Winter Music Conference (WMC) is reclaiming its status as the beating heart of Miami Music Week when it returns to the Kimpton EPIC Hotel in Downtown Miami from Tuesday 24 to Thursday 26 March 2026. Marking its 36th edition, this year’s conference is billed as the most ambitious program in over a decade, blending high‑level industry talks with hands‑on creative sessions and a stacked three‑day pool‑party series.

A dual‑track experience

WMC 2026 introduces a two‑track format – WMC // INDUSTRY and WMC // CREATORS – designed to serve everyone from label heads and platform founders to producers, DJs, and emerging talent. Across both streams delegates will find panels, keynotes, workshops, and curated networking opportunities, with content focused on the future of global dance culture, technology, and rights, as well as the nuances of artist development and audience building.

Key panels, speakers, and workshops

The first‑wave announcement revealed a broad slate of sessions, including “Hits Were Made Here: The Past, Present, and Future of Winter Music Conference,” which dives into the event’s legacy and its reshaped role under ULTRA Worldwide. There are also panels such as Beatport Presents: Sara Landry in conversation with Robb McDaniels, plus AlphaTheta‑hosted discussions on “The Art of the DJ Set” and L‑Acoustics’ “Beyond the Booth: DJs as Spatial Composers.”

WMC 2026 brings together a wide roster of industry figures, including representatives from AFEM, AlphaTheta, Beatport, BroBot Records, Create Music Group, L‑Acoustics, Prodigy Artists, Ultra Records, and many more. Artists and creatives such as Sara Landry, Radio Slave, DJ Minx, Doc Martin, Junior Sanchez, Eli from Soulclap, and others join the second‑wave lineup, offering practical insights for producers and DJs.

A&R Pop‑Up Lounge and gear activations

A new highlight is the WMC A&R Pop‑Up Lounge, which gives carefully curated artists a chance to meet and pitch directly to A&R and label delegates in an intimate setting. In addition, the Gear Exhibition Hall turns the Kimpton EPIC into a live demo zone, with brands like AlphaTheta and L‑Acoustics showcasing cutting‑edge DJ and sound‑reinforcement gear.

Pool‑side parties and Beatport Live

By day, the conference is packed with education; by afternoon, it shifts into party mode with an official three‑day rooftop pool‑party series at the Kimpton EPIC, the Official Miami Music Week Hotel. WMC and Beatport Live have mapped out a full label‑showcase schedule, with sets from the likes of Hot Creations, Three Six Zero Recordings, and other leading imprints, turning the pool deck into a rotating stage for Miami Music Week’s hottest talent.

Tying into Miami Music Week and Ultra

WMC 2026 sits at the centre of the broader Miami Music Week calendar, acting as the go‑to hub for industry meet‑ups and creative exchange before the focus flips to Ultra Music Festival. The conference winds down on Thursday 26 March with the Bridges for Music × International Dance Music Awards (IDMA) Gala, a separate ticketed event that celebrates excellence across the electronic‑music ecosystem.