Location: Tsuut’ina Ballroom
Attendees: Everyone
Type: Land Acknowledgement and Welcome from the Hosts

Location: Tsuut’ina Ballroom
Attendees: Everyone
Type: Keynote Presentation

Speaker: James Hewes

The 21st Century is, in many ways, the century of crisis, with a combination of events causing prolonged uncertainty. Overlaid on this are the rapid changes in technology, causing further disruption… but there are also great opportunities! In this session, we’ll be looking at the key trends affecting the industry and how you can respond to them to grow your business.

Location: Tsuut’ina Ballroom
Attendees: Everyone
Type: Keynote Presentation

Speaker: Sandra E. Martin

Artificial intelligence is evolving at a lightning speed, and while it offers magazine professionals immense potential for innovation and efficiency, it also presents ethical challenges and concerns over deep fakes, misrepresented work, and content theft. For magazine audiences, the proliferation of AI may raise suspicion and devalue original, traditionally produced content.

In this keynote, Sandra E. Martin, standards editor at The Globe and Mail and longtime magazine editor, will walk us through the risks and ethical concerns associated with AI use by bad actors (such as leveraging AI to create realistic but fake content and websites), where AI is currently already being used by media companies in content and administrative management, as well as how to retain and rebuild audience trust.

Using real-world examples, Sandra will help attendees ground themselves in an up-to-the-minute understanding of the landscape, how these issues are affecting the overall media ecosystem, and how to navigate the next phase of this massive shift in society, the industry, and our businesses.

This is a must-see session for anyone thinking about the future of journalism, from writers to visual artists, publishers and editors.

Location: Tsuut’ina Ballroom
Attendees: Everyone
Type: Keynote Presentation

Speaker: Sarah Thompson

Canadian Media Means Business is the first comprehensive economic study in Canada and the world to quantify the contribution of all forms of media to Canada’s Gross Domestic Product. At a time when advertising dollars are increasingly flowing out of the country and Canadian media faces ongoing erosion, this landmark study evaluates both the direct and indirect economic impact of Canadian media on our national economy.

Sarah Thompson will present the initial findings of the study, offering insights into what they mean for the future of the media and advertising industries in Canada. The research was conducted by Nordicity and supported by a coalition of leading media organizations, including Glacier Media, ThinkTV, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, Adapt Media, Village Media, Bell Media, CBC, Cogeco, La Presse, and Pattison Outdoor.

Location: Room TBC
Attendees: Alumni magazine editors, in-house and custom magazine editors, science editors and writers, and curious folks.
Type: Breakout Session

Speaker: Linda Quattrin

UofTMed is a magazine with bold ambitions, using high-level themes – from sex and death to memory and pain – to inspire the alumni community of the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine. Join publisher Linda Quattrin for an inside look at the strategy, editorial development, production and impact of this award-winning biannual publication.

Location: Room TBC
Attendees: Publishers and marketers
Type: Breakout Session

Speaker: Sharon McAuley

Reader funding is emerging as an exciting new source of sustainable revenue for magazines, both nonprofit and for-profit alike. Strategy consultant Sharon McAuley will show you how to transform your readers into financial supporters and equip you with the tools and strategies you’ll need for success.

In this session, you’ll learn:

• How to define your magazine’s purpose and impact (and inspire readers to give).
• Four reader-funded revenue strategies that work.
• Practical fundraising tips and techniques to increase revenue.
• How to boost supporter retention and lifetime value.

Location: Room TBC
Attendees:Publishers, editors, art directors
Type: Breakout Session

Speakers: Andrea Lin, Mark Mahorsky & Emily Stone

Can a beloved state-run travel magazine reinvent itself as a coffee table magazine?

One year ago, Texas Highways celebrated its 50th Anniversary, relaunched its website, re-imagined its newsletter, social media strategy, and completely re-invented its print brand, from frequency to editorial strategy right down to visual identity and paper stock. The Texas Highways team revisits some of the audience research and design consultancy that informed the repositioning of Texas Highways and texashighways.com, and hear from publisher Andrea Lin how this is resonating with readers and advertisers. This award-winning regional magazine has never looked better, and we’re here for the data and the road ahead!

Texas Highways editor-in-chief Emily Stone and creative director Mark Mahorsky will take the wheel to discuss new approaches to storytelling and reader connection.

Location: Room TBC
Attendees: Digital editors, newsletter managers, marketing, and audience development teams
Type: Breakout Session

Speaker: David Topping

Newsletters are a product that is continuously evolving, based on engagement, audience need, and the talented people putting them together. Where we used to value quick hits and only links, the recent growth in paid premium content newsletters and channels like Substack show that this channel is built for delivering great content in the inbox and driving audience to your website.

David Topping (Zoomer Digital Network) knows his way around delivering great digital content, and is here to share his “super-shortcuts for super-engagement”. From finding your audience’s “magic word” to understanding what makes a link successful, you’ll walk away with great ideas for marketing, subscriptions, newsletters and more, that you can try immediately to start growing and connecting with audiences.

This is a must attend session for digital editors, newsletter managers, marketing, and audience development teams!

Location: Room TBC
Attendees: Alumni magazine editors, in-house and custom magazine editors, science editors and writers, and curious folks.
Type: Breakout Session

Speaker: Linda Quattrin

Every alumni magazine producer faces an array of internal and external pressures. Collectively, we can help each other road-test ideas and uncover potential new solutions. Submit your real-time issues in advance, and let’s roll up our sleeves together for a solutions lab facilitated by UofTMed publisher Linda Quattrin.

Location: Room TBC
Attendees: Publishers and marketers
Type: Breakout Session

Speaker: Sharon McAuley

In these chaotic times, you need a plan for the future. But where to even begin? Join strategy consultant Sharon McAuley to learn how to use market research to understand your audience, improve your products, discover new revenue opportunities, and strengthen your business.

In this how-to session, you’ll discover:

• Simple but effective ways to conduct your own market research.
• What key questions to ask (and how to ask them) to get clear answers.
• How to analyze and interpret your data to find meaningful insights.
• How to turn insights into action (using real-world examples)

Don’t miss this session with real-world magazine case studies from consumer, business and arts and literary magazines, to help you learn from success!

Location: Room TBC
Attendees: Editors and writers
Type: Panel Discussion

Speakers: Marcello Di Cintio, Danielle Groen, Monica Kidd

Moderator: David Topping

Built for writers at any level who are keen to improve their feature-writing skills, this panel puts three award-winning writers together to disassemble examples of their own long-form work and show how their stories came together. How does a piece’s structure make it more effective? When does it hurt? How do you even begin to figure out how to put all your reporting, research, and perspective in order?

Find out with this session featuring panellists Marcello Di Cintio (The Walrus, enRoute, Reader’s Digest Canada), Danielle Groen (The Globe and Mail, The Walrus, Toronto Life, Chatelaine), and Monica Kidd (The Walrus, Canadian Geographic, Alberta Views), moderated by David Topping (Zoomer Digital Network).

Location: Room TBC
Attendees: Designers and art directors
Type: Breakout Session

Speaker: Nicola Hamilton

Great magazines don’t happen by accident—they’re built on smart systems, thoughtful design, and real collaboration between editorial and art. Join Nicola Hamilton, Creative Director of Serviette—2025’s National Media Awards Magazine of the Year—and owner of Issues Magazine Shop, for an inside look at what it takes to build a solid design foundation.

This session is designed for magazine creatives looking to elevate their design practice. Nicola will unpack the building blocks of editorial design—grids, typography, and editorial packaging—and explore how those choices shape the reader experience. Whether you’re an art director, designer, or an art-curious editor, this talk will offer practical insights into the design workflows behind some of Canada’s most distinctive and talked-about magazines.

Location: Tsuut’ina Ballroom
Attendees: Everyone
Type: Keynote Presentation

Speaker: Robert Stieve

Celebrating Visual Storytelling in the American Southwest

For a century, Arizona Highways has set the standard for regional magazines—blending breathtaking photography, compelling narratives, and impeccable design to showcase the beauty and culture of the American Southwest. Join editor Robert Stieve for a closer look at the magazine’s enduring legacy and its evolution as a globally respected publication and documentary record of a region that is a wonder of the world.

This session will explore Arizona Highways’ unique editorial voice, its commitment to celebrating the environment and peoples of Arizona, and its relationship to photography and history.

Attendees will gain behind-the-scenes insight into how the magazine continues to resonate in both print and digital formats, the team’s passion for the region, and how the magazine celebrated its centennial in 2025.

Whether you’re a magazine editor, designer, storyteller, or lover of the Southwest, this talk offers a rare opportunity to learn from a publication that has turned regional storytelling into an art form.

Location: Tsuut’ina Ballroom
Attendees: Everyone
Type: Keynote Presentation

Speaker: Nicola Hamilton

In the era of algorithms, clickbait and generative everything, you might be surprised to find that premium print magazines are thriving—and that research agrees! Join Nicola Hamilton, creative director of Serviette and owner of Issues Magazine Shop, on a tour of titles that stand out from the crowd. This show and tell will delve into what sets these publications apart—from elevated design and high-value production to niche storytelling and brand positioning.

Ideal for editors, designers, publishers, and brand teams, this keynote offers a rare look inside the world in independent media and the rebirth of premium publishing.

Location: Tsuut’ina Ballroom
Attendees: Everyone
Type: Presentation

We asked our members, what cool new idea they tried at their magazine and they delivered! In this fast-paced segment, learn from and celebrate the finalists of the Innovation Awards of the Alberta Magazine Awards and the International Regional Magazine Awards. Each of our participating finalists will have five minutes to inspire you with how their idea came to be, what they learned and how they are bringing their communities together.

Join us as we salute innovation and big ideas!

Location: Room TBC
Attendees:  Editors, publishers and anyone tasked with onboarding or mentoring new staff and interns
Type: Breakout Session

Speaker: Annie Stoltie

Telephone communication is an essential skill for journalists, from interviewing to fact-checking to general office assignments. But while our newest generation of students and interns grew up online and have mad digital skills, core office competency – especially on the telephone – can range from only adequate to outright phone anxiety.

In this “train the trainer” workshop, Annie Stoltie (editor-in-chief of Adirondack Life) shares lessons and strategies for teaching Gen Z journalists how to be comfortable and confident on the telephone, to use email etiquette, and be a team player in the office. In her Introduction to Magazine Writing at SUNY Plattsburgh, Stoltie devotes a block of lessons to skills that don’t get taught elsewhere, but are crucial to succeeding in magazines.

You’ll learn how to coach with empathy, directness and fun, and get results without patronizing or reinforcing the generation gap!

Location: Room TBC
Attendees: Editors and writers
Type: Breakout Session

Speaker: Danielle Groen

Creating a dynamic editorial package is half science, one-third art, and the rest an inevitable compromise with the art team so they don’t absolutely hate you when it’s time to design. In this session, Danielle Groen — current writer of Morning Update, The Globe and Mail’s flagship newsletter, and former editorial director of Serviette, the National Magazine Awards’ 2025 Magazine of the Year — will unpack the guidelines, shortcuts, and idiosyncrasies of successful editorial packaging.

Whether you want to tackle a newsletter, a print package, or the entire magazine itself, Danielle will show you how a good editorial scaffold serves both readers and the staff who have to put that product together again and again. She’ll discuss what independent magazines can learn from commercial titles and what commercial mags can borrow from indies. She’ll walk through ways to maintain consistency (without risking staleness), bring in variety (without losing cohesion), get some breadth (without sacrificing depth) — and when to just dispense entirely with journalism’s rule of three. This is a session built for editors of all levels, in digital or in print.

Location: Room TBC
Attendees: Sales representatives and teams, publishers
Type: Breakout Session (please note start and end time, this is workshop-length)

Speaker: Karen Meckelborg

Based on over 25 years of hands-on experience, serving hundreds of companies and achieving millions in revenue, Karen Meckelborg created the Sales Management Toolkit as the ultimate resource for sales leaders to drive foundational, replicable, and scalable business growth.

The “accidental” sales leader never set out to run the team themselves, but running a company and managing a team or doing it themselves, is where they have landed.

This dynamic workshop for publishers, sales managers, and account executives will help busy revenue experts identify the tools, processes, and skills that will improve sales performance and put control and joy back in your day – and reclaim your time!

PLUS! The first 15 registrants will receive a free copy of the Sales Management Toolkit – valued at $125 – created by Karen Meckelborg to be the sales leader’s ultimate resource. Delivered in a how-to format, this ebook covers everything from systems and processes to coaching and training for improved sales performance. Best of all, it gives you the actual sales tools – worksheets, guidelines, templates, and documents – you can use right away.

Location: Room TBC
Attendees: IRMA Attendees
Type: Buffet Lunch and Association Annual Meeting

Speaker: Kathe Lemon

Grab some lunch and hear what’s ahead for IRMA, from Kathe Lemon (Avenue), our president.

Location: Room TBC
Attendees: IRMA Attendees
Type: General Session

Speaker: Michelle Kelly, all attendees

A representative of each member magazine presents specific examples, big or small, on any topic, to show what has gone well in the past year–and what hasn’t. You’ll learn a lot and take away some great ideas. Take good notes and plan to follow-up after the session.

Location: Room TBC
Attendees: IRMA Attendees
Type: General Session

Speaker: everyone

We’ve come to the end of IRMACON2025! Pat yourselves on the back for all the lessons shared, the great questions you asked, and celebrating your sucess — and your colleagues. In this time we’ll have a bit of general Q&A and then break for the day, until the IRMA Awards at 6:00 PM.

Location: Room TBC
Attendees: IRMA Attendees
Type: Awards Ceremony

Speaker: Joyce Byrne

We’ve come to the end of IRMACON2025! Now it’s time to celebrate the best content from 2024.

Join us for a wonderful dinner and awards presentation.