Recap: 2026 NIVA Live Policy Summit at HI-FI

Nov 2

The 2026 NIVA Live Policy Summit at HI-FI Indianapolis, Oct. 26–27. Photo: Lydia Norton / Pattern

The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and the Indiana Independent Venue Alliance (IIVA) hosted the second annual NIVA Live Policy Summit, presented by Tixel, on October 26 and 27 at HI-FI Indianapolis.

Venue owners, promoters, festival operators, policymakers and advocates spent two days preparing for 2027, when new governors, legislators and local officials will make decisions that affect independent stages.

NIVA Executive Director Stephen Parker: "Independent stages cannot afford to wait until a harmful bill is introduced or a local decision threatens their future to make themselves heard."

What We Worked On

2027 is a reset year. New governors, legislators and local officials are coming in, and venues need relationships in place before a bill or ordinance hits, not after.
Attendees helped set NIVA's agenda. Live polling on the biggest challenges facing independent stages feeds directly into NIVA's 2027 state and local plans.
Operators practiced testifying. A mock testimony exercise put attendees in front of a room to make their case the way they would at a statehouse.
Crisis communications got a dry run. A drill built around ticketing reform and sound ordinance scenarios tested how venues respond under pressure.
Most local fixes don't need new laws. A new Regulatory Communication Index covering 25 cities found that most improvements come down to cities explaining their existing rules more clearly.

Indiana and Kentucky

The local government panel with Indiana State Senator Andrea Hunley, Janene Jackson of Holland & Knight and Tamara Keshecki of St. George's Theatre was especially relevant for Indiana attendees, with a focus on how local relationships help venues navigate decisions at city hall.

The Kentucky Governor's Office of Music session, led by Executive Director Sebastian Kitchen, showed how Kentucky stood up its office this fall. It left people from several states ready to push for music offices of their own.