SUBMIT A SESSION IDEA
Do you have an idea for a session that you’d like to see as part of the Edinburgh programme this year? Is there a subject you’d love to see debated, an important industry issue you’d like to see raised or just a favourite show that you’d like to see dissected? Submit the idea below and it could be selected to form part of this year’s Festival programme.
A lot goes in to making a great Festival session, before you submit your idea, read the following Guidelines first so you’re prepared to put together the best submission possible.
Please note the deadline for submissions has been extended to midnight on 11 April 2025.
A text-only version of this information is available here.
What makes a great Edinburgh session?
The best Edinburgh sessions are those that are informative, inspiring, insightful. They tackle some of the most important issues currently facing the industry, ask important existential questions about the wider media landscape, provide valuable insight into commissioning priorities or how certain hit shows were brought to life. And sometimes it’s enough to just provide joy and inspiration, and remind us why we all love to work in telly.
What are we looking for?
All our sessions have a very high level of editorial rigour. That’s what makes them special and sets them apart. We’re looking for a strong hook and a really clearly defined sense of why this conversation is an essential one to have in August 2025: perhaps it’s responding to current trends or developments in the industry; it might be inspired by a hit show from the past year, or maybe it’s linked to wider cultural, social or political conversations.
Pitches should also have a really clear sense of what the audience will get from the conversation and what the key areas of discussion will be.
An idea doesn’t have to be fully polished and, if selected, is likely to be fleshed out in discussion with the Festival’s Creative Director.
It’s fine for sessions to feature companies or brands, but we’re not interested in anything that feels too promotional. This is an area better suited to our co-produced sponsored sessions. You can find out more about sponsored sessions by contacting our Partnerships team.
Can sessions be sponsored to help support their development?
The Edinburgh TV Festival is funded by the industry, and we can create lots of partnership opportunities including co-produced sessions and session sponsorship.
Please contact Sophie Howard, Commercial Director for more information on how you can support us and get involved
What are we not looking for?
If it’s a conversation that feels too familiar or has already been had elsewhere, then it’s probably not of interest to us, unless you’re really moving the conversion forward.
Is there a Festival theme that I should be taking into account when pitching ideas?
There will be several key themes that emerge across the Festival as the programme comes together, but don’t worry too much about this when pitching ideas. The most important thing is that the idea should have a really clear hook and a strong sense of why it’s an important conversation to be having in August 2025.
Who is in the audience?
The majority of Festival attendees work at independent production companies or broadcasters. In 2024 30% of delegates were at HoD or Senior Management level.
What sort of topics are you looking for?
We’re looking for session ideas that fit within the following programming tracks:
Frontiers – topics that look at the future of television and the spaces where digital, tech and TV meet. This could also be a space for podcasts or exploring the creator economy.
Tradition TV genres – masterclasses, debates or informative deep dives on issues in factual, scripted, factual entertainment, documentary etc.
News and current affairs – topics that are about how news is reported or somehow linked to the news agenda
Thought leadership – inspiring leaders talking about creativity and their work
Celebrating creativity and culture – anniversaries, masterclasses or In Conversation events aimed at celebrating the art and craft of television, and the shows and creators we all know and love
International perspectives – what can we learn from our colleagues in other countries?
Celebrate our 50th anniversary – be creative and think outside the box! How would you like to see us celebrate this landmark moment?
Edinburgh Does… – an old favourite. Edinburgh has a well honoured tradition of putting a fun Edinburgh twist on a much-loved format. Get your thinking caps on…
What formats are you looking for?
If your idea is selected we can figure out the right format together, but here are some ideas to get you thinking:
Edinburgh Does… – an Edinburgh staple! What show or popular format from the past year would you like to see brought to the Festival this year?
Fireside chat – an intimate one-on-one conversation with an executive, creative or thought leader
Keynote – a single speaker giving a lecture or presentation on a particular topic
Masterclass – a deep dive into a particular programme or topic
Peer to peer – two people in the same field in conversation with each other
Panel discussion or debate – a discussion about a particular topic or theme
Worldview – a fireside chat or panel with an international perspective
You can look through the programmes from previous editions of the Festival for inspiration here.
Is there a deadline to submit ideas?
The deadline to submit session ideas for the 2025 Festival is midnight on 4 April 2025.
We may consider ideas submitted after that date if they are particularly compelling and there is space in the programme. It is however likely that all slots will be allocated by that time.
Ready to submit your idea?
Submit via the form below. Please note you won’t be able to save your progress so be ready to complete the submission first time.