Industry

The Royal Television Society (RTS) has unveiled the full programme for its 2026 London Convention, bringing together leading figures from television, streaming, production, sport and music for a day focused on how the industry can navigate a period of profound change. Taking place on September 29 at Kings Place in London, the biennial Convention will be held under the theme United in Change: If Not Now, When?, with Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios serving as Principal Sponsor.

Among the headline speakers is comedian and broadcaster Graham Norton, who will join broadcaster Tina Daheley for a conversation spanning his three-decade television career. Writer, executive producer and director Steven Knight CBE will discuss the creative forces shaping the UK television industry, reflecting on the development of his production facility Digbeth Loc. and offering insight into his upcoming writing projects. The Convention will also bring together Jane Featherstone, Co-Founder and CCO of SISTER; Tim Hincks, Co-CEO of Expectation; and Nicola Shindler OBE, Founder & CEO of Quay Street Productions, for a panel examining how the role of the producer is evolving.

Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios will host a fireside chat featuring Nicole Clemens, Head of UK and International Originals, Amazon MGM Studios, and Kelly Day, Vice President, International, Prime Video. The future of the media industry will be another key focus, with Sony Pictures Television President, International Production Wayne Garvie and Roku UK Country Manager Richard Halton discussing the seismic changes affecting the sector and the strategies companies need to navigate them. A parallel session will put the spotlight on the next generation of industry leaders, with Queenie Miller, Development Producer at Hat Trick Productions, and Tobi Olujinmi, Founder and Executive Producer of Hill 5.14, sharing their perspectives on the future of television.

Elsewhere, music entrepreneur Tommas Arnby will join RTS CEO Sophie Jones to explore what the television industry can learn from the music business, while BBC Director-General Matt Brittin CBE will speak with broadcaster Kirsty Young. The relationship between media and sport will also come under discussion in a session led by Kamal Ahmed, Executive Editorial Director, Fortune, Europe and the Middle East, examining sports rights, audience engagement and the development of monetisable content. The Convention will close with a session dedicated to the success of Prime Video comedy Last One Laughing, featuring comedian and series star Lou Sanders and members of the creative team. The session will include a rendition of one of the show’s classic challenges.

Sophie Jones, CEO of the Royal Television Society, said: “It’s a privilege to be welcoming the industry to my first RTS Convention as CEO, with a line-up that brings together exceptional speakers and sessions in a vibrant programme that reflects the biggest opportunities and challenges facing our industry today. At a time when the sector is navigating profound change, one of my priorities at the RTS will be to explore how we can best collaborate across TV and beyond, and so this year’s theme of unity is exactly the right focus. I’m looking forward to welcoming our delegates and speakers to what I know will be a highly engaging and invaluable event.”
Tara Erer, Head of Northern Europe and Film & Unscripted, UK, Amazon MGM Studios, said: “We’re just weeks away from what promises to be an exciting day for our industry. The programme we’ve built together reflects both the challenges and opportunities ahead of us. We’ve brought together some of the industry’s brightest voices to discuss how we turn this moment of challenge into lasting, positive change.”