FIPP101: The Fundamentals of Media’s Future.

As we enter our 101st year, we’re bringing together the brightest minds in the media industry for a masterclass in what’s next – sharing insights, challenging assumptions, and building the partnerships that will define our future.

Programme is still in build mode, subject to changes.

Madrid. October 13-15. Be there.

Monday, October 12

Fiesta Nacional de España

Monday 12th October is a National Bank Holiday in Spain. The city will be busy with with celebrations and parades.

As such, there are no official FIPP Congress activities scheduled for this day. That said, we encourage you to come early and use this day to rest and explore the local area at your own pace before Congress kicks off!

 

Tuesday, October 13

Welcome to Madrid

If you’re already in Madrid, this is the day to settle in and let the city do its thing.

We’re offering two ways to spend the day, so take your pick!
Walking Tour & Museum Visit — A guided walk through Madrid’s historic centre, finishing with a visit to the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza and its extraordinary collection of European art. Includes a guided tour, English-speaking guide and audio headset. (4 hours)

Aranjuez & Wine Tasting — Travel to the beautiful royal town of Aranjuez, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a guided visit of the Royal Palace and gardens. Continue to Casa del Valle Winery for a guided wine tasting in the countryside. Includes bus transfer, guided visits and English-speaking guide. (5 hours)

And what an evening it will be! We’ll bring the full Congress community together for the official Welcome Evening — at Casa de América, inside the Linares Palace. One of the most emblematic buildings in Madrid, it is a covered space surrounded by vegetation, full of natural light, elegant and a little unexpected — an oasis in the heart of the city, and the perfect place to meet your fellow delegates for the first time.

Tuesday 13 October. Clear your diary.

 

Wednesday, October 14 | Congress, Day One

FIPP STAGE

08:00 - 09:00

Networking and Meetings

09:00 - 09:05

Welcome & Housekeeping

Natasha Christie-Miller, Media Advisor, NED and Chair and FIPP Stage host

09:05 - 09:25

FIPP & ARI Official Welcome

Andres Rodriguez, Founder and President, SPAINMEDIA and ARI, Spain

Alastair Lewis, Executive Director, FIPP: Consumer & Special Interest Media, WAN-IFRA

09:25 - 09:45

Building a Robust Media Ecosystem: Thriving Through Technological, Geopolitical, and Market Shocks

Christian van Thillo, Executive Chairman, DPG Media, Belgium

In conversation with Colin Morrison CBE, Founder-Publisher, Flashes & Flames, The Global Media Business Weekly, UK

09:45 - 10:05

Owning the Lane: Why Depth Beats Reach in Modern Media

Goli Sheikholeslami, CEO, POLITICO Media Group, USA

Interviewed by Yulia Boyle, Founder and Principal, YPB Media, USA

10:05 - 10:30

Launch of the 2026/7 Innovation in Specialist Media World Report

Juan Señor, President, INNOVATION Media Consulting, UK

10:30 - 10:55

Networking Coffee & Meetings

10:55 - 11:15

From the BBC to Specialist Media: The Next Evolution of the User Needs Model

Dmitry Shishkin, Independent Media Advisor and Board Member, WAN-Ifra, UK

11:15 - 11:35

Stop Selling Magazines, Start Building Audiences: Kids Trusted Media Initiative

Yulia Boyle, Founder and Principal, YPB Media, USA

Lulu Skantze, Publisher, Storytime, The Netherlands

11:35 - 11:55

Sponsor Super-Serving the C-Suite: How HBR Is Turning Audience Focus into Growth

Erika Heilman, Group Publisher and Senior Vice President , Harvard Business Review, USA

11:55 - 12:00

Partner Spotlight

Labrador

12:00 - 12:20

Verticals Pay the Bills: Lessons from Spain's Biggest Sports and Business Media Brands

Laura Múgica Codina, Managing Director and Board Member, Unidad Editorial, Spain

Interviewed by Yolanda Ausín, General Manager, ARI, Spain

12:20 - 12:40

The Prosumer Play: Every Sports Story Is a Business Story

Adam White, Founder and CEO, Front Office Sports.

Interviewed by Colin Morrison, Founder-Publisher, Flashes & Flames, The Global Media Weekly, UK

12:40 - 13:00

Deep Niches, Deep Pockets: Memberships, Events and Smart Acquisitions in Specialist Media

Andy Clurman, Executive Chairman, The Equine Network and Active Interest Media

13:00 - 14:20

Networking Lunch

14:20 - 14:40

Advertising in the Age of Everything

Veebha Mehta, Chief Operating Officer, Crain Communications, USA

14:40 - 15:00

The Enduring Effectiveness of Premium Print Advertising: What the Data Shows

UPM

Speaker interviewed by Amanda Wigginton, Strategy and Insight Consultant, Amanda Wigginton Consulting Limited, UK

15:00 - 15:05

Partner spotlight

Bridged Media

 

 

15:05 - 15:25

Sponsor spotlight

Woodwing

15:25 - 15:45

The Art and Science of the Idea: TED's Formula for Storytelling to Global Communities

Cyndi Stivers, Director of Curation, TED Conferences

15:45 - 16:10

Networking coffee

16:10 - 16:30

Getting Paid in the Age of Answer Engines: People Inc.’s AI Model

Jonathan Roberts, Chief Innovation Officer, People Inc., USA

16:30 - 16:50

Rebuilding the Operating Model Behind Inc. and Fast Company

Anne Marie O’Keefe, COO, Mansueto Ventures, USA

16:50 - 17:10

The Magnificent Turnaround of DIE ZEIT

Dr Rainer Esser, CEO, DIE ZEIT, Germany

17:10 - 17:15

Pause

17:15 - 17:35

Solo Founder, No Limits: How MANERA Took Spanish Design Global

Enric Pastor, Founder and Editor, MANERA Ediciones, Spain

17:35 - 17:55

From One Show To Around The World: What It Takes to Build a Global Media Brand at Speed

Georgie Holt, Co-founder and CEO, FlightStory, UK

18:00 -

Taste of Madrid

A choice of ways to experience the city after hours. Food, culture or football – pick what suits you. Full details coming soon.

Wednesday, October 14 | Congress, Day One

FIPP101

10:50 - 10:55

Welcome to 101 Stage

Jacqueline Loch, General Manager, Betakit and 101 Stage Host

10:55 - 11:15

Beyond the Article: Turning Publisher Content into Incremental Licensing Revenue

Wright's Media

Michelle Myers, Chief Revenue Officer, Wright’s Media, USA

Interviewed by Alastair Lewis, Executive Director, FIPP: Consumer & Special Interest Media, WAN-IFRA

11:15 - 11:35

The Rise of AI Licensing: How to Prepare, Price, and Protect Your Content

Kevin Anderson, Director, Digital Revenue, WAN-Ifra

 

11:35 - 11:55

Sponsor session

Monetisation OS

11:55 - 12:00

Pause

12:00 - 12:20

Sponsor spotlight

Darwin

13:00 - 14:00

Sponsor session

Atlas

12:40 - 13:00

Session Details TBC

13:00 - 14:20

Networking Lunch

14:20 - 14:40

Session details TBA

14:40 - 15:00

Session details TBC

15:00 - 15:05

Pause

15:05 - 15:25

The Quality Advantage: Winning on Trust, Taste and Editorial Authority

Charlotte Cijffers, Chief Digital Officer, ITP Media Group, UAE

15:25 - 15:45

Premium Print Reinvention and Revenue Diversification: The Newsweek Journey

Kylie McCoy, VP Brand Partnerships

Roy Lee, Chief Of Staff, Newsweek, USA

15:45 - 16:10

Networking Coffee & Meetings

16:10 - 16:30

Community-led Insights as a Revenue Growth Engine

Nina Wagner, Group VP Publishing and Operations, Alive Media, Canada

16:30 - 16:50

Beyond Publishing: Building Agricultural Communities

Jean-Paul Reparon, Managing Director, AgriMedia, The Netherlands

16:50 - 17:10

Small Worlds, Strong Bonds: Why News Brands Are Betting on Special Interest Verticals

Stefanie Maier, Head of Events & Partnerships, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany

17:10 - 17:15

Pause

17:15 - 17:35

Session details TBC

17:35 - 17:55

Sponsor session

James G Elliott, Atlas

17:55 -

Wrap of Day 1

18:00 -

Taste of Madrid

A choice of ways to experience the city after hours. Food, culture or football – pick what suits you. Full details coming soon.

Thursday, October 15 | Congress, Day Two

FIPP STAGE

08:30 - 09:30

Networking & Meetings

09:30 - 09:35

Welcome back

Natasha Christie-Miller, Media Advisor, NED and Chair and FIPP Stage Host

09:35 - 09:55

The Big Picture: Organisational Design and Culture for the AI era

Reeva Misra, Founder and CEO, Walking on Earth, UK

09:55 - 10:15

Organisational Design in Practice: Lessons for Media from NYT, Bayer, and Palantir

Selma Stern, Independent Advisor, Germany

10:15 - 10:20

Pause

10:20 - 10:40

The Trust Economy

Linda Thomas Brooks, Media Consultant and Board Advisor USA

10:40 - 11:05

Making the Rules Stick: Aligning Publishers, Platforms and Politics

Paul Fletcher, Former Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities & the Arts, former MP

Ricky Sutton, Publisher, Future Media, Author and Thought Leader, Australia

11:05 - 11:30

Networking coffee

11:30 - 11:50

Depth Wins: Subscription Sports Journalism at International Scale

Laura Williamson, Editor-in-Chief, The Athletic

11:50 - 12:10

Pivot to Premium: Taking Subscriptions Upmarket

Daisy Donald, Propositions Lead – Economist Pro, The Economist Group, UK

12:10 - 12:15

Partner Spotlight

Base Media Cloud

12:15 - 12:35

Systems Thinking in the Newsroom: The Guardian's Approach to Technology

Pooja Bagga, Group Chief Information Officer, The Guardian, UK

12:35 - 13:45

Networking Lunch

13:45 - 14:05

Owning the Next Generation: How Her Campus Built (and Holds) an Audience It Owns Outright

Stephanie Kaplan-Lewis, Co-founder and CEO, Her Campus Media, USA

14:05 - 14:25

From Content to Companion: How Media Brands Can Build Deeper Relationships in the AI Era

Irene Smit, Creative Director of Flow Magazine, Happinez, Psychologie Magazine and Yoga by Happinez at Roularta Media Nederland, The Netherlands

14:25 - 14:45

Session details TBC

14:45 - 15:25

The Next Billion Readers: Media Growth and Reinvention in the Global South

Panel

Ha Mi Tran, Publisher, Marie Claire, and Founder and CEO, Style Republik, Vietnam

Minette Ferreira, CEO: Media, Media24, South Africa

Mariam M Mathew, CEO, Manorama Online, India

Interviewed by Suprio Guha Thakurta, Independent Media Advisor, Former Chief Strategy Officer, The Economist, India,

15:25 - 15:45

Follow the Money: Where Does Media Value Go Next?

Reed Phillips, CEO, Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips, USA

Interviewed by James Hewes, COO, Atlas, UK

15:45 -

Congress Wrap

2027 Location Revealed

Thursday, October 15 | Congress, Day Two

FIPP101

08:30 - 09:30

Networking & meetings

09:30 - 09:35

Welcome to Day two

Jacqueline Loch, General Manager, Betakit and 101 Stage Host

09:35 - 09:55

Global Change: How Marie Claire Navigates Luxury’s New Realities

Nicia Rodwell, International Brand Director, Marie Claire International, France

09:55 - 10:15

From Barista to Media Founder: Building An Aussie Success Story Now Cracking the UK

Nick Shelton, Founder and CEO, Broadsheet, Australia and the UK

Interviewed by Colin Morrison CBE, Founder-Publisher, Flashes & Flames: The Media Business Weekly, UK

10:15 - 10:20

Pause

10:20 - 10:40

Session Details TBC

10:40 - 11:05

Talent and Technology: How RBA Grows Reach and Impact to Lead in Print and Digital

Alex Poderoso, Digital Director, RBA Revistas, Spain

11:05 - 11:30

Networking Coffee & Meetings

11:30 - 11:50

The Creator Economy as a Revenue Opportunity for Publishers: How Collaboration with Creators can Grow Audiences and Unlock New Advertising Revenue

Christian Toksvig, Co-founder and CEO, Cocoa Media, Denmark

11:50 - 12:10

Scaling Sifted: Growing Startups and Scaleups with Media and Intelligence Across Europe

Florencia Schiavon, CEO, Sifted, UK

12:00 - 12:15

When Premium Isn't Enough: Reaching the Audience the Paywall Leaves Behind.

Gary Rathbone, Founder, Sportscape Media, South Africa

12:35 - 13:45

Networking Lunch

Friday, October 16

El Escorial!

A short journey from Madrid, the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is one of Spain’s most extraordinary sites — a vast complex encompassing a basilica, monastery, school, library and royal gardens, all set against dramatic mountain scenery. What a way to end this week!