Brand Licensing Europe, the Advanstar organised licensing exhibition, has announced the judging panel for this year’s License This! challenge. The challenge is now open for entries at www.brandlicensing.eu.

The License This! panel for 2011 will be chaired by Andrew Kerr, Managing Director, Aoh!k Commercial Ltd, previously of Classic Media and Ragdoll. Andrew will be joined on the panel by Oliver Dyer, Managing Director, Skew Studio; Eric Huang, Publishing Director, Media and Entertainment, Penguin Group and Patricia de Wilde, Licensing Director, Marathon Media and President, F2D2.

License This! was launched in 2010 to great acclaim, attracting entries from all over the world. The “Dragons’ Den” style challenge is open to any new creative idea with its roots in publishing, art & design, television or digital media. The panel will review all entries before creating a shortlist of four properties. These are pitched to the panel in front of a live audience at the Licensing Academy on Thursday 20th October. The panel will listen, question and offer critique before choosing a winner based on originality, commercial potential and suitability for licensing into other product categories. The winner will receive a fully furnished stand at Brand Licensing Europe 2012, worth an estimated £4,500, so that the new property can be brought back to market next year.

Andrew Kerr, Managing Director of Aoh!k, said, “I am delighted to be chairing such a strong panel to judge the License This! challenge this year. Last year’s finalists have all gone on to achieve licensing success with their brands, so we know that this is a valid and useful platform for emerging properties. It’s also a great way for licensing companies to learn about new brands and their creators. I look forward to reviewing this year’s entries and to helping to celebrate new talent.”

Property creators/owners can submit their property now to be part of the License This! by completing the entry form, found at www.brandlicensing.eu. Last year’s finalists presented the following properties: Bondiband, The Land of Me, Gombby and Animaru. The winner was the graphic design property Animaru, which returns to exhibit at Brand Licensing Europe 2011, which takes place over 3 days from 18-20 September 2011 at London’s Grand Hall, Olympia.