At the Mega-Conference, the Solutions Sessions are consistently one of the most attended parts of the program — and for good reason. They’re built for speed, access and practical takeaways. No long presentations. No theory. Just direct conversations with partners who are working through the same challenges you’re dealing with right now.
The format lets you cover real ground. You can move between sessions, hear different approaches and compare what’s working across the industry in a single block of time. The topics span revenue, audience, operations and technology — but the thought is simple: useful ideas you can take back and put to work quickly.
How can local news organizations accelerate digital audience and subscription growth without building everything in-house? In this table talk, BlueLena CEO Daniel Williams will share how BlueLena partners with leading publishers, including Shaw Media, Anchorage Daily News, the Union Leader and Newspapers of New England, to deliver strategic consulting and licensed technology that drives measurable results. Learn how our model that combines growth strategy, data-driven marketing and purpose-built technology helps newsrooms expand reach, convert loyal readers into subscribers and build sustainable digital revenue. Participants will leave with practical insights for scaling audience development and subscription programs in today’s evolving media landscape.
Attending:
Daniel Williams, Founder & CEO — daniel@bluelena.io
Public notice is at a crossroads. Legislative reform, unsaid technical expectations and shifting government behavior are reshaping the ecosystem. Learn about publishers who are navigating these changes to protect public/legal notices, grow revenue and remain the trusted channel for public information.
Attending:
Enrique Diaz, Director of Growth — enrique@column.us
Megan Villanueva, CEO — megan@column.us
How can publishers unlock sustainable digital growth in a volatile market? Join FT Strategies, the specialist media consultancy from the Financial Times, to explore proven strategies used by leading news organizations to grow audiences, diversify revenue and build long-term resilience. Leave with practical, actionable insights you can implement immediately.
Attending:
Lisa MacLeod, Director and Head of News — lisa.macleod@ft.com
From Clicks to Habit: Building Audience Loyalty in a Changing Traffic Landscape
Search traffic is declining and platform algorithms keep changing. The publishers winning today are building reader habit instead of chasing clicks. Join King Features for a discussion on how puzzles, comics and other daily features are helping publishers create repeat visits, strengthen loyalty and drive consistent audience engagement.
Attending:
Roland Hamilton, SVP, Sales and Distribution — roland.hamilton@hearst.com
Randy Noble, Sr. Director, National Sales — rnoble@hearst.com
Cut your RevOps time in half without losing revenue. Most media executives are battling outdated, siloed systems. Spend 10 minutes with us to learn the “insider secrets” of a truly all-in-one sales management solution. We’ll show you how to streamline campaign bookings, automate invoicing and empower your team to sell more with less friction. Don't let tech debt hold your growth back!
Attending:
Ken Freedman, Head of North American Sales — kfreedman@chartbeat.com
Daryl Kern, Global Head of Presales — daryl.kern@lineup.com
Amanda Montgomery, North America Commercial Director — amanda.montgomery@lineup.com
One lawsuit could shut down a small newsroom. Learn how MIC’s media liability insurance protects news reporting and gives you access to media law experts when most needed. We can talk through real scenarios, what coverage actually includes and the gaps that catch publishers off guard. Plus, help us choose which First Amendment nonprofit gets our conference grant. Join us to support press freedom!
Attending:
Joanne Richardson, President & CEO — jrichardson@mic.bm
Sinead Murphy, Managing Director — sinead@micspecialty.com
The most powerful audience engagement tool in media? A Best Of contest done right. Bring your biggest BEST OF challenges and Join Bill Cummings and Neil Potter as they share how their solution powers some of the nation’s top-performing programs, driving millions in revenue, audience engagement and first-party B2B data. Well worth your time if you are already running a contest or considering one.
Attending:
Bill Cummings, President & CEO — bcummings@nerus.net
Neil Potter, Senior VP Operations — npotter@nerus.net
Newspack is a web publishing platform — built on WordPress — that brings everything a newsroom needs into one place. Publishing, newsletters, reader revenue, advertising and audience engagement — it’s all integrated from the start. No duct-taping tools together. No hiring a developer every time you need something to connect. It just works, right out of the box. It also connects with other key systems. During the roundtable, we'll walk you through how Newspack will support your newsroom.
Attending:
Joe Boydston, Senior Technical Account Manager — joe.boydston@automattic.com
Turn local SMB ads into a scalable digital revenue engine. See how publishers use AI to find new advertiser leads, launch digital-first campaigns and build spec ads at scale, convert print into digital and extend reach beyond owned inventory. Walk away with a proven playbook to grow ad revenue — without adding headcount.
Attending:
Christian Scherbel, Founder & CEO — cs@smartico.one
Audience Breakthroughs Await! Discover the secrets your IVR provider doesn't want you to know — end dropped calls and self-serve complaints for good. Stop being locked into frustrating contracts that only benefit the vendor! TCN offers no contracts, unmatched service and quick customizations (vs. 3 months). Leave with a blueprint for over 70% call containment and drastically lower per-call costs.
Attending:
Tony Ort, Director, Media Relationships — tony.ort@tcn.com
Alan Pepperman, VP Sales — alan.pepperman@tcn.com
