Bringing Scotland’s music industry together to turn shared priorities into action.
The SMIA Summit returns in 2026 for a day focused on the future of Scotland’s music industry, taking place on Thursday 8 October at the Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow.
Following the publication of the Scottish Music Industry Roadmap (2026–30), The SMIA Summit 2026 will explore what its priorities mean in practice and what needs to happen next.
The public programme will take place across two spaces. The Conference Centre will focus on how we turn the recommendations within the Roadmap into collective action, while the Training Centre will offer practical sessions with skills, tools and resources attendees can use in their own work.
The SMIA Summit 2026 will also host a Policy Centre, creating space for focused discussion on specific Roadmap priorities and how they can be turned into action. Participation in these sessions will be by invitation only.
The SMIA Summit 2026 is delivered in partnership with Creative Scotland, Glasgow Life, Glasgow UNESCO City of Music and UK Music.
Who is The SMIA Summit 2026 for?
The SMIA Summit 2026 is for people working across Scotland’s music industry, including:
Artists & Creators
Artists // Musicians // Producers // Songwriters
Live Music
Promoters // Booking Agents // Venue Teams · Festival Teams // Production Professionals
Music Businesses
Artist Managers // Record Labels // Publishers // PR // Marketing & Communications
Wider Industry
Educators // Researchers // Funders // Public Bodies // Charities // Community Organisations // Freelancers // Policy Makers
The SMIA Summit 2026 is free for SMIA members, with places available on a first come, first served basis.
The Scottish Music Industry Roadmap (2026–30)
The Scottish Music Industry Roadmap (2026–30) will set out shared priorities and recommendations for the development of Scotland’s music industry over the coming years.
The Roadmap has been shaped by engagement with Scotland’s music industry. Its development has drawn on sector consultation, insights gathered through previous SMIA Summits and wider research into the challenges and opportunities facing Scottish music.
The SMIA Summit 2026 will build on this work, creating a space to explore the Roadmap’s priorities and consider what they mean in practice for Scotland’s music industry.
Scottish Music Industry Roadmap 2026–30 will be published on Tuesday 6 October 2026.
The SMIA Summit 2026 Programme
The SMIA Summit 2026 programme will combine big picture conversations about the future of Scotland’s music industry with practical training designed to support the people and organisations working within it.
Exploring the big ideas and national ambitions.
Through keynotes and panel discussions, the Conference Centre will examine some of the biggest questions facing Scotland’s music industry.
These will include:
Practical learning to strengthen your work.
The Training Centre will focus on what individuals and organisations can start doing differently within their own work. Sessions will provide practical knowledge alongside tools and resources attendees can continue using after The SMIA Summit 2026.
Sessions include:
- Foundational Principles That All Music Organisations Should Have Workshop
- Financial Resilience: Building Sustainable Music Organisations Workshop
- Measuring and Communicating Your Impact Workshop
Places will be available on a first-come first-served basis on the day of the event.
Speakers, facilitators and further programme details will be announced soon.
Explore the Training Centre Programme →
The Schedule at a Glance:
| Time | Location | Session | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:30am | Entrance (Old Fruitmarket) | Registration | |
| 10:00am–10:15am | Conference Centre (Old Fruitmarket) | Welcome | Robert Kilpatrick (CEO and Creative Director, Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA)) |
| 10:15am–10:30am | Conference Centre (Old Fruitmarket) | Introducing the Scottish Music Industry Roadmap [Opening keynote] | Robert Kilpatrick (CEO and Creative Director, Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA)) |
| 10:30am–10:45am | Conference Centre (Old Fruitmarket) | Break | |
| 10:45am–11:00am | Conference Centre (Old Fruitmarket) | Keynote Speech | Scott Kirkwood (Artist Manager and Founder, Kingdom Management) |
| 10:45am–11:45am | Training Centre (Scottish Music Centre) | Foundational Principles that all Music Organisations Should Have [Workshop] | Judith Eele (Development Lead, Community Enterprise) |
| 11:00am–12:05pm | Conference Centre (Old Fruitmarket) | From Discovery to Demand – Building Audiences for Scottish Music [Panel discussion and audience Q&A] | Jubemi Iyiku (Artist and Rapper, BEMZ) Sheri Friers (CEO, The List) Ben Jeffries (Head of Scotland, The Audience Agency) — Chair |
| 11:45am–12:00pm | Conference Centre (Old Fruitmarket) | Break | |
| 12:10pm-12:20pm | Conference Centre (Old Fruitmarket) | A Day In The Life Keynote | Ben Schogler (Director of Partnerships, National Centre for Music) |
| 12:00pm–1:00pm | Training Centre (Scottish Music Centre) | Financial Resilience: Building Sustainable Music Organisations [Workshop] | Jamie Laughland (Accountant and Business Manager, Sopher + Co; Director and Founder, It’sNotRadio) |
| 12:30pm–2:00pm | Conference Centre (Old Fruitmarket) | Lunch break | |
| 1:00pm–2:00pm | Training Centre (Scottish Music Centre) | Lunch break | |
| 2:00pm–3:00pm | Training Centre (Scottish Music Centre) | Measuring and Communicating Your Impact [Workshop] | Peta Murphy (Lead Learning Architect, Enterprise & Innovation Organisation, Coventry University Group) |
| 2:00pm–2:15pm | Conference Centre (Old Fruitmarket) | Keynote Speech | Jen Smith (CEO, Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA)) |
| 2:15pm–3:20pm | Conference Centre (Old Fruitmarket) | Beyond Codes of Conduct – Safety, Power and Accountability in Scotland’s Music Industry [Panel discussion and audience Q&A] | Brian Ó hEadhra (Director, Traditional Music Forum, TRACS) Briana Pegado (Author, Consultant and Founder, Good Trouble Co.) Jen Smith (CEO, Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA)) Jen Anderson (Founder and Director, The Bothy Society) — Chair |
| 3:20pm–3:40pm | Break | ||
| 3:50pm–4:05pm | Conference Centre (Old Fruitmarket) | Keynote Speech | Lisa Whytock (Director, Active Events) |
| 4:05pm–5:10pm | Conference Centre (Old Fruitmarket) | When a Region’s a Nation – Scotland in a UK-wide Music Industry [Panel discussion and audience Q&A] | Mobo Agoro (Co-Founder, UP2STNDRD; Programme Coordinator and Booker, PITCH Scotland; Artist Manager) Olga FitzRoy (Director of Campaigns and Engagement, UK Music) Scott Lewis (Label Manager, EMI North) Lisa Whytock (Director, Active Events) Alan Morrison (Head of Music, Creative Scotland) — Chair |
| 5:10pm–5:20pm | Conference Centre (Old Fruitmarket) | Closing remarks and thanks | Robert Kilpatrick (CEO and Creative Director, Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA)) |
Register for the SMIA Summit 2026
The SMIA Summit 2026 is free for SMIA members, with places available on a first come, first served basis.
We welcome people from across Scotland’s music industry, and organisations are encouraged to bring their teams so more people can take part in the conversations and training throughout the day.
Not a member yet? SMIA membership is free and open to anyone working in Scotland’s music industry.
Registration for the SMIA Summit 2026 will unlock when you log into the SMIA website and view this page.
Accessibility
If you have any accessibility requirements or would like to discuss how we can support your attendance at The SMIA Summit 2026, please contact info@smia.org.uk.
The venue access guide can be found here.
You can also access our SMIA Code of Conduct here.