We’re looking forward to returning to International Music Summit Ibiza this April 22-24, with a programme that reflects the conversations shaping our sector right now, including industry data and AI, to safety, accountability, equity and how we build a more sustainable future for electronic music.

Below you’ll find an overview of AFEM’s presence across the week and how to get involved, including members-only meetups and events open to the wider IMS Pass holding community.

Wednesday 22 April

_ IMS BUSINESS REPORT ANALYSIS
12:35 – 13:00 | IMS SUMMIT STAGE – INDOOR

Breaking down the major themes from the IMS Business Report 2026.

‍Finlay Johnson (AFEM: Association for Electronic Music; Chief Operating Officer; UK)
Aurelia Sarah Ortiz (Encode Talent, Managing Director)
Mark Mulligan (MIDiA Research; Managing Director; UK)
Moderated by Katie Bain (Director, Billboard Dance – US)

_ THE INDUSTRY’S RESPONSIBILITY: SAFETY, CONSENT & ACCOUNTABILITY PRESENTED BY HE.SHE.THEY. & THE BRAVE SPACE
14:00 – 14:50 | IMS SUMMIT STAGE – INDOOR

Electronic music has long represented the ideals of freedom, community, and belonging. But for too many people, and women in particular, that promise has been broken by a persistent and largely unchecked culture of sexual harassment and assault. This workshop moves beyond naming the problem. It asks what the industry is actually going to do about it. With practitioners, artists, campaigners, and standards bodies in the room, this is an opportunity to move the conversation from reactive crisis management to lasting change, and specifically to examine how promoters, artists, and industry leaders can shift men from passive bystanders into active participants in building safer spaces.

Pia Micallef (Co-Founder, MeToo Music; MT)
Sam Spencer (Director of Live Operations, Broadwick Live; UK)
Sana Barclay (Welfare Coordinator, Safe Only CIC; US)
Moderated by Finlay Johnson (CEO, Association For Electronic Music; UK)

_ GET PLAYED, GET PAID. IBIZA CLUB FOCUS REVISITED. WHAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE? HOSTED BY AFEM
16:15 – 16:45 | IMS SUMMIT STAGE – OUTDOOR

Get Played, Get Paid has been a key initiative of AFEM (Association for Electronic Music) for over a decade. Its aim is simple: encourage copyright societies to adopt technology over outdated methods to ensure more accurate distribution of license fees from clubs and festivals to the music creators and rightsholders who are rightfully entitled to them. The initiative has seen success across Europe – but what’s the state of play in Ibiza? We take a second deeper look to see if things have evolved in the last 12 months.

Danny Whittle (Co-Founder/Director, IMS/Club Chinois; UK)
Jean-Charles Carre (Manager/Founder, What a DJ Limited; FR)
Jose Macarro (CIO/COO, SGAE; ES)
Pilar Callau (VP Monitoring & Audiovisuals, BMAT; ES)
Yuri Dokter (CEO/Founder, KUVO Powered by DJ Monitor; NL)
Moderated by Kurosh Nasseri (Co-Founder and Co-Chair, AFEM; US)

Thursday 23 April

_ AFEM EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
10:30 – 12:00 | See your member communications for info

_ AFEM x AIXCHANGE – SHAPING NEW REVENUE STREAMS FOR MUSIC IN THE AGE OF GENERATIVE AI
12:25 – 12:35 | IMS SUMMIT STAGE – INDOOR

Generative AI is already changing how music is created, used and monetised. Building on the AFEM AI Principles and the Berlin AI Think Tank, this talk by Ralph Boege explores how the industry is moving toward scientifically grounded, real-world licensing frameworks that support innovation while protecting creators and rightsholders.AIxchange introduces a consent-based approach to licensing recordings, compositions and metadata for AI use, grounded in transparency, attribution and fair compensation, unlocking new revenue opportunities while keeping creators at the centre of the value chain.

Ralph Böege (CEO, Paradise Worldwide; DE)

_ AI – INSIDE THE MORAL REVOLUTION, HOSTED BY AFEM
12:35 – 13:15 | IMS SUMMIT STAGE – INDOOR

AI is no longer knocking at the door of electronic music; it is inside the room, reshaping how music is made, discovered, and monetised. From studios to stages, generative tools are accelerating creativity while challenging ideas of authorship and ownership. As capabilities grow, moral questions intensify. Where must the lines be drawn, and what values should govern its use consciously to ensure our culture remains driven by people, and not machines.

Aly Gillani (Artist & Label Relations Lead, Bandcamp; UK)
Edward Balassanian (CEO, Aimi; US)
Jen O’Neill (Business Affairs Consultant, Hoare Associates Limited; ALSP)
Matteo Giovanelli (Artist, Mathame; IT)
Maria Garrido (Deezer; CMO; France)
Moderated by Jay Ahern (Chief Strategy Officer, AFEM; DE)

_ BEATPORT FUTURE VISION
12:35 – 13:05 | IMS SUMMIT STAGE – OUTDOOR

Beatport executive duo Matt Gralen (President & CFO) and Helen Sartory (Chief Revenue Officer) share the exciting new developments coming up at The Beatport Group in 2026 and beyond.

Helen Sartory (Chief Revenue Officer, Beatport; UK)
Matt Gralen (President & CFO, Beatport; UK)
Moderated by Finlay Johnson (CEO, AFEM; UK)

_ DROP THE BEAT, OWN YOUR RIGHTS: YOUR ROLES & MONEY IN ELECTRONIC MUSIC, HOSTED BY AFEM
13:45 – 14:15 | THE ACADEMY

An open Q&A session for electronic music creators and industry professionals on how roles, rights, and revenue really work. Many creators take on multiple roles without realising it, leading to missed income and lost attribution. Using real studio examples from the DAW, this session shows how contributions are defined, documented, and how rights and revenue can be lost when key decisions aren’t captured at the moment of creation.

Amanda Cruzeiro (Nordic Lead, b:electronic, Believe; SE)
Jay Ahern (Chief Strategy Officer, AFEM; DE)
Niclas Molinder (CEO, Music Rights Awareness Foundation; SE)
Moderated by Alex Tripi (CEO, Pete Tong DJ Academy; IT)

_ AFEM PRESENTS: MEET THE EXPERTS
14:00 – 15:00 | CUYO RESTAURANT, HYDE IBIZA

AFEM ‘Meet the Experts’ sessions will offer IMS attendees the opportunity to schedule meetings with experienced professionals in the electronic music industry to help elevate their business and get valuable one to one business advice with industry experts. Experts will be available from different fields within the electronic music sector. Got a question about your business or career and need some expert advice? We can help!

Aron Farkas (TicketSwap)
Ed Brew (Beatport)
Dorian Perron (Groover)
Simon de Koning (SENA)
Marc Azaïs (SACEM)
Nikki McNeill (Global Publicity)
Jack Haining (Enhanced Music)
Rufy Ghazi (AFEM Executive Board)
Trina Smith (Electric Pineapple Media Group)

RSVP while spots last [HERE] (only available for IMS Pass holders)

_ EQUITY IN ACTION: FROM PLEDGE TO PROGRESS, HOSTED BY AFEM
14:00 – 14:45 | THE BRAVE SPACE

The language of equity is fluent, but power may be quietly shifting back. As attention fades, gatekeeping resurfaces and hard-won gains risk regression. Years after public commitments to inclusion, the question is no longer intention but protection. Who holds power now, and who is being edged out? Bringing together leading women and collectives, this session confronts whether progress is being sustained or unashamedly undone, and what it will take to secure lasting structural change.

Connie Chow (Marketing Strategy Director Electronic/Co-Director, FUGA, shesaid.so, AMS; US)
Jaguar (Broadcaster, DJ, Journalist, BBC Radio 1 / IMS; UK)
Kayleigh Lawrence (Agent, UTA; UK)
Martha Bolton (Founder, NOT BAD FOR A GIRL; UK)
Moderated by Alyssa Vera (Director of Membership, North America, AFEM; USA)

Friday 24 April

_ AFEM PRESENTS: MINDFUL CONNECTIONS
11:00 – 12:00 | See your member communications for info

Mindful Connections is a safe, reflective space by the AFEM Health Group, created to support members to step beyond their roles, reconnect as individuals, and build meaningful support systems – supporting personal wellbeing and sustainable ways of engaging in the electronic music industry.

Through open, pressure-free conversations, this session encourages reflection on experiences, clearer expectations, healthier boundaries, and mindful practices that can be carried into future networking events, professional collaborations, and any setting where wellbeing intersects with work.

For delegates who wish to attend this free, invite only event please email membership@afemorg.net

_ THE ASSOCIATION FOR ELECTRONIC MUSIC PAELLA MIXER
12:00 – 14:00 | See your member communications for info

What better way to close out IMS Ibiza than a shared paella lunch by the water with fellow AFEM members and invited guests? Join us for an informal afternoon of good food, good conversation, and genuine connection with the electronic music community. Powered by Truelove Music Publishing and Groover. This is an invite only event, for more information please email membership@afemorg.net