Niche Leadership Summit · Sept 2-4 · New Orleans
Register: $998
September 2-4, 2026  ·  Ritz-Carlton  ·  New Orleans

The Room Where Niche Media Leaders Talk Real Numbers

Two days of expert keynotes, closed-door roundtables, and straight talk on revenue with publishers who run companies like yours. Only media leaders may attend, and nothing gets filtered.

Registration: $998 · Teams save 30% with code TEAM

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Days
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Hours
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11th
Annual Summit
100+
Media Leaders Attending
4.1/5
Attendee Rating
100%
Leaders Only. No Exceptions.
Why This Event Is Different

You Will Not Sit in the Dark Watching Slides

Most conferences hand you a lanyard and a seat. The Summit hands you a table.

The heart of the Summit is a full day of moderated roundtable sessions, broken into groups that actually match your business. You sit with publishers who face your exact problems, guided by pro moderators who keep the conversation specific and actionable.

And because the room is leaders-only, people say the quiet parts out loud. Real revenue numbers. Real comp plans. Real mistakes. The stuff nobody puts in a webinar.

Managing print costs Paid content New technologies Hiring and firing Finding salespeople Event revenue Building an editorial board New revenue ideas Sales compensation AI in the media business

Your Roundtable Group

Consumer Publishers
B2B Publishers
City & Regional
Sales Management

Pro moderators guide topic selection so every discussion stays detailed and actionable.

Peer Proof

Why Publishers Keep Coming Back

Every time we go, we come back with at least one really good idea that produces revenue.

Barb KrauseCEO, NEI-Turner Media

The Leadership Summit is fine-tuned for people at my level, publishers I respect who are dealing with the same things I am. It re-energizes you. You need that kind of reinforcement that you don't get in the day-to-day.

Dave LeathersPresident, Showcase Publishing

The roundtables are such a unique part of the way the Leadership Summit comes together. You get to spend a good chunk of time with your peers talking about real challenges, and the ideas formed in those sessions have always been really valuable to me.

Jennifer LawsEVP of Sales, HousingWire
The Lineup

Meet Your Speakers and Experts

No motivational keynotes. Every session is run by an operator with a media P&L and the scars to prove it.

Scott Jamieson

Scott Jamieson

CEO, Annex Business Media
How A.I. Is Impacting Media Business Models: What's Working Today!
Dr. David Walker

Dr. David Walker

The Leadership Referee™
Leadership is not a title you hold. It is a presence you carry.
Nancy O'Brien

Nancy O'Brien

Aviation International News
Sales Leadership Roundtable Moderator, 30+ Year Media Sales Veteran
Jon and Erin Westman

Jon & Erin Westman

Publishers, Coastal Style
Consumer Panel Moderators, Hosts of The Publishers Circle
Sonja Babich

Sonja Babich

CEO/Owner, Iron Diamond Media
New Revenue Ideas to Launch Today, Publisher Strategy Panel
Barb Krause

Barb Krause

CEO, NEI-Turner Media
What's Working in Multi-Market Publishing, Publisher Strategy Panel
Brandon Foreman

Brandon Foreman

CEO, Family Resource Group
What Technology Does Your Media Company "Really" Need to Turn a Profit
Ernesto Burden

Ernesto Burden

CEO, Yankee Publishing
10 Lessons Learned in 30 Years of Niche Publishing!
Eric Shanfelt

Eric Shanfelt

CEO, Nearview Media
Digital Trends Your Media Company Needs to Pay Attention to NOW!
Ryan Dohrn

Ryan Dohrn

Founder, Brain Swell Media
The Great Sales Compensation Conversation, New Bonus Models
Kevin Uhlenhaker

Kevin Uhlenhaker

CEO, Parking Today Media
When to Pivot and When to Stay the Course. Stop Guessing, Start Growing.
The Attendee Bar

Who Belongs in This Room

This event is built for the people who sign the front of the check:

  • Niche media publishers, owners, and C-suite executives
  • VPs of Sales, sales directors, and top-level sales managers
  • VPs and directors of audience, events, and editorial

The Gate Stays Up

The Summit is leaders-only, and we hold the line. Every seat at the roundtable is a publisher, owner, or senior leader. That is exactly why attendees share what they share.

Two Days, Zero Filler

What Your Two Days Look Like

From Speed Publishing on Wednesday night to the final Power Session on Friday, every block is built for connections and takeaways you can run with immediately.

Ryan Dohrn welcoming attendees to the Summit
Your Host, Ryan Dohrn
Wed, Sept 2 · The Kickoff

Welcome Reception + Speed Publishing

The Summit starts with a drink in your hand. Speed Publishing gets you quick peer intros with every leader in the room, then it is group dinners and live music with local brews at the on-site lounge.

Thu, Sept 3 · The Full Day

Keynotes, Power Panel + Roundtables

Scott Jamieson on what AI is really doing inside a media company. Ernesto Burden's 30 years of lessons over lunch. A Publisher Power Panel with 200+ years of experience on stage. And two deep roundtable blocks in your niche group: B2B, Consumer, or Sales Management.

Fri, Sept 4 · The Send-Off

The Leadership Referee + Power Sessions

Dr. David Walker, the NCAA referee with a leadership comeback story like no other, then rapid tactical sessions on digital trends, smart pivots, and sales comp. Wrapped by noon, so catch a flight or stay for the weekend.

Registration

Lock In Your Seat

Summit Registration

$998
  • All keynotes, panels, and moderated roundtables
  • Entrance to all networking events
  • Two days with the sharpest operators in niche media
The Summit is capped to keep roundtables small. Seats go until they are gone.

Questions before you register? Contact us and a human will answer.

Ritz-Carlton · New Orleans

Stay Where the Conversations Keep Going

The Summit runs at the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans, and the best conversations happen after the sessions end. Book inside the room block and you are one elevator ride from every late-night strategy session.

New Orleans

Summit room rate: $199/night

That is the Ritz-Carlton for less than most airport hotels. Rooms at the Summit rate are limited, and September in New Orleans books fast. Grab yours early.

Hotel Details & Booking
Good Questions

The Fine Print, Minus the Fine Print

Yes, if they meet the leaders-only bar. Register your team together and save 30% with code TEAM at checkout.

Everything on the agenda. All keynotes, the Publisher Power Panel, the interactive Power Sessions, and both moderated roundtable blocks in your niche group. Plus entrance to every networking event, from the Welcome Reception and Speed Publishing on Wednesday through the evening gatherings at the on-site lounge.

Business casual. It is New Orleans in September, so pack accordingly.

Yes. Roundtables are broken into niche groups so you spend your time with publishers who run businesses like yours.

Two Days in September. A Better Company All Year.

The publishers who grow fastest are the ones who compare notes. Get in the room.

Save My Seat

September 2-4, 2026 · Ritz-Carlton · New Orleans · Registration $998

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