Newspaper ad conference focuses on maximising revenues

Newspaper advertising continues to be the major source of revenue for newspapers - both in print and on digital platforms - but new competitors and other challenges are putting pressure on advertising sales departments like never before.

The World Newspaper Advertising Conference, organised by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) on 1 and 2 March 2012, will present success stories from leading media houses worldwide and provide inspiration and practical ideas for newspaper companies everywhere.

Conference topics include: innovative print campaigns and classifieds, tablet and mobile advertising, social media and community building, turning the newspaper into a full service agency, the future sales team, measuring and controlling sales performance, and more.

Full details can be found at http://www.wan-ifra.org/advertising2012.

First confirmed speakers include:

• Peter Zollman, founding principal of AIM Group and Classified Intelligence, one of the most inspirational speakers in the media business today. Zollman has been in the news business for 35 years and been actively involved in interactive media for more than 20. He is executive editor and publisher of Classified Intelligence Report, and has written many industry "white papers" and special reports about interactive media and classified ads. Zollman conducts workshops for dot-coms and newspapers and has work with many of the leading companies globally in the classified advertising field.
  
• Agora's top advertising executives - Marek Tretyn, general director of advertising sales, and Anna Podkowinska, revenue director for the Internet - will demonstrate how digital and print can efficiently work together for greater advertising revenues. For the first time, they will speak about the biggest nationwide reorganisation in the Polish company's history that changed the entire strategy, offers and workflow of its 20 local advertising sales offices. Tretyn and Podkowinska supervised the transition.
  
• Adrian Norris, managing editor for design and presentation for Canada's Globe & Mail, whose new look was awarded best redesign internationally by the Society of News Design. Norris, with extensive industry experience on three continents, is a leading expert in newspaper and web production, digital and print integration and web design.
  
• Shailesh Gupta, marketing director for Jagran Prakashan, which has "preferred partner status" with leading media agencies as the most read and circulated daily in India. Gupta will describe the company's new approach to newspaper marketing, including how it works in an advisory capacity to many advertisers throughout the country.
  
• Jeffrey Litvack, general manager for global product development for The Associated Press, who is responsible for identifying and assessing new digital revenue opportunities for AP worldwide. Under his leadership, AP has launched the AP Mobile News Network, and iCircular, the first mobile digital preprint business for newspapers
  
• Constantine Kamaras, vice chairman of 24 Media, Greece's leading digital media group both in terms of total users and advertising revenues. Its portfolio includes more than a dozen premier brands as well as content and ad sales partnerships with global properties such as Dailymotion, Myspace and NBA. He was previously publisher and CEO of Sport.gr, one of the largest sports portals in Greece.
  
• Rob Paterson, group managing director of Friday Media in the United Kingdom and former chair of the International Classified Media Association. Paterson is part of a management team that took a small regional print classified business and transformed it into a multi-product, 70 business group that today operates in more than 30 countries with a predominantly online portfolio that stretches from jobs in aviation to a guide of the best pubs in London.
  
• Plus many more. For the evolving conference programme, registration details and other information, please click here.

WAN-IFRA will also be conducting a Study Tour to leading European media houses from 23 to 27 April 2012. Participants in the "360° Sales Strategies" study tour will save €250 on registration for the World Newspaper Advertising Conference. For details, please consult http://tinyurl.com/7s3bfvh.