logo-loader

Live Company takes first step into US market as BRICKLIVE targets education and entertainment

Last updated: 05:00 14 Sep 2018 EDT, First published: 05:27 11 Jul 2018 EDT

Lego ball
The company has BRICKLIVE venues all over the world

Chances are most people in the UK have held a LEGO brick at least once in their life, the colourful bricks are recognisable almost everywhere around the world, with ranges attracting adults and children alike.

It is this versatility that Live Company Group Plc (LON:LVCG) is seeking to leverage, holding events around the world that use the power of LEGO bricks to both educate and entertain children.

These can range from large events that attract hundred, to smaller BRICKLIVE cafes that parents and children can enjoy while taking a break from shopping.

Since its listing on AIM last December, the company has been pursuing an aggressive strategy of expansion and brand building, with around 60 venues expected to hold BRICKLIVE events this year across the world including in the UK, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and Brazil.

And the strategy is paying off, with the company’s share price having risen almost since re-listing in its current form in December.

US venture begins in the Lone-Star state

The latest push in what has been a fast-paced year is a joint venture agreement with US-based entertainment firm Three Six Zero, which has steered the careers of pop stars such as Calvin Harris.

The venture, dubbed Parallel Live Group, will put on its first BRICKLIVE show in the US at The Star in Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys American football team, in January next year.
While the agreement is initially for the one show, the company said if successful it would allow for a minimum of two further shows to be staged.

“It’s the most exciting thing we’ve done all year” says Live Company’s executive chairman David Ciclitira, adding that the event will take BRICKLIVE to “a whole new level”.

The venture is already garnering interest from heavy hitters, with Parallel having already signed an agreement with Live Nation Entertainment, the largest entertainment group in the world, to promote the BRICKLIVE brand across the US and Canada.

’20 cities’ tour across China

Away from the US, Live Company is also making significant inroads into another huge market, China.

In early September the firm launched a new exhibition, BRICKLIVE Animal Paradise, at the ‘Brids Nest’ stadium in Beijing that aims to educate children about the need to protect and preserve the environment.

The exhibition contains life-sized statues, built from LEGO bricks, depicting endangered animal species in their natural habitats.

Far from being a one-off event, the Animal Paradise exhibition is scheduled to tour 20 cities in China over the next three years and is backed by The Price Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Ciclitira thinks that this ’20 cities’ strategy can be replicated in the US market, saying that he sees a similar BRICKLIVE tour across North America “by 2020”.

Beginning of chapter two

Looking ahead, Ciclitira says the first chapter of the company’s development is coming to an end, with building the brand one of the most critical aspects of the initial period.

“We have a scalable network, it’s all about the network, the brand, and the following” he says.

At 89.5p, Live Company carries a market cap of £49.2mln.

Caledonia Mining tackles 2023 challenges with optimism for 2024 as it...

Caledonia Mining Corporation PLC (AIM:CMCL, NYSE-A:CMCL) chief executive Mark Learmonth tells Proactive's Stephen Gunnion the company faced a challenging 2023, primarily due to poor production in the first half of the year at its core asset, the Blanket Mine in Zimbabwe, and an underperformance...

6 minutes ago