11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Day 1 looks at what publishers need to build now: the technology, product, data, AI, newsroom, and commercial capabilities that will shape the next phase of news media growth in APAC. The opening will frame the summit’s key questions: how news companies can move from experimentation to execution, modernise operations, create new value, and build more resilient businesses in a fast-changing media environment.

11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. (Hong Kong time)

Welcome, introductions, and setting the context

Madhavi Sekhri, Head, INMA South Asia Division and Lead Strategy & Special Projects for APAC, India

Genevieve Woo, Conference Moderator & Presenter / Senior Editor, CNA, Singapore

11:15 a.m. - 11:40 a.m. (Hong Kong time)

The global news media outlook: What publishers need to prioritise now

Earl Wilkinson will open the summit with a global view of the forces reshaping news media — from AI and product transformation to subscriptions, advertising, trust, and the shift from platform dependence to direct audience value. The session will set the context for how APAC publishers can think about growth, relevance, and transformation in the year ahead.

Earl J. Wilkinson, Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer, INMA, United States

11:40 a.m. - 12:05 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

What advertisers need from news media now: Trust, attention and effectiveness in a fragmented market

The session could explore how advertisers are evaluating media partners today, what role trusted news environments can play in brand building, how publishers can strengthen their proposition beyond reach, and what agencies need from news media companies in order to build stronger, more measurable and more effective campaigns.

Sue-Anne Lim, CEO, Universal McCann (UM), Malaysia

12:05 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Building the AI-ready publisher: How SCMP connects technology, product, data and subscriptions

The session could explore how SCMP is organising technology around reader needs, product innovation, data capability, subscription growth, and AI-enabled workflows and what publishers need to put in place before they can deploy AI and automation at scale in a meaningful way.

Jun Zhang, Chief Technology Officer, South China Morning Post, Hong Kong

12:30 p.m. - 12:55 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Rebuilding product development for the AI era

As AI reshapes how digital products are conceived and built, simply layering AI onto existing workflows is unlikely to unlock its full potential. This session explores what it takes to rethink product development from first principles,  from new ways of collaborating across editorial, product, technology, commercial, and design teams, to faster experimentation, decision-making, and learning. Drawing on practical experience, we’ll look at what has worked, what hasn’t, and what news organisations should consider as they evolve how products are built in an AI-first world.

Ben Haywood, Chief Product Officer, Stuff, New Zealand

12:55 p.m. - 1:20 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Building habits that retain subscribers

Amy Bisset shares how News Corp Australia created a six-month habit-forming strategy around seven business columnists, using consistent timing, homepage placement, and visual presentation. The approach lifted subscriber tenure in the business section and was later expanded into a dedicated landing page, newsletter, and nationwide 'My Business Week' marketing campaign.

Amy Bissett, Director of Premium Content Distribution, NewsCorp Australia, Australia

1:20 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Winning the next generation: What young audiences want from news and what publishers must do differently

Young audiences are not disengaged from news - they simply consume it differently. Drawing on INMA's Young Audiences Initiative and global publisher case studies, this session explores how news organisations are rethinking formats, products, distribution, community, and newsroom culture to build lasting relationships with younger audiences. Expect practical examples and actionable lessons on creating news experiences that are relevant, trusted, and habit-forming.

Kerstin Hasse, Young Audiences Initiative Lead, INMA, Switzerland

1:45 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Takeaways of the day

Our moderator will distill the conference’s first day into takeaways.

Genevieve Woo, Presenter / Senior Editor, CNA, Singapore

11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Day 2 focuses on the audience: how people consume news, why they avoid it, what they trust, and what brings them back. Sessions will explore how APAC publishers are rethinking content, newsroom priorities, formats, platforms, and engagement to build stronger habits and deeper audience relationships.

11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. (Hong Kong time)

Welcome back: What we’ve learned so far and what the day ahead looks like

A recap of what we’ve learned so far and what the day ahead looks like.

Genevieve Woo, Presenter / Senior Editor, CNA, Singapore

11:15 a.m. - 11:40 a.m. (Hong Kong time)

The audience reset: trust, AI, avoidance, and engagement

Audiences are changing fast, and old assumptions around reach, loyalty, habit, and trust no longer hold. Drawing on insights from the Reuters Institute Digital News Report, Amy Ross Arguedas will examine how audience behaviour is shifting across markets — from news avoidance and young people’s news habits to trust, personalisation, AI, and social and video-first consumption. The session will offer APAC publishers a timely view of what it now takes to build meaningful engagement, direct reader relationships, and long-term audience value.

Amy Ross Arguedas, Post Doctoral Researcher, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, United Kingdom

11:40 a.m. - 12:05 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Beyond platform dependency: building audience habits in Asian legacy newsrooms

Arlene Burgos will share how legacy newsrooms in Asia can move from platform dependency to a more audience-led content strategy. Drawing on her experience at Inquirer.net and ABS-CBN, she will explore how publishers can build stronger audience habits through social, mobile, community engagement, newsroom operations, and sharper content decision-making, helping newsrooms focus not just on reach, but on relevance, trust, and repeat engagement.

Arlene Burgos, Chief Content Officer, Inquirer, Philippines

12:05 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

From experimentation to application: Maekyung Media's AI journey

How is one of South Korea’s leading media groups moving from AI exploration to practical application? MK Media Group will share where AI is already being used, how it is identifying valuable use cases, building internal capability, and integrating AI into existing workflows. The session will offer publishers a grounded view of the organisational lessons, implementation challenges, and long-term value of embedding AI meaningfully across a news media business.

Park Suho, Journalist, Maeil Business Newspaper, Maekyung Media,  Republic of Korea

12:30 p.m. - 12:55 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Beyond English: How Dow Jones uses AI translation to grow reach, relevance, and B2B opportunity

George Nishimaya will share how Dow Jones is using AI-powered translation to take The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires into more non-English-speaking markets, with a focus on Japanese, Chinese, and Korean audiences. The session will look at how AI translation can help news companies scale premium journalism, deepen relevance with local decision-makers, and expand their B2B footprint, while still protecting editorial standards, accuracy, nuance, and trust.

George Nishiyama, Managing Editor, Wall Street Journal, Japan

12:55 p.m. - 1:20 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

From local newspapers to a national digital network: How Tribun is building scale across Indonesia

This session explores how Tribun Network is transforming a portfolio of local newspapers into a connected national digital network strengthening local journalism and regional audience relationships while scaling reach, technology, newsroom operations, and commercial opportunities across Indonesia’s diverse markets.

Dahlan Dahi, CEO, Tribun Network, KG Media, Indonesia

1:20 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

From reach to loyalty: how Mediacorp is building stronger digital audience habits

Alvin Chong will share how Mediacorp is using audience insight, engagement strategies, product innovation, and cross-platform storytelling to better serve Singapore’s diverse digital audiences. The session will explore how publishers can move beyond reach to build stronger habits, deeper loyalty, and more meaningful engagement across platforms.

Alvin Chong, Supervising Editor, Growth and Innovation, Mediacorp, Singapore

1:45 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (Hong Kong time)

Takeaways of the day and conference concludes

Genevieve Woo, Presenter / Senior Editor, CNA, Singapore