The Alberta Magazines Conference is providing free live webcasts of select sessions and presentations this year in partnership with iLink Media Group.

Presented by the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association (AMPA), the conference will be held March 20-21 at the Carriage House Inn in Calgary. Visit the AMPA website on Friday, March 21 for live links to the following sessions.

"Making Social Media Make Sense for Your Business" with Jennifer Reynolds, digital media strategist

9 – 10:25 a.m. (MST)

Social media is a key source of website traffic, an exciting way to showcase your content, and the key to building a community around your brand. But how much time and how many resources should you devote to this channel? What team and what tools are required to measure and maximize your ROI? Using real-life case studies from media brands using Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, Jennifer Reynolds 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.

Intended audience: Publishers, digital staff, editors, writers

"Business Planning in a Shifting Environment" with John Milne, president, Breakwell & Company

10:45 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. (MST)

As publishers continue to wrestle with the many challenges facing their industry, the pressure to draft and implement business plans is mounting. In this far-reaching presentation, John Milne 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.

Intended audience: Publishers, managers

Keynote Luncheon: "The Return of Print" with Andrew Losowsky, editor, co-founder of Colophon festival

1 – 1:45 p.m. (MST)

At once interactive, personal and social, a well-made print magazine has an essential role to play in people’s lives. In his keynote address, Andrew Losowsky insists it’s time for print to push back. He’ll showcase his favourite independent and mainstream titles, explore ways to push the boundary of the physical object and reveal why, in the publishing world, digital is the best thing that ever happened to print.

"Designing for Readers" with Matthew Bates, creative director, Active Interest Media

2 – 3:25 p.m. (MST)

Know your reader. Every art director and editor has heard this before, but how do you take what you know about your audience and translate it to the page? How can your team use design to tap into the passion readers feel for the brands they love? Matthew Bates 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.

Intended audience: Art directors, designers

Session summaries were pulled from the Alberta Magazines Conference brochure. Download a PDF here.