Held at the Grand Hall, Olympia in London on October 1 and 2, "The Event for Licensing and Brand Extension" attracted more than 200 exhibitors from 18 countries - 50 of whom were first-time participants.

And located just outside the PricewaterhouseCoopers-sponsored Advice Centre, law firms Clarion Solicitors, Halliwells and 24IP Law Group were among those on hand to provide guidance to those visitors new to licensing.

Of particular interest was the presence of Sid Shaw and "Geordie Elvis" Ian Coulson. London trader and Elvis fan Shaw first came to the attention of Managing IP in March 1997, when the UK High Court agreed with him that a star's name, whether living of dead, cannot be used as a trade mark.

Owner of memorabilia shop Elvisly Yours, Shaw had been battling Memphis-based Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE), the estate of Elvis Presley, for 15 years before the High Court ruling. And the legal tussle continued, with EPE losing a Court of Appeal ruling two years later.

Managing IP told the tale in full in its June 2000 cover story. Unfortunately this coincided with Shaw's wife Maureen being diagnosed with breast cancer, and Shaw retreated from business life for seven years until Maureen's untimely death last year.

In her memory, Shaw is resurrecting Elvisly Yours, which now owns registered trade marks covering 20 classes of goods and services. He said he targeted Brand Licensing Europe 2008 because "it's the largest event of its kind in Europe", where partnerships start and licensing deals are struck.

And it's a pretty big market to tap. According to the exhibition's sponsor, the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA), licensing accounts for more than $172 billion in retail sales worldwide.

Shaw is resurrecting Elvisly Yours with the launch of a worldwide licensing agreement with Andrew Maconie's Licensing Management International (LMI). And with the help of LMI, he has just signed an agreement with Zap Ltd for licensed Elvis bedding, and Ethos International for licensed Elvis kitchenware.

"I am trying to get people to cross-sell and the exhibition has gone a lot better than I could have hoped," he said. "In recessions licensing doesn't suffer so much because personalities are comforting. Elvis has made more people happy than anyone in history."

And we are likely to see a lot more of Elvis over the next few months, said Shaw, whose revival of the Elvisly Yours brand coincides with the 40th anniversary of the 1968 Elvis comeback tour.

Television productions, interactive exhibitions and even a world tour of Elvis Cirque du Soleil are planned said Shaw, whose Baker Street shop should be one of many beneficiaries around the world.

For licensors, licensees, retailers and promoters, the next big licensing event will be the 2009 Licensing International Expo which is moving from New York to Las Vegas and is on June 2 to 4.

While Brand Licensing Europe 2008 highlighted which brands will dominate various mediums over the next few years, the exhibition also proved a great opportunity for the law firms present to explain how IP rights are best created, protected and enforced in the deals being done.

Following EPE's legal battles with Shaw, Elvis' daughter Lisa-Marie Presley sold the rights to her late father's estate for £52 million on December 17 2004 in a deal she hoped would "preserve and protect his legacy". US businessman Robert Stillman acquired an 85% stake in EPE, granting him the rights to Elvis' name and image as well as the money raised from his music.