Heavyweight publishing-industry blogger Scott Karp and Vancouver magazine magnate Peter Legge are the headline speakers at this June’s Mags University, joining more than 40 Canadian and U.S. experts presenting at Canada’s largest publishing industry event.

Peter Legge

Karp is the editor and publisher of Publishing 2.0, one of the most talked-about blogs on how technology is transforming media. He was previously the director of digital strategy for Atlantic Media, publisher of The Atlantic, one of the oldest and most respected media brands in the world. Karp will be speaking on his guiding principles for the future of publishing at the Mags U luncheon on June 3. The forward-looking theme of Mags U this year is “An Industry in Transition: Profit from Change.”

Peter Legge will also be speaking on the future of publishing from his perspective as one of Canada’s most successful independent publishers. His company, Canada Wide Media Limited, is the largest independently owned publishing company in western Canada, with more than 50 consumer and business-to-business titles. But Legge is also known internationally as a motivational speaker and author of books such as his most recent title, The Power of Tact. He will be speaking June 2 at Mags U.

Scott Karp

The conference, since 2007 dubbed The Magazine and Internet Publishing Conference, promises more than 40 other top speakers in all publishing disciplines: editorial, design, sales, circulation, management and Internet. It also features free drop-in clinics on key publishing topics, a free exhibit hall of leading industry suppliers, networking events, the Canadian Newsstand Awards reception and the KRW Awards gala. More than 1,300 individual attendees logged more than 2,600 registrations at last year’s Mags U. The conference celebrates its 17th year in 2008 and is produced jointly by Masthead, the Canadian Business Press, Independent Publishers Association of Ontario, Canadian Society of Magazine Editors, ABC and CCAB/BPA, along with many sponsors and affiliates.

The full conference program will be posted on MagsU.com by March 3. The conference brochure will also be distributed with the March/April issue of Masthead, and readers can click here to join the Mags U mailing list to receive the brochure, news and updates.