to us to do this even more effectively.”
Speaking exclusively to LicensingSource about what she missed most about Informa and what she learnt while to was away that she can bring to her new role, Laura offered: “I spent the majority of my time away from Informa juggling two small children and watching from afar as the team navigated that horribly uncertain time through lockdowns. So while I was grateful to have the time with my family, I must admit the FOMO was real.
“I missed the team and it felt very strange not to be part of the effort to keep the events running. I was able to attend BLE on a freelance basis and couldn’t have been prouder of the show that the team and exhibitors managed to put on.”
Laura continued: “I think taking some time away gives you really useful perspective and clarity and so I hope I can bring that to this new retail-focused role. There are so many things we could do in the future, I want to make sure that I consult with the industry to ensure that whatever we do decide to develop continues to deliver value for exhibitors and retailers alike.”
Laura’s immediate priority is around the return of Licensing Expo in May and she will be looking at ways in which the experience can be enhanced for the global retail groups that attend the show.
“ROI is key and so making sure that a visit to Vegas is a combination of efficient, inspiring and enjoyable for the people who make the effort to attend will be my number one aim. We’re so excited to welcome the industry back to Vegas – it’ll be a real celebration of licensing and I for one can’t wait.
“In addition to Licensing Expo I’ll also continue to develop the retail proposition at BLE. The Retail Mentoring Programme has grown exponentially in recent years and the retail trends education at the show has become increasingly popular. We have some exciting things to announce in addition to those established programmes and will be sharing our plans very soon.”
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