12:30 – 13:30

Networking welcome and registration desk

Register for the conference by picking up your badge and event materials. Meet old and new INMA friends over sandwiches and drinks before we kick off the conference.

13:30 – 13:45

Conference welcome and introductions

Welcome to INMA’s 50th European News Media Conference where European media executives talk to peers from across the continent. Hear from our co-moderators how the European media story is playing out in 2023 and what new story the Antwerp conference will tell.

13:45 – 14:15

Opening keynote

14:15 – 15:15

Getting Gen Z to love our (legacy) news brands

Probably the biggest challenge of the news industry over the next decade: how to connect our news brands with the future generation of readers. First, getting them to consume the news, in whatever shape or form. Then to love us and subscribe. In these two presentations, learn what Mediahuis and Styria Media are doing in this space.

15:15 – 15:45

The future of news media: A strategic discussion with young media leaders panel

15:45 – 16:15

Networking break

16:15 – 17:15

Storytelling formats and the impact of video and podcast

Both video and podcast have been around for many years now, with mixed success. Yet both have seen somewhat of a revival in recent times. In these case study presentations, you'll hear from Belgium's business news brand (Mediafin) podcast adventure and how The Economist is reaching new audiences on TikTok.

17:15 – 17:30

Takeaways of the day

Distill the key learnings of the day with an INMA tradition: identifying commonalities, spotting outliers, and prioritising what to take home in this end-of-day wrap-up.

18:30 – 21:30

Diamond welcome reception at The Royal Museum of Fine Arts

Join fellow INMA members for an intriguing evening at one of Antwerp’s most beautiful museums with drinks and finger foods galore. Let's drink to a sparkling future, but ... drink with care! Each glass contains a diamond (really), or is it a fake? Located in the undisputed diamond capital of the world, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, or KMSKA (a Flemish acronym), showcases seven centuries of art from Flemish primitives to expressionists and world-famous masters, boasting the largest and most important collections of James Ensor and Rik Wouters. Yet the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp is much more than even this internationally renowned collection of art. The KMSKA is the only Flemish museum with high-level scientific status. Delegates are encouraged to walk (18 minutes from Antwerp Hilton), take the tram (10 minutes from Antwerp Hilton) or take an Uber/taxi.

Address: Leopold de Waelplaats 1, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium

09:00 - 09:15

Welcome back and introductions

09:15 - 09:45

Opening keynote: Completing the transition from a legacy to all-digital news brand

“We are digital-first when the paper is done.” This is too often still the unspoken mantra at our newsrooms. At Berlingske, Mette Østergaard has changed that by dramatically changing or taking away some very traditional symbols. Learn how Berlingske’s newsroom culture changed to a digital-first/only mindset with these changes.

09:45 - 10:45

How news organisations successfully develop (non-content driven) lines of business and the value that a commercial bridge brings to that process

Developing new lines of business outside the core is always a challenge for news organisations in terms of resources, ways of working, and choosing where to focus. One could argue that news organisations are better positioned than many startups to successfully develop something new, given their access to a loyal audience, brand recognition, and established communication channels. In this session you will learn how they do it at the FT and Ringier.

10:45 - 11:15

Case studies: New business development

Growth Strategy in Regional News Media: Learning about the New Business Setup at FUNKE

Constantly screening markets for growth opportunities, developing new products and diversifying revenue streams is a core task in a transforming market. Corporate assets of media companies like loyal audiences and relevant structures for launching and testing new products in both market sides (B2B + B2C) can help to kickstart growth. However, structural and organizational challenges can arise easily and need to be equipped for. In this case study you will learn about the growth set-up of FUNKE in the news division and dive into a hands-on case study.

Native Advertising in Traditional Newsroom

Development of native advertising in a traditional newsroom – creating a new revenue stream – by creating new native formats; such as video, quiz, challenges.

11:15 - 12:00

Networking break

12:00 - 13:00

Case studies: Innovative reader revenue

Digital premium strategy for HLN.be

In this session, learn how DPG Media's HLN.be digital premium strategy was created — after which the reach of premium articles almost tripled within a year. The video team then implemented a tracking tool and a calculation to rank videos qualitatively, which was rolled out to the editorial team with best practice examples.

How a German startup based on a moving ship used newsletters and podcasts to build memberships

The Pioneer in Germany stands out for several reasons — not just because their newsroom is based on a moving ship! This news media startup was founded in 2019, with a value proposition of paid newsletters and podcasts first. The Pioneer has managed to grow a free reader base of roughly 200,000 daily newsletter recipients and a paying member base of roughly 30,000.

Belgium and The Netherlands' Leading Magazine Publisher Tackles Bundling

Bundling is taking shape at many news media companies with much success. So too at Roularta Media Group, Belgium’s leading magazine publisher. Learn how they have tackled the art of bundling for subscriber growth.

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch

14:00 – 15:15

3 parallel breakout sessions

Brainsnack presentations are an INMA European News Media Conference hallmark featuring 10-minute, to-the-point, minimal slide case studies. This afternoon, we will conduct three parallel breakout sessions in Brainsnack format, each covering a specific topic. There will be time for Q&A and group discussions in between. We regroup after 75 minutes to discuss key findings.

15:15 – 16:00

Networking break

16:00 – 16:45

Breakout session reports

Breakout leaders take the main stage to discuss learnings from each of the breakout sessions.

16:45 – 17:00

Takeaways of the day

Distill the key learnings of the day with an INMA tradition: identifying commonalities, spotting outliers, and prioritising what to take home in this end-of-day wrap-up.

18:00 – 18:15

Buses depart from Antwerp Hilton to conference dinner

Meet us in the Antwerp Hilton lobby at 17:50 to board buses that will take you to the conference dinner at Antwerp Brewing Company. Buses depart at 18:00. It is a 10-minute bus OR a 28-minute walk from the Antwerp Hilton; for those wanting to walk the city.

18:15 – 21:30

BBQ night at the Antwerp Brewing Company

If Belgium is known for its beers, Antwerp's contribution to that legend is a style of beer called Seefbier — a rediscovered beer recipe perfected by our host for the evening, the Antwerp Brewing Company (Antwerpse Brouw Compagnie). As INMA delegates unwind with an entertainment-infused BBQ dinner at Antwerp Brewing Company, network with delegates, enjoy a beer tasting and the uniquely Antwerp story behind the brewery, take a tour ... and, most importantly, raise a glass to colleagues from throughout Europe enjoying something quintessentially Antwerp. Afterwards, enjoy a night on the town!

Address: Indiestraat 21, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium

09:00 - 09:15

Welcome back and introductions

09:15 - 09:45

What can news media do with AI, and what does AI do to news media?

Learning about AI and the problems it can help us solve has saved journalists in Schibsted over 3000 hours of work just a few weeks into this new technological era. In this presentation, learn all the ways Schibsted has used AI to be more effective. Technological change tends to happen slowly at first, and then all at once. This certainly feels true for AI, where so much has happened just in the last few months. But just doing what we're already doing faster is not going to bring about another golden age for news media, so let's also talk about how AI fundamentally changes what we should be doing in the first place. Filtering out all the noise and hype and distilling what can and what should be done with AI is the bigger question. What is ethical and legally useful?

09:45 - 10:15

How better journalism propelled digital subscription growth

Improving journalism in Amedia's 63 local newspapers. The ultimate goal was to conclusively demonstrate that better journalism leads to more satisfied readers. Hear how this effort increased subscription sales and their digital subscriber base.

10:15 - 11:45

Saving the world one newsroom at a time: How to start with constructive journalism

How to kickstart your newsroom with constructive journalism is the focus of this session from the former executive director of news at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation and current lead for the Constructive Journalism Institute.

11:45 – 12:00

Takeaways of the day

Distill the key learnings of the day with an INMA tradition: identifying commonalities, spotting outliers, and prioritising what to take home in this end-of-day wrap-up.

12:00 – 13:00

Closing drinks