MediaPost - Publishing Insider Summit

9:00 AM

9:00 AM ET

Opening Remarks Mezzanine Level

MC: Steve Smith, VP, Editorial Director, Events, MediaPost @popeyesm

9:15 AM

9:15 AM ET

Keynote Q&A: What Sort of (21st Century) Man Reads Playboy?

Like many classic media companies facing 21^st century challenges, Playboy hopes to pivot from a print legacy towards being a “digital brand.” As we explore with Chief Creative Officer Cooper Hefner, this started with updating the magazine’s classic question – What Sort of Man Reads Playboy? But the modern answer is more complex than ever. But it is helping re-engineer the content, branding and business models into new kinds of media, innovative co-branded publishing partnerships and one of the largest social footprints of any modern media brand.

Interviewee: Cooper Hefner, Chief Creative Officer, Playboy Enterprises
Interviewer: Steve Smith, VP, Editorial Director, Events, MediaPost @popeyesm

9:45 AM

9:45 AM ET

Panel: Getting Beyond Ad Addiction: The Media Model of 2022

As the secular shift continues away from traditional interruptive, display advertising and digital channels siphon growth towards few players, what is the five-year plan for most publishers? What will the business model of 2022 look like - in its mix of consumer direct revenue, marketing partnerships, events, e-commerce, mergers and advertising? We gather senior publishing executives from across content segments to time travel way beyond quarterly earnings.

Moderator: Tim Taliaferro, Chief Innovation Officer, Texas Monthly @texasmonthly
PanelistS: Doug Harbrecht, Director, Kiplinger.com @dharbrecht; Christine Maguire, VP Business Operations and Strategy, Conde Nast; Dan Ryan, Global Digital Media Business Development, Accuweather @pennstatedan; Michael Silberman, General Manager, Digital Media, New York Media @msilberman

10:30 AM

10:30 AM ET

Coffee Break & Sponsor Spotlight

11:00 AM

11:00 AM ET

Panel: Consumers Are The New Patrons: Is The "Trump Bump" Real?

Even as media endure increased negative scrutiny, direct consumer support for quality journalism and content seemed to surge after the surprise election of Donald Trump. Is the purported "Trump Bump" in digital subscriptions real and sustainable? More to the point, is the paid media model gaining traction beyond select news media. What have publishers learned about digital subscriptions, membership and patronage models and establishing value in a digital environment?

Moderator: Sara Guaglione, Reporter, MediaPost
PanelistS: David Grant, Associate Publisher, Christian Science Monitor @DW_Grant; Poppy MacDonald, President, POLITICO USA @PoppyMacD; Erin O'Mara, President, The Nation

11:45 AM

11:45 AM ET

Presentation: Innovations in Content & Commerce

Today's smart publishers sit at the intersection of content and commerce, possessing large and motivated audiences and deep consumer data. True innovation, however, is needed to harness this powerful access and drive sales. What technologies resonate with consumers and brands, particularly regarding mobile shopping? What are best practices when appealing to millennials? POPSUGAR’s EVP of Product Marketing and Sales Strategy will share market insights and reveal some of their breakthrough products and tools designed to drive the all-important purchase click.

Presenter: Chris George, EVP/Product Marketing & Sales, PopSugar @coachgeorge

12:15 PM

12:15 PM ET

Roundtables

What Is Your Five Year Plan? - Tim Taliaferro, Editor in Chief, Texas Monthly
Paid Content - David Grant, Associate Publisher, Christian Science Monitor
E-Commerce - Chris George, EVP/Product Marketing & Sales, PopSugar

1:00 PM

1:00 PM ET

Lunch

1:10 PM

1:10 PM ET

Sponsor Luncheon Presentation

2:00 PM

2:00 PM ET

Afternoon Activities

Cruise on Lake Austin

Horseback Riding

Real Austin Guided Bus Tour

5:30 PM

5:30 PM ET

One on One Meetings

6:30 PM

6:30 PM ET

Cocktail Party

Parkside Restaurant on 6th St (one block from Driskill Hotel)

7:30 PM

7:30 PM ET

Dinner Reception

Parkside Restaurant on 6th St (one block from Driskill Hotel)

9:30 PM

9:30 PM ET

After Party

Firehouse Lounge (across street from Driskill Hotel): 605 Brazos St (hidden entrance!)

Tuesday, 10/17

Day 2: Saving Advertising From Itself Despite the anti-hype surrounding the "decline of advertising," media always will attract audiences more predictably and efficiently than will product brands, and so advertising will always be part of the model. On Day 2 of the Summit we engage how publishers are adjusting to the ways in which media buyers want their inventory - through more engaged video experiences, native integrations and branded content, and automation.

8:00 AM

8:00 AM ET

Breakfast The Driskill Mezzanine

8:15 AM

8:15 AM ET

Sponsor Breakfast Presentation

8:45 AM

8:45 AM ET

Keynote: Building The Subscriber-First Model

While many publishers are trying to “pivot” towards paid models, subscriber-first has always been in the venerable brand’s DNA. SVP of Digital Media and Content Mark Beard explains how the company’s outsized social reach, its innovative mobile apps, sites and even Snapchat and audio editions – keep their eye on the long game of building a loyal, long term, paying Economist loyalist.

Keynote: Mark Beard, SVP Digital Media and Content Strategy, The Economist @EconomistPress

9:15 AM

9:15 AM ET

Panel: The Long and Short of Video Economics: You're All TV Now

As everyone makes the now-clichéd "pivot to video" more attention is being paid to longer-form (20+ minute) formats. Social channels like Facebook and YouTube are encouraging investment and monetization via interruptive ad pods, while Amazon, Verizon and OTT offer new distribution channels. But what is the math on the talent, production and distribution costs associated with long form video? Is ROI realistic for most publishers or is this a Hail Mary pass?

Moderator: Daniel Ambrose, Principal, Ambro.com @dabookz
PanelistS: Colby Reed Miller, Senior Director, Sales and Content Development, Oath Video Activation @ColbyR_Miller; Michael Suggett, VP / Executive Producer - Original Programming at StudioTEN, TEN: The Enthusiast Network; Lori Taoularis, SVP, Digital Revenue & Operations, Tronc

9:45 AM

9:45 AM ET

Presentation: The Next Native

Consumer interactions with media are evolving, and so must advertising. In a multi-phase research project involving eye-tracking and a range of screens, Buzzfeed explores how their users are engaging in more deeply emerging forms of permission marketing and actively avoiding traditional “ad zones.” Recent Buzzfeed campaign results demonstrate how consumers not only welcome and engage with native formats but also inspire them to take action.

Presenter: Edwin Wong, Vice President, Research and Insights, Buzzfeed

10:15 AM

10:15 AM ET

Coffee Break

10:45 AM

10:45 AM ET

The Next Native: What Does And Doesn't Work In Integrated Advertising?

The definition of "native advertising" was sketchy from the beginning, but now it has eroded to the point where any banner appearing in a mobile feed is somehow considered "native". What have publishers learned in recent years about what distinguishes effective, sustainable native ad programs and formats from pretenders? We ask some of the form's oldest practitioners to offer their learnings. About how to remain differentiated in a market of me-toos. About pricing and measuring impact. About scale. And about innovation beyond the same-old native.

Moderator: Jeremy Toeman, VP, Product Management, CBS Interactive/CNET @jtoeman
PanelistS: Joshua Jaffe, General Manager, Horoscope.com @joshjaffe; Amy Royster, Managing Director Agency Strategy, Ideabar, Cox Media Group; Lee Zellweger, Publisher, Readers Digest

11:15 AM

11:15 AM ET

The Next Programmatic: Header Bidding, Video and Private Marketplaces

Programmatic has evolved far beyond its RTB and remnant inventory roots to become central to most publishers' monetization strategy. But how are these data driven and automated platforms now integrated into publishers' larger sales efforts, data platform and even content deliberations? Once eschewed as a threat to quality publishing, how have data driven and automated ad technologies changed how publishers do business?

Moderator: Amanda Dean, Senior Programmatic Strategist, Watson Advertising
PanelistS: Stephanie Layser, VP, Advertising, Technology & Operations, News Corp @slayser8; David Pond, Director of Programmatic Operations, Vox Media; Dave Smith, VP of Monetization & Yield Management, Pandora @davemoraga

12:00 PM

12:00 PM ET

Roundtables

The Long And Short Form Of Video Strategy - Phil Stocker, Senior Enterprise Account Executive, Adobe
The New Native - Jeremy Toeman, VP, Product Management, CBS Interactive, CNET
The Role of Programmatic In Publishing - Amanda Dean, Senior Programmatic Strategist, Watson Advertising

1:00 PM

1:00 PM ET

Lunch

2:00 PM

2:00 PM ET

Afternoon Activities

Kayak on Lady Bird Lake

Golf - Barton Creek Fazio Foothills course

Bike Tour of Austin

6:30 PM

6:30 PM ET

Cocktail Party

Victorian Room, 1st Floor

7:30 PM

7:30 PM ET

Dinner Reception

Victorian Room, 1st Floor

Wednesday, 10/18

Day 3: People-Based Publishing We explore the many faces of media relationship-building as we wrap the Summit. How are publishers organizing their own people and products around audience intelligence? How are they reaching out to the social influencers in their space to reach audiences from new directions and with new authority?

8:00 AM

8:00 AM ET

Breakfast The Driskill Mezzanine

8:45 AM

8:45 AM ET

Keynote: From Reverence to Relevance: Redefining a 130-Year-Old Brand in the Digital Age

At a time when older brands are struggling to keep pace with today’s evolving media landscape, National Geographic continues to connect and stay relevant among consumers of all ages with dynamic storytelling and immersive digital experiences. As the head of National Geographic’s digital business, Rachel will discuss how the brand is leveraging today’s social platforms and new technologies -- pointing to Nat Geo’s unique Instagram success and recent Snapchat reinvention, as well as the company’s innovative approach to brand partnerships and revamped suite of digital products.

Keynote: Rachel Webber, EVP of Digital Product, National Geographic Partners @rwebber

9:15 AM

9:15 AM ET

Panel: Data-Centric Publishing: Making Audience The Core Asset

Publishers have always sold audience as much as they sold content. but many have struggled to put digital profiling and data at the center of their organizations. How is the modern media company rethinking the way a common database is increasing understanding of readers for ad sales, editorial, audience and product development?

Moderator: Sara Guaglione, Reporter, MediaPost
PanelistS: Nikesh Desai, CEO, Investing Channel @InvestingChannel; Deepna Devkar, Director of Data Science, Dotdash; Andrew Owens, Director, Analytics, Bauer Xcel Media; Marcus Witte, VP, Integrated Marketing and Demand Generation, SourceMedia

10:00 AM

10:00 AM ET

Coffee Break

10:15 AM

10:15 AM ET

Panel: Social ROI: Post-Advertising Success Stories

The duopoly is famously stingy with its ad revenue sharing and notoriously capricious about changing algorithms that drive traffic to partners. But media partners are learning to monetize their social brand footprint with product placement, marketing integrations, partnering with influencers and audience extension campaigns. We ask several leaders in the space to share their best cases.