Publish Asia brings out the best

With more than 600 media executives expected to attend the event in Bali, Indonesia, and some most innovative publishing houses from the region and beyond on the programme, Publish Asia is more than living up to its reputation as the premier Asian publishing conference.

More than 40 speakers from 16 countries are on the programme for the event, to be held from 10 to 12 April next. Publish Asia is actually four conferences in one - CEO Conference, Newsroom Summit, Advertising Summit, Printing Summit - accompanied by learning workshops, an exhibition of suppliers to the industry, and the prestigious Asian Media Awards.

Full details about the event, organised by WAN-IFRA, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, can be found at www.publishasia.com.

The theme

This year's theme is "Shaping the Future of News Publishing" and the programme features a Who's Who of executives from the region and around the world as speakers. They include:

• Jack Matthews, CEO, Metro Media, Fairfax Media, Australia: Just over a year ago Matthews took over Fairfax's Metropolitan Media division with the clear goal of integrating the company's key metropolitan print and online operations, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. In his keynote address, he will share the results, experiences and challenges of this complete reorganisation.
  
• Dipankar Das Purkayastha, managing director & CEO, ABP Pte Ltd, India: ABP started out as a small vernacular newspaper in Bengali and has grown and diversified to become a leading media house in print (newspapers, periodicals, books), broadcasting (TV), new media and events. Purkayastha will show how ABP's original 360º approach has created multimedia synergies in ad sales and marketing.
  
• Agung Adiprasetyo, CEO, Kompas Gramedia, Indonesia: In a Power of Print session, Adiprasetyo will show how Kompas Gramedia has embraced new technology to become recognised as a clear digital media pioneer in southeast Asia, while still investing in print and reaping the revenues from this strategy.
  
• Ross Dunkley, CEO, Myanmar Times and Phnom Penh Post: With changes in Burma occurring almost overnight, Dunkley will discuss what it takes for an independent media company to set up shop in a challenging Asian environment. What sort of investment is needed to be a real voice in the community and what content and media work best to succeed there?
  
• Pichai Chuensuksawadi, editor in chief, The Bangkok Post, Thailand: Post Publishing launched a new free paper in Bangkok in October 2011, and Chuensuksawadi will share the strategy behind the concept and the results thus far. Are free papers still a valid business model in Asia?
  
• Michael Cooke, editor, The Toronto Star, Canada: Cooke will spell out the 'dos' and 'don'ts' when taking the challenging journey from a traditionally organised newsroom to that of a fully integrated multimedia editorial operation - which is where The Star is today and reaping the benefits of doing so.
  
• Juan Señor, partner, Innovation Media Consulting Group, UK: Most publishers throughout the world are gazing into the crystal ball to get a glimpse of what the future publishing might look like. In his MediaMorphosis presentation, Senor will lay out numerous ways to reinvent the newspaper for a digital age, based on case studies from today's most innovative media companies.
  
• Pelle Mattison, CEO, Stampen Media Partner, Sweden: Over the last five years, Mattison established the Swedish publishing house Stampen as a leader within mobile, digital and social media through the Stampen Media Partner's activities. Mattison will show how to create a closer community through diversification in digital marketing, mobile and social media.

In addition, the events will feature experts from the industry to address key issues, including paywalls, tablet publishing, growing your digital audience, green publishing, audience measurement and more. Always a highlight, the winners of the Asia Media Awards 2012 will be presented during the Asia Media Awards Gala Dinner on 11 April. Two new award categories this year will honour the best publications in newspaper marketing and in community service.

For more details and registration information go to www.publishasia.com.