Conference Proposal
Submit your Conference proposal for WOMEX 26 in Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 21 - 25 October 2026!The dates for the Conference programme are Thursday 22, Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October 2026.
As a community platform, the WOMEX Conference welcomes proposals from every corner of the music world – you are the expert.
We want to create a space where ideas come to life, collaborations grow, and innovations happen. Whether it’s discovering new ways for music professionals to work together, connecting across communities and disciplines, or sharing knowledge and talent, our aim is to bring people together to build a more sustainable future for the music industry.
We want to create a space where ideas come to life, collaborations grow, and innovations happen. Whether it’s discovering new ways for music professionals to work together, connecting across communities and disciplines, or sharing knowledge and talent, our aim is to bring people together to build a more sustainable future for the music industry.
WOMEX Conference shares different points of view, best practice examples, new technologies, challenges, ideas, opportunities, traditions, current trends and hands-on knowledge via conferences, panels, workshops, networking, mentoring sessions and beyond. We also welcome you to bring your own vision for new formats.
If you are not yet familiar with the WOMEX conference, we strongly encourage you to explore the WOMEX 2025 Conference Programme and its different formats here, as well as the sessions from past editions here.
Jacob Crawfurd
Areas of Interest Include:
- advocacy, activism & rights
- artistic development
- education, next generations
- electronic & club music
- established & emerging market insights
- ethics, equity & cultural responsibility
- gender diversity & women in music
- inclusive practices, access & representation
- Indigenous culture & music
- insights into funding & financing
- labels, recording, publishing, archiving
- live production, touring & festivals
- local & regional insights into the WOMEX host country
- music & film
- musical genres, traditions & new approaches
- new technologies, digital developments & AI
- PR, media & music journalism
- queer and LGBTQ+ in music
- sustainability in the music industry
Conference and Mentoring Guidelines:
- Select a specific topic, rather than something general;
- Think creatively - focus on bringing in hands-on knowledge and creating interactive & engaging session formats;
- Go beyond showcasing a single organisation, project, or company; ensure your session fosters dialogue by incorporating diverse perspectives;
- Include a maximum of two additional speakers in your session. We strongly recommend naming any guest speakers in your proposal, as this helps the jury gain a clearer understanding of your concept;
- Conference and Mentoring sessions normally run between 45 and 60 minutes and are held in English;
- All Conference Speakers and Mentors will receive a full registration for all WOMEX days, as well as our special PR package;
- WOMEX is sadly not in the position to cover any fees, travel or other costs for all selected Conference Speakers and Mentors;
- In case you are on the hunt for funding, we highly recommend to get in touch with the Export Office from your country or region, if applicable.
Please remember
The deadline to finish your complete proposal (including uploads) is Friday, 27 February 2026.If you have any questions, please email conference@womex.com
Eric Van Nieuwland
Please see below the required steps in order to complete your proposal.
In case our proposal form does not meet your accessibility requirements, please reach out to us and we will find a solution at: inclusion@womex.com
Step One
Complete the form with the following information:- Biography of the main speaker (max. 330 characters)
- Biographies of additional speakers, if applicable (max. 330 characters)
- Title, Subtitle and Session abstract (max. 900 characters)
- Session format (Conference, Mentoring Session, or Other)
Step Two
Upload photos of the main and guest speakers (one landscape and one portrait; high quality at 300 dpi and a minimum file size of 1 MB).
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