A keynote from key figures behind the next chapter for the Beatles brand will take to the main stage on the opening day of this year’s Brand Licensing Europe
Apple Corps and Universal Music Group (UMG) will take to the License Global Main Stage on Tuesday 6 October at 2:00pm at Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) for an exclusive headline keynote exploring how they are evolving The Beatles’ licensing, retail and fan experiences while honouring more than six decades of cultural legacy.
Beyond Beatlemania: Evolving The Beatles’ Licensing, Retail and Fan Experiences will bring together Apple Corps’ Jonathan Sands, Head of Experiences; Paul Cole, Head of Consumer Product Licensing and Miranda Langford, Head of Marketing, with Damian Treece, Head of Licensing UK Commercial, UMG UK, to share the thinking behind the next chapter for The Beatles brand. The keynote will explore reaching legacy fans and Gen Z audiences to developing merchandise, e-commerce and new physical experiences.
A major focus will be The Beatles at 3 Savile Row, the band’s first official fan experience, set to open in 2027. Apple Corps will discuss the strategy behind the project and consider how experiential retail can create new connections between fans and the music, stories and history they love.
The conversation will also look ahead to an unprecedented period of activity, spanning the 60th anniversaries of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The White Album, alongside Sam Mendes’ highly anticipated The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, slated for theatrical release in 2028.
Ella Haynes, Event Director, Global Licensing Group, said: “The Beatles are one of the most recognised and loved music brands in the world, and with such an exciting few years ahead, this is a brilliant time to hear directly from Apple Corps and UMG. The BLE audience will get a rare look at the strategy behind managing an iconic brand of this scale – how the teams plan for major cultural moments, respond to changing consumer behaviour and make decisions about where The Beatles go next.
“It’s a fascinating case study in the long-term potential of great IP and how you build on decades of brand equity, embrace new opportunities and keep finding fresh ways to excite audiences across generations. I think there will be some incredibly valuable lessons here for the whole licensing industry.”
BLE has also announced four further sessions for this year’s content programme, including two focussed on toys and children’s brands:
Wednesday 7 October, 12:30pm on the License Global Main Stage
Françoise Guyonnet and Zoé Marty from StudioCanal Kids & Family will present Paddington: From Storybook to Pop Culture, exploring the character’s growing lifestyle appeal, new audiences and global experience.
Wednesday 7 October, 10:30m at the Networking Hub
What’s Winning with Kids, a workshop session with WildBrain, Magic Light Pictures and Sesame taking a closer look at what’s resonating with young audiences right now and what that means for licensing professionals looking to stay ahead of the curve.
Find the full live content programme here.
BLE is the only pan-European annual event dedicated to licensing and brand extension and takes place 6-8 October 2026 at Excel London.
