11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

What does news media transformation entail today? What are the big topics facing our industry and shaping our organisations? How do we master these topics, and what are the threats and opportunities ahead for news media?

11:00 a.m.-11:10 a.m. (Hong Kong time)

Welcome and introductions

Celebrating the indomitable spirit of news media and surfacing best practices and case studies exemplifying agility, sustainability, and growth amidst disruption. Join us as we bring together stakeholders of the news media ecosystem to jointly arrive at a roadmap for the future. Learn about INMA’s role in driving transformation along with a strategic look at emerging priorities for news media in the region.

Madhavi Sekhri, Head, INMA South Asia Division and Lead, Strategy & Special Projects for APAC, India

Setting the context

Delve into the key issues facing the news media industry and participate in putting forward tangible remedies for industry influencers. Keeping the focus on monetisation and growth, unravel prospective business models, revenue diversification, audiences, product, and more. Get ideas on tools and techniques to keep pace with the consistently discerning consumer. Explore digital transformation and how best to harness technology, gen AI, and training.

Karmina Constantino, News Anchor, ABS- CBN, Philippines

11:10 a.m.-11:40 a.m. (Hong Kong time)

How news media priorities are changing in the age of generative AI

The strategic priorities of the global news media industry — notably, where business model innovation and generative AI fit — is the focus of this opening keynote presentation. Learn about priorities, challenges, and opportunities, the state of digital transformation, generative AI, what future success starts to look like, and how to balance journalism’s sustainability with the need to have societal influence and impact.

Earl J. Wilkinson, Executive Director, and CEO, INMA, United States

11:40 a.m.-12:10 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

How to strategically approach media business models in the context of monetisation.

The News Lens to TNL Mediagene story is about diversification and how you approach revenue in subscription vs advertising vs ecommerce vs data analytics services. TNL has diversified teams in sport/ gadgets, etc. via acquisition as opposed to in-house team expansion. In this session, find out why and how the pivot happened for them. How did they pivot for sustainability while growing paid membership, not compromising on the news content, and building for audience engagement?

Joey Chung, Co-Founder and CEO, TNL Mediagene, Taiwan

12:10 p.m.-12:40 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

NZME insights on its audience and platform strategy

New Zealand's largest publisher, NZME, purchased business news startup BusinessDesk in 2022. At that time, Matt Martel was BusinessDesk's publisher. Martel is now NZME's managing editor for audience and platform curation. He will share how NZME is creating a culture of experimentation and AI-enablement at the NZ Herald.

Matt Martel, Managing Editor, Audience and Platform Curation, NZ Herald and NZME, New Zealand

12:40 p.m.-12:55 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Boost audience engagement: integrating user needs and AI in newsrooms

In a brief presentation, newsrooms will gain powerful insights into how they can benefit from AI-driven headline testing, story angle recommendations based on user needs, automated tagging, and more, by showcasing real client examples. Discover how smartocoto.ai combines user needs with AI significantly enhancing audience engagement, leading to increased subscriptions, page views, and a more profitable business model overall.

Rutger Verhoeven, Founder & Chief Marketing Officer, Smartocto, The Netherlands

12:55 p.m.-1:20 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Navigating content in the era of news avoidance with social-first media outlet Almost

In this session, audience strategist and founder of Almost, Kassy Cho (formerly BuzzFeed, Bloomberg), delves into the importance of making audience-first news in an era proliferated by content, giving insight into how she went from pioneering the Instagram-for-news format to building her own social-first media outlet, Almost.

Kassy Cho, Founder & Editor-in-chief, Almost, Taiwan

1:20 p.m.-1:45 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Mizzima Media’s journey in transformation

Soe Myint, Managing Director and Editor In-Chief, Mizzima Media & Founder and Chairman, Mizzima Group of Companies, Myanmar

1:45 p.m.-2:00 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Takeaways and day 1 concludes

Karmina Constantino, News Anchor, ABS- CBN, Philippines

11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

How do news media companies bolster value propositions, products, and processes while catering to changing consumer behaviour, along the way equipping themselves with an up-to-date technology, data, and AI tool kit.

11:00 a.m.-11:10 a.m. (Hong Kong time)

Welcome back

A recap of what we’ve learnt so far, and what the day ahead looks like.

Karmina Constantino, News Anchor, ABS- CBN, Philippines

11:10 a.m.-11:35 a.m. (Hong Kong time)

How SPH approached product as a part of their overall digital transformation journey

In this presentation, learn about SPH’s approach to growing digital vernacular media. Dive deeper into the critical role of vernacular media in today's media landscape, SPH Media's efforts to grow the Berita Harian and Tamil Murasu's digital offerings, and about the opportunities and challenges in the digital transformation.

Rajiv Malhotra, Head of Digital Media Products, Technology, SPH Media, Singapore

11:35 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Rappler’s AI moderator on policy to govern AI

In this case study presentation, gain insights into Rappler’s AI moderator aimed at creating policy ideas on how AI should be governed. Along with this, hear about Rappler's initiatives around AI and AI products, such as knowledge graph used by Rappler to power its own GraphRAG for AI products.

Gemma Mendoza, Head, Digital Services & Lead Researcher for Disinformation and Platforms, Rappler, Philippines

12:00 p.m.-12:20 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Profit rise with paid channels

In this session, we will explore Kompas.id's approach to revenue optimisation through paid channels. Learn how they utilise pixel tracking for precise retargeting, craft segmented content tailored to user profiles, and leverage key promotional moments such as double dates and paydays to drive conversions and enhance profitability.

Zidni Kadir, Head of Subscription Growth, Harian Kompas (Kompas.id), Indonesia

12:20 p.m.-12:40 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Nhan Dhan’s innovative projects build reader engagement and connect

In this session learn about how Nhan Dhan has generated interest and engagement amongst younger audiences via sustained focus and innovative projects, leading to growth in readership amongst this category.

Le Quoc Minh, Editor-in-Chief, Nhan Dan Newspaper, Vietnam

12:40 p.m.-1:00 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Data application at Malaysiakini

In this session, learn about Malaysiakini’s approach to data and its application for audience engagement, content strategy, and driving segmentation. Understand how key metrics are used to help the organisation achieve their goals.

Seenhau Tham, Head of Operations, Malaysiakini, Malaysia

1:00 p.m.-1:20 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

The Minutes story by Nikkei

Learn about how Nikkei developed its AI-led product, the audience and market response, and its impact on our business.

Seiya Shinhashi, Product Manager, Nikkei, Japan

1:20 p.m.-1:40 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

How The Conversation uses data for informed decision making.

Many media organisations have access to so much data that it can get overwhelming. So, how can we be more focused and make the most of the data? In this session, you will see some case studies from The Conversation that goes into how they leveraged specific data to better meet the needs of audiences, and be more valuable to them.

Khalil A. Cassimally, Head of Audience Insights, The Conversation, Mauritius

1:40 p.m.-2:00 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Takeaways and summit concludes

Karmina Constantino, News Anchor, ABS- CBN, Philippines