Digiday Publishing Summit Europe

The power of audience and products of the future

With unparalleled understanding of their audiences through an abundance of data, publishers are becoming more sophisticated in how they incorporate audience insights into their product offerings - commercial and editorial. From building products around audiences, fine-tuning existing products and changing the way they work with advertisers, publishers are working towards a kind of flexibility that allows them to adapt to what they know about the audiences.

In a battle against content overload, a world dominated by the Duopoly and persistent data privacy evolution, Digiday’s Publishing Summit Europe will look at how media owners across Europe are building products to monetize audiences, sifting through data and incorporating insights.

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Speakers

Anna Arvidsson

HEAD, BONNIER NEWS BRAND STUDIO

BONNIER NEWS
Jessica Bulthé

DATA SCIENTIST DIGITAL ADVERTISING

MEDIAHUIS
Ciara Byrne

director OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

CONDÉ NAST INTERNATIONAL
Dominic Carter

GROUP CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER

NEWS UK
Julian Childs

MANAGING director, EMEA

BUSINESS INSIDER
Kunal Dutta

CHIEF EDITOR OF DIGITAL CHANNELS

SHELL
Ella Dolphin

CEO

THE STYLIST GROUP
Emma Elford

director OF CREATIVE SOLUTIONS - SPARK

THE TELEGRAPH
Mike Fox

CMO

CULTURE TRIP
Tamara Howe

CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER, Europe

VICE
Federico Lusi

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

JW PLAYER
Andrea Scotti Calderini

FOUNDER & CEO

FREEDA MEDIA
Ane Sharma

UX RESEARCHER

SCHIBSTED
Michael Silberman

SVP, STRATEGY

PIANO
Birger Søiland

GM NORTHAM & EMEA

CXENSE
Ellen Stewart

HEAD OF PLATFORMS

PINKNEWS
Johan Wilberg

HEAD OF ANALYTICS, BONNIER NEWS BRAND STUDIO

BONNIER
Emma Winchurch-Beale

INTERNATIONAL SALES director

WASHINGTON POST

Agenda

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Tuesday, March 5

1:30 p.m.

Registration
2:00 p.m.
Trend Focus & Challenge Board

Welcome address by Digiday president and editor-in-chief Brian Morrissey, a look at the trends that we will focus on for the summit and the infamous Digiday Challenge Board.
- Brian Morrissey
  
  EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
  
  DIGIDAY
2:15 p.m.
Culture Trip on the Real Power of Audience

This case study will focus on how Culture Trip has harnessed the power of audience data to inform their approach to content and content formats. CMO Mike Fox will discuss their move towards more original content, the decision to launch a print magazine, and how they plan to offer contextual commerce and travel transactions on the site.
- Mike Fox
  
  CMO
  
  CULTURE TRIP
2:40 p.m.
How Business Insider Monetizes International Audiences

Business Insider has successfully created a loyal international audience. In order to monetize they are working to unify international audiences into one tech product and create a single view of users from around the world. This session will reflect on the journey of how they done this in a compliant world, the successes and the learnings.
- Julian Childs
  
  MANAGING DIRECTOR, EMEA
  
  BUSINESS INSIDER
3:05 p.m.
How to Embed Data into Your Audience Strategy

Most publishers have understood that there is lot of untapped potential in data and many are looking at how to use data more strategically. However, putting data into action in a meaningful way and use it to drive revenue is not something easily achieved. It often requires a complete overhaul of your internal mechanics and organizational mindset.

In this session, Mediahuis' Jessica Bulthé and Cxense's Birger Soiland will discuss how sales and analytics teams can unlock the power of data to drive revenue and how data can be used to become more relevant to both ad customers and readers.

They will consider what data is meaningful in which context, how to embed this knowledge into the product strategy and how to use it to impact the bottom line.
- Jessica Bulthé
  
  DATA SCIENTIST DIGITAL ADVERTISING
  
  MEDIAHUIS
- Birger Søiland
  
  GM NORTHAM & EMEA
  
  CXENSE
3:15 p.m.
Conquering Europe: Geographical Expansion in Nuanced, Independent Media Ecosystems

Europe is a notoriously difficult nut to crack for publishers as each country is nuanced with it's own language requirements and generally for the size of these markets, some publishers are wondering if the pay off is actually worth the risk.

This session will consider how to go about regional expansion, managing the risk associated with the investment and where to focus efforts.
- Andrea Scotti Calderini
  
  FOUNDER & CEO
  
  FREEDA MEDIA
3:35 p.m.
Monetizing Video: The Devil is in the Detail

Monetizing video is still in its very early stages. Whilst most focus on content and format, there are important technical elements to consider in order to maximise the value of your inventory. This session will consider how you can streamline your tech stack, run engagement analysis, and improve content recommendations in order to make every play count.
- Federico Lusi
  
  SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
  
  JW PLAYER
3:45 p.m.

Networking Break
3:55 p.m.
Focus Group Sessions

Pick a group that represents your interest and join a discussion on some of the hot topics in media.

Topics for the focus groups are:
- Snapchat: The bigger picture
- Getting the best out of your programmatic offering
- Branded content – what's next?
- Knowing what products to give your audience
- Is audio overhyped?
- E-commerce, whilst still focused
- Paywalls and subscriptions: transitioning users through the funnel
- Emma Winchurch-Beale
  
  INTERNATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR
  
  WASHINGTON POST
- Ellen Stewart
  
  HEAD OF PLATFORMS
  
  PINKNEWS
- Emma Elford
  
  DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SOLUTIONS - SPARK
  
  THE TELEGRAPH
4:35 p.m.

Publisher Townhall

For publishers only, this townhall will address the challenges raised on the Digiday Challenge Board. Led by Digiday editorial, this is an opportunity to discuss your challenges alongside your peers and not only to listen, but also to participate.

Moderator
Brian Morrissey
5:20 p.m.
Sandbox Presentations

These rapid-fire sessions introduce VIP publishing executives to technology providers.

5:20 p.m. - Piano

5:30 p.m. - Vizrt + Le Parisien

5:40 p.m. - Tubular Labs
- Michael Silberman
  
  SVP, STRATEGY
  
  PIANO
- Helen Blackburn
  
  VP OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, ONLINE
  
  VIZRT
- Guillaume Otzenberger
  
  TECHNICAL & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
  
  LE PARISIEN
6:00 p.m.

8-Minute Meetings

The 8-minute business meetings connect participants with innovative technology platforms. They are designed to help your team build valuable new relationships and ultimately, close business deals.
7:00 p.m.

Cocktail Reception
7:30 p.m.

Dinner with Cxense

Cxense will host a small group of publishers for a memorable dinner in Milan. By invitation only. Transportation provided. Bus departs the hotel lobby at 7:30 p.m.
8:00 p.m.

Dinner with Strangers

Just a short walk from the hotel, join fellow attendees for delicious artisanal pizza at Berberè Isola. The Milan hotspot is known for revolutionary, award-winning pizzas featuring extravagant and unusual toppings. Digiday has made a group reservation. Sign up at the Digiday registration desk. Costs at your own expense.
10:00 p.m.

After-Hours Hangout

Have one last drink with fellow attendees at the Gallia Lounge & Bar, located inside the hotel. Costs at your own expense.

Wednesday, March 6

8:00 a.m.

Registration Reopens and Breakfast Served
9:00 a.m.
Overheard

Catch up on the themes and trends discussed on Day 1 of the summit.
- Brian Morrissey
  
  EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
  
  DIGIDAY
9:10 a.m.
(Case Study) Bringing Vogue Business to Life

In a traditional publisher with strong audience relationships, knowing how and where to innovate can be tricky. Earlier this year, Condé Nast International launched Vogue business in a fashion unlike any other new business before it.

Director of business development, Ciara Byrne will walk you through how Vogue Business came to life, the thinking behind it and how they evaluated the initial idea through their innovation framework. This session will show you how to evaluate the risks, learn from your audiences and expose you to the thought process that is propelling this new brand forward.
- Ciara Byrne
  
  DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
  
  CONDÉ NAST INTERNATIONAL
9:30 a.m.
Maximizing Ad Revenues: Industry Developments, Techniques and Pitfalls

In this session Andrew Bartlam, MD EMEA for Instart will lend his experiences from working with the majority of the Comscore 100 Publishers. The brief session will focus on how publishers are seeking to maximise revenue lost due to Ad Blockers, Ad Latency and invalid traffic.
- Andrew Bartlam
  
  VP EMEA
  
  INSTART LOGIC
9:40 a.m.
Unpacking the Path to Sustainable Media

The collapse of display, data privacy and the never-ending duopoly saga – there have been many recent challenges to the modern media ecosystem with results at both ends of the spectrum.

With media companies in a constant state of evolution, is there a path to sustainable media? Looking at News UK’s varied portfolio of media brands, hear what Dominic Carter thinks about the state of media and where we should be focusing efforts in order to be sustainable in the long run.
- Dominic Carter
  
  GROUP CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER
  
  NEWS UK
Moderator
Brian Morrissey
10:20 a.m.
Keeping Up With a Constantly Evolving Video Model

VICE Media is a publisher which is constantly switching it up and experimenting with new formats. When it comes to video, they’ve done it all, often breaking with convention to set new standards in content and format. But having a 'pioneer' attitude has it challenges with the industry learning quickly from your successes and failures. Chief content officer of Vice EMEA, Tamara Howe will share her thoughts on their quest to stay ahead of the game whilst still keeping their audiences on their toes.
- Tamara Howe
  
  CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER, EUROPE
  
  VICE
10:40 a.m.

Networking Break
11:00 a.m.
Focus Groups

Join a different group from the day before on a topic that interests you most - what could be the next big thing?

Topics for the focus groups are:
- Snapchat: The bigger picture
- Getting the best out of your programmatic offering
- Branded content – what's next?
- Knowing what products to give your audience
- Is audio overhyped?
- E-commerce, whilst still focused
- Paywalls and subscriptions: transitioning users through the funnel
- Emma Winchurch-Beale
  
  INTERNATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR
  
  WASHINGTON POST
- Ellen Stewart
  
  HEAD OF PLATFORMS
  
  PINKNEWS
- Emma Elford
  
  DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SOLUTIONS - SPARK
  
  THE TELEGRAPH
12:00 p.m.

8-Minute Meetings

The 8-minute business meetings connect participants with innovative technology platforms. They are designed to help your team build valuable new relationships and ultimately, close business deals.
1:00 p.m.

Lunch
1:00 p.m.

(Lunch Workshop) How To Get a Clear View of Your Audience to Diversify Revenue - by invitation only

Publishers are connecting with their audiences cross-platform more than ever before, allowing unparalleled insights into user behavior. But this data is often siloed by product or business unit, creating barriers to bringing your data into a single customer view, and limiting the potential to monetize bigger and better products.

This Permutive workshop will look at the challenges of unifying your data into a single customer view and offer key advice to give you the ability to cross-sell users via new revenue channels. The session will also reveal new research to ensure you will come away with actionable insights into how you can diversify revenue by making better use of your data.

Lunch will be served. By invitation only.
1:30 p.m.

Afternoon Activities

Take the afternoon to catch-up on emails or enjoy the sights of Milan.

Taboola is hosting an invitation-only event for a small group of publishers. Bus will depart from the hotel lobby at 1:15 p.m.
5:30 p.m.

Digiday Think Tank

This brand new format will present a few unique perspectives and provide an intimate environment where you can get all your questions in.

Moderator
Brian Morrissey
5:30 p.m.

Publisher Alliances, Why Now?

The idea of publisher alliances isn't new - and whether data or market alliances, publishers are starting to mobilize in order to provide a safety, transparency and scale. But why now? This session will discuss the drivers behind European data alliances in local markets, how this will change the way that publishers work and earn revenue, and whether these alliances are sustainable in the long run.

Moderator
Lucinda Southern
6:00 p.m.
When Brands Stand Their Ground

For multinational oil and gas corporation Shell, social media can be problematic and with social justice warriors turning aggressively against their core product, we asked the obvious question: why even bother? This session will consider the broader purpose of journalism and for a brand like Shell, why they dedicate resource to acting as a publisher. For publishers in today's climate, should we be taking a stand?
- Kunal Dutta
  
  CHIEF EDITOR OF DIGITAL CHANNELS
  
  SHELL
6:30 p.m.

Sandbox Presentations

These rapid-fire sessions introduce VIP publishing executives to technology providers.

6:30 p.m. - Adjesty

6:40 p.m. - The Media Trust
7:00 p.m.

Cocktail Reception
8:00 p.m.

Dinner with Friends

Looking for dinner plans? Digiday has made a group reservation at Miscusi - Stazione Centrale. Enjoy one of their incredible past dishes in the relaxed, warm atmosphere of this local favorite. Sign up at the registration desk. Costs at your own expense.
10:00 p.m.

After-Hours Hangout

Have one last drink with fellow attendees at the Gallia Lounge & Bar, located inside the hotel. Costs at your own expense.

Thursday, March 7

9:30 a.m.
Digiday Round Up

Hear about some of the learnings and themes from the Digiday focus groups.
- Brian Morrissey
  
  EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
  
  DIGIDAY
9:40 a.m.
Making Engagement Count

The Internet has changed everything; it’s never been easier to communicate with consumers. But do we, really? Today, incredible sums of money are spent on creating engaging content, but then what? Content is released as if it were a balloon, keeping our thumbs crossed that it will fly. But what do we do if the audience actually likes the balloon?

This session will consider how you act on these insights and in an environment that is driven by campaign budgets, how can you act on engagement?
- Anna Arvidsson
  
  HEAD, BONNIER NEWS BRAND STUDIO
  
  BONNIER NEWS
- Johan Wilberg
  
  HEAD OF ANALYTICS, BONNIER NEWS BRAND STUDIO
  
  BONNIER
10:10 a.m.
Being Bold & Learning to Prioritize

The Stylist Group is a rare breed of publisher operating digital, print and events at scale. Having recently made bold decisions about the business in a relatively short period of time, this session will look at what you need to take into consideration in order to give your audiences what they want, as well as building revenue for the long term.
- Ella Dolphin
  
  CEO
  
  THE STYLIST GROUP
10:30 a.m.
(Case Study) How Schibsted Created a News App for Younger Audiences

Younger generations are notoriously hard to reach and connect with for traditional media houses. This case study illustrates the process of how Schibsted identified and shaped a new digital news product for exactly this audience.

User researcher, Ane Sharma will discuss how they identified the specific needs of this target group through iterative research and insights gathering, including how iteratively testing was done on the content, which was a crucial step to ensure that the presentation of the news is engaging to the correct extent. This led to the design and creation of the app Peil, a news destination for younger Norwegians.
- Ane Sharma
  
  UX RESEARCHER
  
  SCHIBSTED
10:50 a.m.

Strengthening the Link Between Brand, Audience & Commercial

This summit has been all about the power of audience, but in a lot of ways this starts with the power of your brand to keep those audiences engaged and loyal. This session will consider how the power of brand, while still retaining core audiences and evolving your relationships with them.
11:10 a.m.
5 Things We've Learned
- Lucinda Southern
  
  UK SENIOR REPORTER
  
  DIGIDAY

Full Agenda

Activities

Tuesday

8:00 PM Dinner with Strangers

Just a short walk from the hotel, join fellow attendees for delicious artisanal pizza at Berberè Isola. The Milan hotspot is known for revolutionary, award-winning pizzas featuring extravagant and unusual toppings. Digiday has made a group reservation. Sign up at the Digiday registration desk. Costs at your own expense.

10:00 PM After-Hours Hangout

Have one last drink with fellow attendees at the Gallia Lounge & Bar, located inside the hotel. Costs at your own expense.
Wednesday

8:00 PM Dinner with Friends

Looking for dinner plans? Digiday has made a group reservation at Miscusi - Stazione Centrale. Enjoy one of their incredible past dishes in the relaxed, warm atmosphere of this local favorite. Sign up at the registration desk. Costs at your own expense.

10:00 PM After-Hours Hangout

Have one last drink with fellow attendees at the Gallia Lounge & Bar, located inside the hotel. Costs at your own expense.