| Time | Session & Details |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
Registration Open
PICK UP YOUR BADGE!
|
| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM |
Weekly Newspaper Summit: Grow, Convert, Thrive
Continue the momentum from April with actionable strategies to increase circulation and convert readers into paying members.
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| 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM |
MORNING POWER KEYNOTE: UnFunkt: Quiet the Noise. Ignite the Light.
Unfunkt™ your team culture with Jaime Marco—speaker, strategist, and connection catalyst helping leaders build trust, ignite change, and lead with heart.
Presenter: Jaime Marco – Creator of UnFunkt™, Keynote Speaker, Leadership & Connection Catalyst |
| 10:30 AM – 7:00 PM |
Exhibit Hall Open
|
| 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM (12-1 lunch break) |
AI Games
The AI Games is a fast-paced, hands-on sales experience where news media pros put AI to work in real time. Teams compete to build and pitch an AI-powered sales strategy for a mock advertiser—just like a real client presentation. Then the audience votes to crown the winning team. No theory. No fluff. Just practical AI skills you can use immediately—plus a little competition, a trophy, and bragging rights along the way.
Presenter: Kevin Berrier, Advertising Director, MDDC |
| 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM |
FSNE Awards Lunch & Installation of Officers
Keynote: Alexandra Glorioso, Tampa Bay Times & Florida Trident
|
| 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM |
Lunch with Vendors and PRIZE TIME!
|
| 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM |
Connecting with Students!
Presented by FPES
|
| 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM |
Taming InDesign: Secrets to Building a Lightning-Fast Workflow
There are two ways to work in InDesign; you can do everything yourself, or you can make InDesign do everything for you. Rheya Tanner Cole will divulge some of InDesign's lesser-known features and workarounds that will make your workflow faster, more intuitive, and less prone to error.
Presenter: Rheya Tanner Cole |
| 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM |
Opening Welcome & Keynote
A Look at Florida & the Latest Economic Trends and Opportunities!
Presenter: Mark Wilson, President & CEO, Florida Chamber of Commerce |
| 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM |
Breakout Tracks
Breakout #1 – Member Perspectives: Evolving for the Future - Presented by FPA Hear how our members are adapting, innovating, and positioning themselves for what’s next.
Breakout #2 – Magazine Track - Presented by FMA Publication Peer Feedback – Part 1 Sign up for this session in advance. Bring samples of your publication, meet the Florida Magazine Association member offering feedback, and review your goals, concerns, and hopes for the information exchange. Come back Friday, June 5 for Part 2, where you’ll receive feedback from your Florida Magazine Association peer. Breakout #3 – The Audience Engagement Challenge - Presented by FSNE Whether it’s through subscriptions or increased page views and visits, how are newsrooms, large and small, innovating and adapting to find ways to attract, build and sustain a vibrant digital audience. Is there a secret sauce? What is working? And what isn’t?
|
| 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM |
Concurrent Sessions
Session #1 – Coaching Up The Next Generation Of Journalists How do we prepare students and young professionals to be ready for what awaits in the newsrooms of the present — and future? Newsroom leaders and educators discuss steps universities and news organizations can take to mentor, coach and train them to thrive. And how can students and recent grads control their own destiny?
Session #2 – Insights on the economy and what it means for Florida’s meteoric growth.
Session #3 – Weekly Roundtable Discussions - Meet with your peers and share ideas on today’s hottest topics! |
| 6:00 PM |
Grand Opening Reception
|
| 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM |
FAME Creative Excellence Awards & Dinner
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| Time | Session & Details |
|---|---|
| 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM |
Registration Desk Open
|
| 7:30 AM – 2:30 PM |
Exhibit Hall Open
|
| 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM |
Breakfast with Vendors
|
| 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM |
Morning Welcome & Friend of NIE Award
|
| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM |
Winning with Public Notice: A Strategy for Florida Newspapers
Discover FPA’s strategy to protect, grow, and modernize public notice revenue—while reinforcing newspapers as the trusted source for civic transparency. Learn about new regional structures to strengthen your collective voice, expanded legislative support, and enhanced upload capabilities on FloridaPublicNotice.com.
|
| 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM |
Breakout Sessions
Breakout #1 – Photography as Longform Journalism Presenter: Roberto Gonzalez, Photo Editor, Orlando Magazine Robert Gonzalez will share his approach to visual storytelling, from concept to publication. Learn how editorial shoots evolve into larger narratives like photo essays, exhibitions and books. Discover how city magazines continue to serve as cultural incubators and engines of creativity. Breakout #2 – The Disney Difference: Showing Up for Cast, Guests and Florida Disney’s impact extends far beyond its theme parks. Katie Stretch, senior vice president of Operations, shares how Walt Disney World supports and retains the nation’s largest single-site workforce, strengthens an economy that fuels thousands of Florida small businesses, and remains a vacation destination families return to generation after generation. This session will explore how Disney continues to grow with a focus on care, commitment and connection. Breakout #3 – AI Show And Tell: Practical Uses For Emerging Technology - Presented by FSNE Artificial intelligence is no longer a newsroom novelty. Journalists are using AI as an everyday tool to find, report and present the news and to better connect with their audience. As a news organization, harnessing these tools is a key to expanding your capacity to serve your community. What can you take back to your newsroom today to equip and empower your journalists with these tools and skills?
|
| 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
Breakout Sessions
Breakout #1 – Google News Initiative: Generative AI and Google Tools Training This training covers generative AI and prompting fundamentals, content creation with Gemini, research using Pinpoint, AI detection with SynthID, Google Trends, and Google tools for privacy and security. Trainer Bio: Iain Christie brings more than 20 years of experience in digital, technology, publishing, and journalism. He has been with the Google News Initiative for four years, training across journalism, audience development, and revenue strategies throughout the U.S. and Canada. Breakout #2 – Food Writing: How to Keep it Crisp Speakers: The Best Food Writers in Orlando! Seasoned food editors reveal how to keep your writing as fresh as your subject matter. Learn to craft lively profiles, identify genuine trends, and reimagine traditional formats so even the “Best Ice Cream” story feels brand new. Panelists: Brendan O'Connor, The Orlando Shine; Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel; Lisa Wilk, Taste Cook Sip Breakout #3 – Democracy: Covering elections that divide us Elections can be a challenging time for newsrooms and the skeptical audiences they intend to serve. How are veteran political journalists and regional news editors building trust while covering divisive issues and candidates for a polarized electorate? What strategies and stories are proven to cut through partisan noise?
|
| Noon – 2:00 PM |
FPA Awards Lunch, Hall of Fame & Installation of Officers
|
| 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM |
Lunch with Vendors
|
| 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM |
So, You Want to Start a Podcast!
Presenter: Arionne Alyssa Nettles, FAMU Professor & author of “We Are the Culture: Black Chicago’s Influence on Everything.”
|
| 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM |
Selling to Florida’s Markets
Presenter: Jamie Rich, Founder, Flamingo Magazine
|
| 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
Peer Review!
Gain insights and feedback from your peers in the magazine industry. Submit your work for critique—participation is optional.
Presented by FMA |
| 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM |
Best Revenue Ideas: Lessons from 2025
Facilitator: Kristin Merrick
A fast-paced session showcasing last year’s most successful revenue strategies, with practical takeaways you can apply to your sales efforts in 2026. Attendees will leave inspired with proven ideas and actionable approaches for their own markets. Format: Member-submitted ideas; minimum 10 submissions, up to 3 slides each. |
| 7:00 PM |
Charlie Awards Dinner & Presentation
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