What Event Merchandising does

Event Merchandising Limited is a UK-based private company, founded in 1982 and headquartered in London with a regional office in Berlin (EM Event Merchandising Germany GmbH), that operates an end-to-end merchandise services platform for live events, sports properties, entertainment franchises, and corporate clients worldwide. Its core capabilities span creative product design, manufacturing, licensing programme management, on-site retail operations (permanent stores, pop-ups, and mobile units), and proprietary e-commerce — delivered through its multi-tenant Themerchandisingshop platform and bespoke operational software integrating design, buying, QA, shipping, logistics, and finance. The company maintains a database of 2,500 trained event managers and brand ambassadors to staff high-footfall events globally, and operates permanent retail locations at venues such as Battersea Power Station alongside marquee client online stores including 007store.com, the ITV/Love Island shop, the UEFA Store, and the Bing Bunny Store.

The business monetises through multiple revenue streams: merchandise production and sales, live event retail management (managed services), e-commerce store management for entertainment and corporate clients, licensing and royalty arrangements (including master licensee roles for major sports events), and creative/professional services. Commercial terms are structured flexibly as management fees, profit share, royalty, or supply-only depending on client requirements, which allows it to serve both blue-chip corporates (Sainsbury, Costar) and rights holders (UEFA, EON Productions, Hasbro, SailGP, UCI, World Athletics). Its primary customer segments are blue-chip corporates, live sports governing bodies and tournaments, music and entertainment properties, and licensed IP owners, with a secondary base in premium/FMCG brand promotional merchandise.

The company has remained privately held under Managing Director Jeremy Goldsmith for over four decades, with no external funding rounds, parent company, or M&A activity disclosed. Its growth has been driven by successive long-tenure partnerships (London 2012 Olympics, James Bond 007 franchise since 2018, ITV since 2024) and geographic and vertical expansion, including the 2025 entry into the tabletop hobby games vertical via Asmodee Entertainment and 2026 event contracts in Poland (World Athletics) and the Netherlands (Solheim Cup).

Name

Event Merchandising

Legal name

Event Merchandising Limited

Website

https://eventmerchandising.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Event Merchandising Limited, founded 1982 and headquartered in London, is a global end-to-end merchandise services provider for live events, sports governing bodies, entertainment franchises, and blue-chip corporates, operating proprietary e-commerce platforms, permanent and pop-up retail, and licensing programmes worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Merchandising Services

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459), All Other Miscellaneous Retailers (459999)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Licensing, Merchandising & Retail Programs Management (MPAKAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Merchandising & Onsite Retail (Concert Merch, Pop-ups) (MPAGAAAJ), Merchandising & On-Site Retail (Tour Merch, Pop-ups) (MPAIAFAJ), Sports, Concert & Venue Gift Shops (CRALAJAH), Retail Merchandising Execution & Field Marketing Services (CRAOAOAB)

Keywords

• Event merchandise
• Promotional merchandise
• Live event retail
• Licensed brand merchandise
• Custom apparel design

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Merchandise Production and Sales: Design, manufacture and sale of branded merchandise for events, entertainment properties, sports events, and corporate clients through physical and online retail channels
2. Live Event Retail Management: On-site merchandise management including stores, pop-up units, staffing, inventory control, and sales operations at live events globally
3. E-commerce Store Management: Design, build and operate online merchandise stores for entertainment brands and corporate clients, providing technology and operational support
4. Licensing Programmes: Master licensee and sub-licensing arrangements for major sports events and entertainment properties including wholesale and retail programme management
5. Creative Design Services: In-house creative design team providing product design, brand guidelines compliance, retail concepts, and fashion styling for merchandise ranges

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Event Merchandising designs, manufactures, and retails branded merchandise for live sports events, entertainment properties, music tours, film/TV productions, and blue-chip corporate clients. It operates a full omnichannel stack combining creative design, production, licensing, on-site event retail, mobile and pop-up shops, and managed e-commerce stores via its proprietary Themerchandisingshop platform. The company functions as an end-to-end merchandise partner from product concept and design through to global retail execution.

Product overview

Event Merchandising is a merchandise solutions company operating since 1982, offering a comprehensive portfolio of services and proprietary platforms. The core offering includes live event sales services, mobile and pop-up retail operations, and e-commerce management powered by their proprietary Themerchandisingshop platform. They provide end-to-end merchandise solutions comprising creative design, production, licensing, and merchandising execution for sports, entertainment, corporate and charity clients. Additional services include event staffing (with database of 2,500+ staff), catering through Event Live Sponsorship division, brochure design, video card manufacturing, premium product manufacturing, and procurement. They also operate managed online stores for major clients (007store.com, ITV, UEFA, Bing Bunny) and maintain permanent and temporary retail locations. The company partners with Stanley/Stella for sustainable apparel and manages Asmodee-branded fan shops for hobby game properties. The offering functions as an integrated service model rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Creative Design Services In-house creative design team delivering product design to brand guidelines and developing unique consumer products including fashion-forward merchandise ranges, retail concepts, and styling.
• Production Services
• Merchandising Services
• Live Event Sales Services
• Themerchandisingshop E-commerce Platform
• Mobile and Pop-Up Shop Services
• Licensing Services
• Music Merchandise Services
• Sports Merchandise Services
• Film, Cast & Crew Merchandise
• Theatre Merchandise Services
• Event Staffing Services
• Corporate Products Services
• Create My Merch
• Video Cards
• Premium Manufacturing Services
• Procurement Services
• Stanley/Stella Sustainable Apparel Range
• Managed Client Online Stores

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.17 billion media reach, 568 press pieces, 264 million TikTok views for Peppa Pig campaign
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World Athletics Indoor ChampionshipscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Official merchandise partner for World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 2026 in Poland, delivering merchandise programme designed for fans with meaningful, lasting connections
• Solheim Cup 2026coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Official Retail Partner for 2026 Solheim Cup at Bernardus Golf in The Netherlands, covering design, manufacture, sub-licensing, marketing, distribution, and sale of official products
• ITVcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2024Partnership to relaunch the Love Island and ITV Webshop in the UK, bringing fans merchandise inspired by popular shows including Love Island, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, Coronation Street, and Emmerdale
• UCI Cycling World ChampionshipscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 August 2023Appointed as Master Licensee for 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and Scotland, encompassing wholesale, licensing, retail programmes, and venue retail operations
• EON ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to run the official 007store.com, developing the global merchandise appeal direct to fans and creating unique products from the James Bond film franchise
• UEFAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch and operate store.uefa.com featuring clothing, collectibles, souvenirs, and signed memorabilia for Champions League, Europa League, and Conference leagues
• HasbrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Hasbro Hub London pop-up retail experience in Piccadilly Circus, Transformers and Peppa Pig flagship stores at Battersea Power Station, and cultural campaigns including Mummy Pig Gender Reveal
• Asmodee EntertainmentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicensing partnership to bring fan shops for Arkham Horror, Legend of the Five Rings, and Twilight Imperium to fans globally through one-stop-shop merchandise stores
• Acamar FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop and manage the first e-commerce store for Bing, the multi-award winning pre-school show, featuring personalised products, apparel, gifts, and homeware
• SailGPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership to build and operate retail stores for SailGP globally, including superstores featuring local artists and designer brands
• Stanley/StellaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Dealer partnership offering eco-conscious apparel made from organic cotton and recycled materials, with carbon footprint significantly lower than conventional alternatives

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• GEAR Merchandise: Music and entertainment merchandise company operating artist stores, tour merch, and licensing programmes. Comparable to Event Merchandising's music merchandise, online stores, and live touring retail work.
• The Marketing Store: Global promotional merchandise and shopper marketing agency serving major brands. Comparable to Event Merchandising on enterprise promotional merchandise, field marketing, and brand activation.
• Front Row Group: Operates official fan shops and merchandise programmes for sports, music, and entertainment brands across Europe. Direct peer to Event Merchandising on multi-territory licensed merchandise retail and e-commerce.
• Something Different: UK promotional merchandise and branded products supplier serving corporate clients. Comparable to Event Merchandising's corporate products, premiums, and promotional merchandise revenue stream.
• Sunstantial Promotional Products: UK promotional merchandise distributor offering sourcing, design, and fulfilment. Direct peer to Event Merchandising's corporate products and procurement services for blue-chip clients.
• Bravada (formerly Pop Concert Merchandising): UK-based music and entertainment merchandise specialist handling tour merch, artist stores, and licensing. Direct competitor to Event Merchandising's music merchandise and touring retail services.
• Legends Hospitality: Provides merchandise, hospitality, and retail operations at major sports venues and events. Highly comparable to Event Merchandising's live event retail and licensing management offerings for sports properties.

Broad incumbents

• Fanatics: Global leader in licensed sports merchandise and direct-to-consumer e-commerce for leagues and teams. Directly comparable to Event Merchandising on sports merchandise programmes for clients like UEFA and SailGP, though much larger and broader in scope.
• IMG (Endeavor): Global sports and entertainment licensing, events, and merchandise management. Overlaps with Event Merchandising on sports licensing programmes, retail operations, and brand partnerships.

Others

• Authentic Brands Group: Brand development and licensing platform managing IP for entertainment and character brands. Adjacent rather than directly competitive; comparable to Event Merchandising's licensing programme management and character retail stores (Peppa Pig, Transformers, Bing).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Event Merchandising