Bologna Licensing Trade Fair / Kids Events

What happens when books meet games? Mark Backler, Founder of SketchBook Games, explores the creative and commercial potential at the intersection of literary IP and interactive entertainment. Drawing on his experience, he will discuss how game developers can identify and partner with IP holders to create compelling adaptations and how games can revitalize a book's universe, expanding its audience and fan engagement. Whether you're an indie studio aiming to license your first IP or a publisher curious about games, this session offers practical insights into the books-to-games pipeline.

When Ken Faier founded Epic Story Media, his goal was to create a comprehensive platform to engage kids across various media. The company grew from original IPs, franchises, and TV series into gaming and toys, initially via licensing and later through its infrastructure. Today, Epic Story Media has divisions in content, YouTube, distribution, licensing, animation, two gaming studios, and a new toy and product division. Moreover, instead of out-licensing to large toy firms, Epic Story took control, incorporating toy development into their IP creation—making properties that tell compelling stories and provide immersive, connected entertainment experiences. In this panel, we take an in-depth look at this rich ecosystem, sharing insights and visions on the future of the content industry.

Brands hold extraordinary influence. When they use that influence with purpose, they can reshape industries, accelerate innovation, and build systems that work better for people and the planet. At this special session, join Products of Change’s Panel to explore how leading brands are using their scale, creativity, and cultural relevance to drive meaningful change. Through real examples and practical insights, the panel will explore how purpose-driven brand leadership can help shape a more responsible, resilient, and future-fit brand licensing industry—one that delivers both profit and positive impact for the next generation.

Creating games for young audiences is a balancing act: content must be imaginative and engaging enough to capture children's attention, while meeting the safety and ethical standards that parents and regulators demand. But beyond the creative challenge lies a commercial one—how do you build a sustainable business model around kids' gaming content? Panellists will share hard-won insights on what makes a game truly resonate with young players, how to navigate the complex landscape of child-safe content guidelines, and which monetization models are proving most effective in today's market.

What happens when the world of storytelling collides with the world of play? In this in-depth conversation, we sit down with Verena Urbschat from Spielwarenmesse — the world's leading toy trade fair — to explore the evolving relationship between children's books and toys. Verena shares exclusive insights into the latest toy trends and what they mean for publishers, authors, and illustrators looking to tap into the creative and commercial potential of this dynamic crossover space.

Join us for this highly anticipated celebratory ceremony of the 8 th edition of the Bologna Licensing Awards, where we will announce the winners of the best-in-class awards in the licensing industry for their outstanding projects developed in 2025. A drink will follow to continue celebrating this unique industry and its community.

As the global licensing industry grows increasingly interconnected, Europe and Asia represent a powerful axis of opportunity. This panel explores the business potential European brands can unlock in Asian markets, and the scouting strategies companies can adopt to identify partnerships, trends, and emerging opportunities across the region. Through expert insights and open dialogue, panelists share practical pathways to build stronger cross-regional relationships — turning conversations into concrete commercial outcomes for licensors and licensees alike.

Children's content has never lived on a single screen — yet the industry's approach to building it often still does. This open discussion brings together leading event organisers, audiovisual producers, and gaming companies to ask: how do we move from siloed production to a truly integrated, cross-media approach? The session invites frank dialogue on the steps needed to build ecosystems where storytelling, gameplay, and audience engagement evolve together — and explores how event organisers can serve as the connective tissue that makes those conversations happen. Come ready to share, debate, and help shape the future of children's media.

Una selezione di società produttrici dell'Emilia-Romagna presenta progetti e contenuti da sviluppare nell'editoria in un'ottica innovativa e crossmediale.

Non solo dalla pagina allo schermo, ma anche il viaggio dall'audiovisivo alla carta. Non è semplice proporre opere audiovisive agli editori per un adattamento che funzioni nell'ambito editoriale. In questo panel, proviamo a fornire alcune linee guida, consigli e indicazioni per proporre opere audiovisive agli editori in modo efficace, e poterle sviluppare su carta, espandendo le opportunità crossmediali.

Il cinema d'autore italiano sta elaborando narrazioni sulle nuove generazioni con una profondità che può offrire all'editoria spunti preziosi: non solo storie da adattare, ma anche modelli di sguardo e di sensibilità stilistica da cui partire. Il panel prende le mosse da due progetti emblematici, prodotti grazie al sostegno della Regione Emilia-Romagna attraverso Emilia-Romagna Film Commission: Le Bambine di Valentina Bertani e Nicole Bertani — prodotto da Emma Film, Menzione Premio Giovani a Locarno 2025, sviluppato con Maria Sole Limodio — e Piercing , il nuovo film di Margherita Ferri, prodotto da Tempesta Film, entrambi incentrati sull'identità e sull'esperienza delle giovani generazioni, raccontate con uno sguardo autoriale e senza retoriche. Attraverso il confronto tra registe, produttori e istituzioni, il panel esplora come il processo creativo cinematografico possa stimolare l'industria editoriale nella scelta dei soggetti, nella costruzione dei personaggi e nel trattamento di temi sensibili con rigore e autenticità.

Un corto d'animazione nato in Italia, arrivato fino a Los Angeles, dopo una lunga corsa ed una shortlist “storica”. Questo panel ripercorre il percorso produttivo e distributivo di Playing God , analizzando le scelte creative e tecniche che hanno reso il progetto competitivo e unico a livello internazionale. Un dialogo con il regista e la produttrice sul processo artigianale alla base dell'opera, sul circuito festivaliero come strumento di visibilità e sul posizionamento dell'animazione italiana nel panorama internazionale.