February’s Spring Fair has announced the full content programme for its February edition with a big focus on licensing via its Licensing Lab sessions.
Spring Fair
Licensing Lab, the event’s dedicated stage and experiential hub will be “championing the commercial power of licensing, storytelling and brand collaboration”.
Contained within the Home, Gift and Fashion event taking place (1-4 February) at NEC Birmingham, Licensing Lab will bring together leading licensors, agencies, retail buyers, and brand innovators for “insight-rich sessions designed to inspire, inform and ignite new opportunities”.
Positioned within Spring Fair’s new creative direction ‘Retail Alchemists – Masters of the Mix’, the programme highlights include Bagpuss Family Fandom (11am, 1 February) describing how ‘Comfort Brands Are Winning in ‘Unusual’ Times’. Delivered by Michael Ford, CEO & Creative Director, Threewise Entertainment, the agency behind the Bapguss character, it “explores how nostalgia IP continues to dominate in moments of cultural uncertainty”.
‘Beyond the Brand Slap: What Do Authentic Collaborations Look Like?’ (2pm 1 February), is presented by Jeremy Orriss & Anne Bradford, Difuzed, unveiling “what real partnership looks like – rooted in shared values, storytelling and long-term consumer relevance”.
‘Inside the Design: How Liberty’s Studio Turns Heritage into New Opportunities’ (11am 2 February) sees Alice Molyneaux, head of Licensing and Brand Partnerships, Liberty, “take a rare look inside the department store’s design studio”.
‘Wallace & Gromit Cross Borders: How Aardman Adapts to Audiences Worldwide’ (12 noon, 2 February) features Susan Bolsover, senior licensing manager, Aardman, showing how “timeless characters, strong identity and cross-cultural charm are helping Wallace & Gromit reach new generations around the world”.
‘Stand Out with Ease: How Working with Designers Drives Retail Success’ (2pm, 2 February) features Emma Lawrence, Emma Lawrence Designs, delivering a practical session revealing how “illustrator-led licensing offers originality without requiring blockbuster characters”.
‘The Licensing Link: Connecting Data, Design and Doing Better’ (11am 3 February) allows Andrew Xeni (Fabacus; Nobody’s Child; Soreto) and Helena Mansell-Stopher (Products of Change) to deep-dive into how “structured data, sustainable design and digital visibility transform the licensing value chain”.
‘The Power of Quiet Licensing: The Joules Blueprint for Sustainable Growth’ (2pm, 2 February) features Victoria Downes, Licensing manager, and Josie Will, Business Development manager of Joules, sharing how “values-led, subtly integrated licensing (including its celebrated Peter Rabbit collection) strengthens relevance, trust and cross-generational appeal, while also expanding its own IP into lifestyle categories”.
Finally, ‘Licensing Law Made Simple: What Every Brand and Retailer Should Know’ (3pm, 3 February) by John Burns, JMW Solicitors, “navigates IP, contracts, approvals and risk when sourcing or selling licensed products”.
Also, Spring Fair introduces its three-day ‘Merchant’s Corner’ feature, “bringing retail’s future into sharp focus”, offering independent retailers, brands, and buyers “practical insights, data-backed strategies and future-facing inspiration. It aims to demonstrate how “physical retail, digital innovation, community connection and commercial creativity come together to empower modern retail success”.
Designed as an indie-shopfront-inspired space at the heart of Hall 3, The Merchant’s Corner brings together “leading independents, retail strategists and high-street champions to share what’s really working in today’s market”.
Sessions include, ‘eCommerce Best Practices for 2026’ (10:20, 1 February, noon 3 February) featuring CDA’s Stuart Alldis sharing the “mistakes to avoid, the metrics that matter and why discovery stages save money and maximise ROI”.
‘Hard Times, Smart Retail’ (11:10 , 1 February) brings together Anna Donoghue (Piglet in Bed), Shirley Maciver (Orange Blossom), Graham Soult (CannyInsights), and Catherine Erdly (Resilient Retail Club) to reveal tactics for “keeping independent retailers profitable, blending digital tools, alternative revenue streams and smarter margin management”.
Other sessions include the ‘Faire Forecast 2026’ with Charlotte Broadbent from Faire sharing the “data-backed trends shaping next year’s buying landscape”; ‘Invisible Influence: Social Commerce 2026’ on “how shoppable content and algorithm-led discovery now drive purchasing decisions”; and ‘The High Street Comeback’ on how “independents are driving local revival and attracting younger shoppers’ with Renes Fashion.
