Brand Licensing Europe felt bigger and livelier than last year. Hats off to all who made it happen in spite of the last-minute rearrangements due to the Queen's funeral. Here are some quick takeaways from the show:

• Gaming, automotive and sports brands were all very prominent.

• Excel may not be Vegas, but there was a big presence from the big studios and agencies, and the new catwalk area helped to create a buzz.

• And reflecting changes in the industry, NFTs (Bored Ape Yacht Club featured on one stand), the metaverse (thanks to an enlightening talk from WGSN), and brand purpose (a topic close to our hearts) are being talked about.

Fun as it is to get selfies with all of the costume characters and admire the stands, BLE is all about real people. Friends, contacts and colleagues are always happy to have a chat in a free moments as well as in more formal meetings.