Iceland Airwaves, Iceland Music, Business Iceland, and Reykjavík Music City are proud to present the first look at the 2025 IA Conference programme.

As in previous years, the conference will take place alongside the Iceland Airwaves festival on November 6-7 and will offer a dynamic and engaging programme featuring some of the most insightful minds across all sectors of the music industry. The IA Conference has established itself as an essential meeting point for both the Icelandic and international music scenes, with a forward-thinking lineup that includes panels, keynotes, and special events.

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Among this year’s featured speakers are Icelandic trailblazers such as Inga Magnes Weisshappel, founder of Iceland’s first international music publishing company in partnership with Wise Music Group; Árni Þór Árnason, manager of Ólafur Arnalds and founder/chair of OPIA Community and MMF Iceland; and Ísleifur Þórhallsson, director of Iceland Airwaves and founder/chair of Sena Live.

Also confirmed are Jeremy Silver, CEO of Mediaclarity Consultancy and author of Towards A Digital Renaissance, which explores the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and investment. He will deliver a talk alongside Virginie Berger of MUSICx, whose work focuses on AI strategy in music. Both will also join a panel discussion on artificial intelligence.

We also warmly welcome Nicholas Douglas, creative director of culture magazine Notion; Isla McRobbie, assistant booker for The Great Escape; and César Andión of Live Nation Spain, project manager for The Spanish Wave.

Below is a first glimpse of the programme in all its glorious variety -  but many more sessions are still to be announced. We strongly encourage everyone interested to stay tuned and sign up to our mailing list for updates.

Thursday 6 November

Panels:

The Big Skip: Does Anyone Listen to Music Anymore? 

Streaming, swiping, skipping... today’s listeners move fast. Songs get a few seconds to make an impression before the next one rolls in. Attention spans are short, and music therefore often consumed in pieces rather than whole. Sync agents and music supervisors work in this reality too: tracks that hit quickly are more likely to get noticed. But once a song is placed, the dynamic shifts. In film, TV, and games, audiences are tuned in, giving music the rare chance to unfold, build, and make a deeper impact. This session explores the balance: how skip culture shapes what gets placed, and how a placement still offers a space for real, lasting musical moments.

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Global, But Make It Weird: How Specificity Became the New Strategy

In a crowded field, the tracks that land aren’t just catchy - they’re unmistakable!

This panel dives into how today’s industry curators are listening with intent, whether it's hyper-local sounds or untranslatable lyrics, we're all looking for tracks with a why. We’ll dig into how artists and their teams can embrace the quirks that set them apart, and why going global starts with sounding unique.

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Sköpunargleðin: The Storm-Soaked Joy of Making Things

Icelandic creativity is dichotomous and extreme. It happens in battered industrial complexes on Grandi and in the summer cottages strewn across the barren hillsides of subarctic mountains. In the winter the weather dictates all moods and dissolves all plans, and the joy of making art provides the only shelter from the enraged storm. In the summer we clock out at 13°C, set sails to the countryside and reply to our next email in late August, when the sun finally starts setting before 10pm.

This panel brings together artists from across disciplines to reflect on how Iceland’s extremes - its weather, its light, its stillness and its storms - continue to shape a creative culture built on collaboration, intuition, and the stubborn joy of making something out of nothing.

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Friday 7 November

Panel: 

‘Dinosaurs or Digital Pioneers? The Future of Collective Rights Management’

In an era defined by shifting royalty models, AI, self managed careers and the looming uncertainty of promotional platforms like TikTok, where do CMOs stand in 2025? Are they outdated gatekeepers, or essential infrastructure for protecting creators in a fragmented digital economy? This panel brings together voices from both sides of the table to ask if collective rights advocacy can still deliver in a world where artists are expected to be their own marketers, managers, and monetizers. What do artists actually need now? Can CMOs evolve with the times? And what’s at stake if they don’t?

‘AI’m not your enemy: Rethinking Strategy in the Age of Automation’

This is not your regular AI panel, but a session that cuts through the noise with a practical roadmap for how the music industry can actually work with AI today. From personalized fan engagement to smarter A&R, rights management, and smarter business processes, we’ll explore the real-world tools already reshaping how music is marketed, monetized, and managed. This isn’t about replacing people, it’s about unlocking new potential through creative, strategic partnership.

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The State of Live: Fickle fans, brutal budgets, and moving markets

While global stars are selling out fast, the rest of the live industry is under pressure. Soaring costs, slower ticket sales, and crowded calendars are squeezing small-to-mid-level events, with festivals folding and buyer behavior shifting. Is this a passing phase or the new normal? This panel brings together agents and promoters to unpack what’s working, what’s not, and how we protect the future of live music beyond the headliners.

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Are the Kids Alright? What Young Audiences Want from Showcase Festivals

A new generation is here, and they are different. As music habits and consumption splinter and youth culture evolves, showcase festivals are struggling to keep up. This conversation goes deeper than outreach, it’s about co-creating with a new generation and sparking something they want to be part of. From inclusive spaces to co-creation and content ownership, we’ll unpack how to build real connections and inspire the next generation to show up, speak up, and take part.

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Confirmed Speakers at IA Conference 2025:

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Árni Þór Árnason (OPIA Community / MMF Iceland) // Cesar Andion (Live Nation Spain / The Spanish Wave) // Daddi Guðbergsson (E4) // Gordon Masson (IQ Magazine) // Guðrún Björk Bjarnadóttir (STEF) // Inga Magnes Weishappel (Wise Music) // Isla McRobbie (The Great Escape) // Ísleifur Thorhallsson (Iceland Airwaves / Sena Live) // Jeremy Silver (Mediaclarity) // Lama-Sea Dear (Marvada) // Neal Thompson (Focus Wales) // Nicholas Douglas (Notion) // Pétur Jónsson (Medialux) // Saga Úlfarsdóttir (AI Consultant) // Snorri Ástráðsson (Garcia Events / All Things Live Denmark) // Virginie Berger (MUSICx) // Will Larnach-Jones (London Records)