NIVA Live Policy Summit 2026

HI-FI hosts the NIVA Live Policy Summit on October 26 and 27, a two-day advocacy workshop run by the National Independent Venue Association. NIVA is the leading organization for independent music and comedy venues, festivals, and the promoter industry, and this is their second annual summit. It brings together independent venue operators, promoters, festival organizers, policymakers, advocacy professionals, communications experts, and industry leaders. Space is kept small on purpose, so the sessions stay interactive rather than turning into a series of lectures.

The program is built around keynote conversations, practical training, live demonstrations, and hands-on workshops. The focus is on building relationships with policymakers, communicating across the political spectrum, and turning personal stories into persuasive advocacy. It's less about listening and more about doing, with the workshops designed to give you actual tools to use when you're talking to the people who make the rules.

This summit also feeds into NIVA's broader work, including NIVA '27 in Boulder, Colorado, and plays a part in shaping the association's policy strategy for 2027 and beyond. If you're in the business of putting on live music or comedy, it's a chance to get in the room with others doing the same thing and have a say in where the industry's advocacy goes over the next few years.

HI-FI is inside the historic Murphy Arts Center in Fountain Square, at 1043 Virginia Ave #4, Indianapolis, IN 46203. Doors open at 11 AM, and the summit kicks off at 12 PM on October 26.