AMPA conference March 21 offers free webinars and keynote

The Alberta Magazine Publishers Association (AMPA) is offering free live webcasts of some select sessions from its 2014 annual conference on Friday, March 21. These include the 1 p.m. keynote luncheon speech by Andrew Loswsky, talking about how digital is the best thing that ever happened to print. Other free sessions are:

9 – 10:25 a.m. Making Social Media Make Sense for Your Business
Using real-life case studies from media brands using Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, Jennifer Reynolds (digital media strategist at Reader’s Digest) will teach you to create and maintain a social footprint that fits your publication, and will expand your audience, promote your brand, and drive more revenue. 

10:45 – 12:10 p.m. Business Planning in a Shifting Environment
John Milne (president of Breakwell & Company, a business communications and publishing consulting firm) explores the many factors publishers must keep in mind—from reader research and budgets to platforms and salaries—as they manage today’s challenges and plan for the future. He’ll help clarify priorities, highlight challenges and separate needs from wants.

2 – 3:25 p.m.  Designing for Readers
Matthew Bates (group creative director at Active Interest Media, publishers of award-winning Backpacker magazine) explains why, in an increasingly visual world, readers connect with far more than just the words on the page. Learn how audience research can help guide a redesign process, and how the look of your magazine can speak not only to the readers you have, but also to those you want.