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9:30 a.m., Thursday, February 21 to
2:15 p.m., Friday, February 22

Who It's for: This working group is designed for the executives deep in the flow of managing the day-to-day operations of a media company: The COO, CFO, controller, EVPs for operations, general managers, business managers and VP-level executives with broad responsibility for setting strategy.

Defining the Challenge: The first challenge of any company is coherency, and in the media space, that challenge looms large. You’ve made a big investment in new media – in staff and capital expenditures on equipment – and you’ve got to demonstrate ROI. You’ve also got to manage your cash flow, re-train your sales force, teach your editors new skills, master the arts of online search and optimization. You need to manage the discipline leaders in sales, edit and more. In short, you need to map out what it means to transform a company, and execute on the really hard nuts-and-bolts changes that affect people’s jobs and the company’s health.

Chair:

Thomas Kemp

Managing Director, Veronis Suhler Stevenson

 

Panelist:

Michael P. Behringer, Managing Director, Apprise Media LLC
Tom Donohue, SVP, Hachette-Fillipacchi
Carl Fazio, COO/CFO, Daily Racing Forum
Dave Iannone, Dave Iannone, Director, Interactive Business Strategy, Red 7 Media
Eric Lundberg, EVP, CFO, Penton Media
Tom Marantette, Vice President, Finance, Crain Communications
Dennis McKenna, CEO, eRepublic
Philip L. Penny, Chief Operating Officer Belvoir Media Group
Scott Peters, Managing Director, The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc.
Reed Phillips, Co-founder and Managing Partner, DeSilva & Phillips

 

Issues We'll Cover:

  • Build or Buy? Most publishers are ramping up new initiatives, online and elsewhere. Buying an existing operation can save time but comes with integration costs. Building new businesses yourself can give you control, but delay new revenues. Learn the right yardsticks to make this critical choice.
  • Where’s the money? Custom advertising and integrated programs can bring profitable revenue streams but also complicate key business and accounting issues, such as revenue recognition, performance-based payments and complex commission structures. Learn how to benefit from these opportunities without breaking your system.
  • Rebuilding your team. WWhat’s the optimal organizational structure for a multi-channel company? The old centralized model of publishing is giving way to new organizational structures that recognize the magazine as a brand and puts authority in the hands of more people, who must now work collaboratively. You’ll learn some new ways to look at your org chart to ensure you’re achieving all of your potential.
  • Cashing out? Valuations in print media are all over the map, driven by the divergent needs of strategic and investment buyers. And now how will a weak US economy affect prices? Hear the inside picture on the M&A game, whether you’re buying in or cashing out.