Wednesday- Sept 3, 2025: 

Noon-4:00pm: Show Office and Registration Open – collect your badge, pick up your Summit bag, and get details on the Welcome Reception.

4:30pm-6:00pm: Welcome Reception and Speed Publishing Networking Event  – SPONSORED BY PUBLICATION PRINTERS!
The Summit starts NOW with high-level executive networking and introductions! Grab a drink and meet your fellow attendees in Speed Publishing, a Niche event favorite led by Niche Events Owner Ryan Dohrn and Dave Sanchez from Publication Printers. This reception will give you quick peer intros and set you up for a successful Summit!

6:00pm: Dinner on your own, with new CEO friends, or ask a sponsor to take you to dinner!  
9:00pm-11:00pm: Join your fellow Publishing friends at the Lounge on-site for music and local brews.

Thursday- September 4, 2025: 

8:00am-4:00pm: Show Office and Registration Open
8:00am-9:00am: Hot Breakfast / Morning Coffee Roundtables – SPONSORED BY SHERIDAN.  Kick start your Summit with colleagues over breakfast and coffee.

9:00am – 9:15am:  Opening Ceremonies
9:15am-10:00am: Opening Power Keynote and Open Forum Discussion: Are you Prepared For The Perfect Storm?

Don Harkey of People Centric Consulting loves to help media companies adjust their machine to produce better results. He is highly strategic, process-driven, and an engaging Keynote Speaker, and now he is predicting The Perfect Storm!  What is that, you ask?

The Perfect Storm describes two major forces reshaping the job market: the retirement of experienced Baby Boomers without enough Gen Xers to replace them, leading to less experienced Millennials and freshly graduated Gen Zs filling key roles, and an unprecedented labor shortage with more jobs than unemployed people due to low birth rates.

This situation threatens organizations with talent shortages and a decline in expertise, affecting various areas such as payment collection, quality, and satisfaction. Join us to explore the impact of these trends and strategies for companies to protect themselves.
10:00am-10:30am: Expert Panel/Open Forum Discussion

10:30am – 11:00am: Coffee Break – Continue conversations and meet with attending sponsors for ideas and solutions chats.

11:00am-12:30pm – 3 Roundtable Sessions: Q&A and discussion with your peers within your market and job functions.

Breakout #1: B2B PUBLISHER TRACK: Topics include: paid content, AI impact on Publishers, hiring/firing, finding salespeople, building an editorial board, new revenue ideas, and more. (Pro moderator will guide the actual topic selection and discussion.)  

Breakout #2: CONSUMER PUBLISHER TRACK: Topics include: AI impact on Publishers, Google’s new search release, paid content, hiring/firing, finding salespeople, launching ancillary products, new revenue ideas and more. (Pro moderator will guide the actual topic selection and discussion.)   

Breakout #3: SALES MANAGEMENT TRACK: Topics include: AI impact on sales, sales comp plans, hiring/firing, finding salespeople, building an advertiser advisory board, new ad revenue ideas and more.  (Pro moderator will guide the actual topic selection and discussion.)   

Lunch and Power Keynote
12:30pm-1:00pm: Lunch
1:00pm-1:30pm: Power Panel and Open Forum Discussion: Cost-Cutting Strategies that Don’t Kill Your Company
Hear from fellow publishers on some of the best cost-cutting moves they’ve made — that didn’t cause quality loss, employee burnout, or actually create more work! Moderated by Ryan Dohrn, this panel will share overall strategies and specific cuts, then we’ll all join in for questions and to share cost-cutting experiences. Bring the ideas that worked at your company!
1:30pm-2:00pm: Expert Panel/Open Forum Discussion

2:00pm-2:30pm: Coffee Break – Continue conversations and meet with attending sponsors for ideas and solutions chats.

2:30pm-4:00pm – Roundtable Sessions continue.

Breakout #1: B2B PUBLISHER TRACK 

Breakout #2: CONSUMER PUBLISHER TRACK

Breakout #3: SALES MANAGEMENT TRACK

4:00pm-4:30pm: Quick break to check email and freshen up for the networking event!

4:30pm-6:00pm: Cocktail Party and Networking Event #2 – Edison Ballroom – SPONSORED BY MIKE & KEVIN FROM 032 OUTSOURCING. 

6:00pm: Dinner on your own, with new CEO friends, or ask a sponsor to take you to dinner!  
9:00pm-11:00pm: Join your fellow Publishing friends at the Lounge on-site for music and local brews.

Friday, September 5, 2025: 

8:00am-2:00pm: Show Office Open
8:00am-9:00am: Hot Breakfast / Morning Coffee Roundtables – SPONSORED BY MediaOS .  Pick up on yesterday’s conversations or dive into a new topic table with your colleagues.  

9:00am – 10:00am: Morning Power Keynote: UNLOCKING THE HIDDEN POWERS OF LinkedIn!
It’s business, not social! In a world increasingly shaped by AI, your authenticity and presence on LinkedIn have never been more critical. Join Colleen McKenna, founder of Intero Advisory and a leading expert in LinkedIn strategy, for an engaging, practical session that will redefine how you leverage LinkedIn for your business.
– LinkedIn is a Destination, not just a Distribution Channel: Discover how to make LinkedIn a hub of your professional presence and activity, where meaningful conversations happen, and business relationships thrive.
– Build a Strategic Network: Connect and nurture with intention.
– LinkedIn’s Latest Features: Stay ahead with insider tips on navigating LinkedIn’s algorithm and best practices.
Whether a novice or power-use, Colleen’s insight will encourage you to think differently or more critically. (Colleen received a 100% 5-star ranking from attendees at the 2023 Niche Media Conference!)

10:00-10:30am: Coffee Break – Continue conversations and meet with attending sponsors for ideas and solutions chats.

10:30am – Noon: Roundtable Sessions continue.

Breakout #1: B2B PUBLISHER TRACK 

Breakout #2: CONSUMER PUBLISHER TRACK

Breakout #3: SALES MANAGEMENT TRACK

Noon-1:30pm: Closing Power Keynote + Lunch: Maximizing Your Company’s Net Worth PLUS Closing Giveaways from Monterey Watch Company!
Wrap up your Leadership Summit back in the big room over lunch as you learn how to use all your new Summit ideas to make your company as profitable as possible!

Tim Hermes is a multi-million dollar publishing giant who started and managed some of the most profitable magazines in the tech space. Then… he sold them ALL! Now, he is the founder of one of the fastest-growing watch brands in the nation, Monterey Watch Co. Tim will share his top lessons learned in over 30 years in media for maxing your media brand or company’s net worth to ensure top dollar for any reason: business sale, financing and expansion, or simply to grow profit and put money back in your pocket!

BONUS: We will randomly draw to give away watches from Tim’s new venture, Monterey Watch Company!

1:30pm:  Final event wrap-up. 

The end… SEE YOU IN 2026!

The above schedule, topics, and speakers are subject to change.