Traditional consumer publishing is under pressure.  Newsstand sales are sliding, economic gloom is damping ad revenues, consumers’ attention is switching to social media, and there is a plethora of free content on the web. 

So to survive and thrive, consumer publishers have to innovate.  And digital media provide ample opportunities to experiment with new ways to publish your content.  But how exactly can you do this when resources are limited? 

Learning from the innovators at Media Pro

Carolyn Morgan, MD of the Specialist Media Show, is chairing a panel on Tuesday 1 Nov in the Publishing Theatre at Media Pro which brings together some consumer publishers who are instinctive innovators, ready to experiment with all aspects of their business.  It's free to register and listen to their experiences - and even ask your own questions.

Ben Greenish has a long track record in b2b media, and is applying his skills in multi-channel publishing to the establishment brand of the Spectator.  Earlier this year he famously said that the world was now moving too fast for strategy.

Duncan Tickell is soon to join Immediate Media, following his role as MD of Magicalia, a digital native publisher that has expanded into print, and focuses on the parenting and bikes markets.  He’s instigated new commercial partnerships, tested hyperlocal sites and got into gamification.

Nial Ferguson is Publishing Director of the Technology division at Future, so has his finger on the latest gadgets and an audience of early adopters.  T3 has been a trail blazer on the iPad and learnt loads along the way, so be ready to pick up some tips.

Hot topics for discussion

The panel will be asked their experiences and opinions on:

Apple Newsstand: how to promote digital editions and the value of free issues

Becoming an e-retailer: how to bridge the gap between reading a review and making the purchase.  How to sell products profitably online. 

Creative commercial partnerships: how to package bespoke multi-media campaigns for advertisers that get round low ad rates without huge internal costs

Why experimentation works.  What can be learnt from testing new business models and publishing platforms?

If you'd like to ask your own questions, please come along and join in.

It's free to register for Media Pro, and you can take in a wide range of publishing and marketing speakers across their seminar  programme.