Below are some answers to frequently asked questions.
We'll continue to update our FAQ as we get closer to the event. In the meantime, if you have a question not answered below, please reach out to summit@lionpublishers.com.
VENUE
We’ll host this year’s Independent News Sustainability Summit from September 5–7, 2024, at the Westin Chicago River North, 320 North Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL.
We have reserved a hotel block at the Westin Chicago River North at a rate of $219/night. You may book your room using this link. If you run into any issues, please get in touch with Melissa Givens at melissa.givens@westin.com.
The Westin Chicago River North is wheelchair accessible. Please note accessibility needs when registering and request a handicap-accessible sleeping room if required when booking your hotel room.
Yes!
- Valet parking fee: $79 USD per day with in and out privileges
- Nearby parking fee: Nearby lots are estimated at around $64 USD per day; check the SpotHero app for potentially lower rates
We highly suggest staying at the conference hotel, the Westin Chicago River North; however, several hotels are located in the immediate area. The Springhill Suites by Marriott Chicago River North, The Kinzie Hotel, Hotel Chicago, and The Renaissance are all within walking distance of the Westin Chicago River North.
Yes, as of now, all LION-organized events will be at the conference hotel. As we update our schedule, we may have other organized events off-site.
PROGRAMMING
- Leaders of independent news publications. Here’s our membership criteria for independent news. We define a leader as CEO/Executive Director, Founder, Publisher, Editor, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, or an equivalent title.
- Anyone who works for independent news publications. Attendees have told us that sending team members who work on the business side has been a valuable experience for them.
- Supporters of independent news publications. This includes vendors who serve publishers, news funders, and those who work for other journalism-support organizations.
We’ll share a more complete schedule in the coming months, but for now, we anticipate the conference will begin at 1 p.m. CT on Thursday, Sept. 5, and wrap up by 4:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Yes! We look forward to hearing from our community about what session topics and speakers they’re most interested in. We’ll open pitches in the coming weeks.
We will not livestream or record any sessions, but we will provide written takeaways from key sessions, and if members tell us a session was particularly useful, we will consider creating a News Entrepreneur Academy course that’s available to all LION members.
REGISTRATION
We’re making available 500 tickets for the Summit and 500 tickets for the LION Awards Ceremony & Dinner.
If a member purchases an early bird ticket to the Summit and a ticket to the LION Awards Ceremony & Dinner, we estimate the total cost to be around $1,600 per person:
- Summit ticket: $71.21 (including fees)
- Awards Ceremony & Dinner ticket: $55.20 (including fees)
- Travel: Estimated $500 maximum round trip flight
- Lodging: Estimated $771.32, including taxes, for three nights lodging with Westin hotel block
- Meals: Estimated $210 (About $30/meal for a total of three lunches, two breakfasts, and two dinners)
We are also giving a limited number of complimentary Summit tickets to confirmed speakers and a limited number of complimentary Awards tickets to all Awards finalists.
Additionally, we aim to offer travel scholarships to a limited number of LION members to help subsidize the cost of travel (hotel and/or flights), and we will have more details on that soon.
You should see your news business listed on this page if you are currently a LION member. If you don’t see your news business listed, please contact membership@lionpublishers.com.
Yes, we aim to offer travel scholarships to a limited number of LION members to help subsidize the cost of travel and will have more details on that soon.
No. The Summit ticket will provide you with access to the sessions only. If you’d like to attend the LION Awards Happy Hour, Ceremony, and Dinner, you must purchase a separate $50 ticket.
Yes, of course! There is no age minimum, and anyone who purchases a ticket is welcome to attend.
Yes, we will give complimentary Summit tickets to confirmed session speakers. If you purchase a ticket and later commit to being a speaker, we will refund your ticket.
Yes, we will give complimentary tickets to LION Awards finalists. We will provide one complimentary ticket per organization, even if an organization is nominated for multiple awards.
We will offer full refunds up to 30 days before the event starts. If you request a refund for your ticket due to a change in your ability to attend, we will refund the cost of the ticket; we will not refund the original service/processing fee. If you request a refund for your ticket because we are providing you with a complimentary ticket (for speakers or sponsors, for example), we will refund the total cost of the ticket plus the service/processing fee.
LION will share a list of all attendees — just their first and last names and organization names — about two weeks before the event. Our members tell us this is useful so they can plan to connect directly with people they want to talk with while at the Summit.
LION will never share its members’ or attendees’ personal contact information with vendors or any other third party.