The Training Centre is the practical learning space within The SMIA Summit 2026.
Sessions will focus on areas where individuals and organisations can make changes within their own work, with practical guidance designed to strengthen day-to-day practice and long-term resilience.
Attendees will also receive useful templates, worksheets, guides and checklists to take away and continue using after The SMIA Summit 2026.
Organisations are encouraged to bring their teams, giving colleagues the opportunity to attend different training sessions and bring that learning back into their organisation.
Training Centre sessions will have limited capacity, with places available on a first come, first served basis on the day of The SMIA Summit 2026.
Training Centre 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.
Foundational Principles That All Music Organisations Should Have Workshop
10:45am – 11:45am (In Person)
Whether you’re running a venue, record label, festival, creative organisation or working as a sole trader, strong foundations are essential for building a sustainable organisation.
This session will cover strategic planning, governance, organisational structure and Fair Work, helping attendees understand the core principles needed to operate effectively, adapt to change and make stronger decisions.
What you’ll cover:
- Vision and mission statements
- SWOT and PESTLE analysis
- Governance arrangements and documentation
- Fair Work
What you’ll take away:
A clearer understanding of your organisation’s strengths and weaknesses, alongside practical approaches for building a more sustainable way of working.
Facilitator to be announced soon.
Financial Resilience: Building Sustainable Music Organisations Workshop
12:00pm – 1:00pm (In Person)
Financial uncertainty is a major challenge for many organisations working across Scotland’s music industry.
This session will explore practical ways to strengthen financial resilience, including budgeting, cash flow management, forecasting, income diversification and risk planning.
It will also look at how organisations can prepare for periods of uncertainty and make more confident financial decisions.
What you’ll cover:
- Cash flow forecasting
- Reserves policies
- Business model review
- Financial storytelling
- Crisis management
What you’ll take away:
Practical financial tools and frameworks to support better budgeting, cash flow management and longer-term planning.
Facilitator to be announced soon.
Measuring and Communicating Your Impact Workshop
2:00pm – 3:00pm (In Person)
Measuring success is about more than numbers.
This session will explore how music organisations can understand the impact of their work and communicate that value clearly to funders, partners, sponsors and teams.
Attendees will learn how to plan meaningful evaluation, gather useful evidence and use their findings to strengthen future projects.
What you’ll cover:
- Evaluation priorities
- Measuring impact and value
- Stakeholder engagement
- Addressing challenges
- Using evaluation to improve future work
What you’ll take away:
A clearer value proposition that can be used across funding applications and stakeholder communications.
Facilitator to be announced soon.
Part of The SMIA Summit 2026
The Training Centre runs alongside the Conference Centre, where keynotes and panel discussions will focus on the challenges facing Scotland’s music industry and what needs to change.
The Conference Centre programme includes:
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.
Not a member yet? SMIA membership is free and open to anyone working in Scotland’s music industry.
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.
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.