Independent News Sustainability Summit

September 5–7, 2024 • Chicago, IL

Speakers

We're now accepting Summit session proposals through Friday, March 29.

There are many ways to participate in the 2024 Independent News Sustainability Summit.

Whether you’re interested in pitching a session idea, being a speaker, or facilitating a small group discussion around shared interests, we want to hear from you!

Submit your proposal

Photos by Eleazar Yisrael/Inspired Storytellers

SPEAKERS

Propose a speaker if you:

Have an area of expertise related to news entrepreneurship that you would like to share with attendees that could be part of a broader session
Are a news entrepreneur who has an experience/insight/win/best practice to share that is relevant to other news leaders that could be part of a broader session
Have an idea for a speaker you would love to hear from, either because they have an area of expertise related to news entrepreneurship or they are a news entrepreneur who has an experience/insight/win/best practice to share that is relevant to other news leaders

SESSIONS

Propose a session if you:

Have a fully baked idea for a conference session related to news entrepreneurship and a clear sense of who might deliver it

AFFINITY GROUPS & TABLE TALKS

Propose an affinity group or leader if you:

Have an idea for a group of people involved with news entrepreneurship you'd like to connect with who have a shared identity or experience
Would like to lead a small group discussion to connect with your fellow conference attendees around a shared identity or experience

Propose a table talk if you:

Have an idea for a topic related to news entrepreneurship you'd like to discuss in small groups with your fellow conference attendees as a way to share ideas and make connections

Got more than one idea or want to be involved in multiple ways?

Feel free to submit multiple proposals!

We’ll ask for some guiding information in your proposal to help us evaluate whether your idea is a fit and where it might fit best. And we’ll select proposals most aligned with our conference goals, attendee interests, and those representing a diversity of viewpoints and voices. Please indicate the following in your proposal:

Which conference track does your proposal best align with?

Which type of session is the best fit for your proposal?

There are five categories of session meant to convey to attendees the primary intent and level of engagement. They are:

Keynote session: An all-conference presentation or discussion featuring 1-2 speakers designed to set a tone, share information, or inspire conversation related to news entrepreneurship
“Thinking” session: A medium-group presentation or discussion featuring 1-4 speakers designed to explore big ideas, approaches, or concepts related to news entrepreneurship
“Learning” session: A medium-group presentation, discussion, panel, or lightning chat featuring 1-6 speakers designed to share best practices, tips, insights, or case studies related to news entrepreneurship
“Doing” session: A small-group workshop featuring 1-2 speakers designed to directly apply a skill, concept, or practice
“Connecting” session: A small-group discussion led by 1 facilitator designed to foster community and build relationships around a shared identity or interest

Which stage of sustainability is the content of your proposal the best fit for?

LION has developed a maturity model that articulates where a news business falls on the path to sustainability, and conference sessions will be targeted to the varying needs of organizations in different stages. For example, a session on launching a major donors program might be a best-fit for a news business in the “Building” stage, whereas a session on re-engaging long-term donors might be a best-fit for a news business in the “Growing” stage. The stages are:

Preparation: Creating a lean business model and minimum viable product (MVP). This is the ideation and planning stage when a news entrepreneur is identifying a need, a target audience, a revenue model, and a value proposition.
Building: Iterating based on audience and market research while building a foundation for revenue and operations. This is the testing and tweaking stage when a news entrepreneur is revising their product and revenue model to match what the audience wants and what the market can bear.
Maintaining: Increasing journalistic impact and audience growth while still seeking operational and financial stability. This is the alignment stage when a news business is rightsizing what it produces with how it produces it and how it makes money.
Growing: Steadily and simultaneously growing revenue, audience and operations, which could include scaling. This is the expansion stage when a news business is increasing its depth through more robust products, revenue, and operations and/or increasing its breadth by reaching new markets or audiences.

Got an idea that isn’t a clear fit for a conference track, session type, or sustainability stage? Propose it anyway! Still on the fence about submitting your idea? We encourage anyone with an idea or experience to share to complete a submission. We’ll work with you to refine your idea, match you with a comfortable session type, and provide resources to help you prepare. If you’re a first-time conference speaker who needs more support, we can provide extra guidance.

Proposals will be accepted until 11 p.m. PT on Friday, March 29. You’ll hear from us in late spring-early summer to learn if your proposal was accepted or if we need more information.

Questions? Email Lisa Heyamoto, LION’s associate director of member education, at lisaheyamoto@lionpublishers.com.