From Reaction to Readiness
Audience Intelligence as AI Infrastructure for News
October 21–23 | Venue SIX10, Chicago
The NPA Summit is where the decision-makers who set priorities and ship work across product, audience, technology, revenue, and editorial come together to align on what’s changing, share what’s working, and turn strategy into execution.
At this year’s Summit, we’ll collaborate on solutions connected to this year’s program theme, “From Reaction to Readiness: Audience Intelligence as AI Infrastructure for News” as we explore our core topics:
Audience Intelligence & First-Party Data Systems: How news organizations build, connect, and operationalize first-party audience data to turn research and signals into decisions, products, and strategy;
AI-Native News Operations: Designing newsroom workflows, tools, and governance models where AI is embedded into everyday operations—not layered on as an experiment;
Sustainable, Audience-Led Business Models: Aligning revenue strategies with audience value creation through product-led monetization, trust, loyalty, and long-term retention;
The Future of Distribution & Non-dependability: Navigating platform volatility by building direct relationships, reducing dependency on search and social, and regaining strategic control over distribution;
Product Leadership in Uncertain Times: Leading cross-functional teams through change by designing organizations, decision frameworks, and accountability systems built for uncertainty.
First batch of confirmed sessions!
In an era defined by rapid technological upheaval, we can't afford to wait for others to set the standards; we have to prepare our organizations to lead. That's really what this year's Summit is about: moving from reacting to disruption to redefining the information ecosystem itself. And that takes more than using AI to make our workflows efficient. It means building sound data infrastructure and applying this technology with the sophistication it takes to create news products that respond to what our audiences actually need.
Here are the first confirmed sessions and speakers of the NPA Summit 2026, covering masterclasses and interactive workshops. Panels and lightning talks coming soon!
Meet some of the speakers:
-
![]()
John Hashimoto
Product Strategy Consultant at American Journalism Project
-
![]()
Freyja Balmer
Senior Vice President, Product & Engineering at Hearst Newspapers
-
![]()
Rubina Madan Fillion
Deputy Editorial Director, A.I. Initiatives at The New York Times
-
![]()
Paris M Brown
Publisher at The Baltimore Times
-
![]()
Zack Zerndt
Director of Search Product at USA TODAY Co.
-
![]()
Ziyaad Bhorat
Vice President, Imagination & Strategic Growth at Mozilla Foundation
-
![]()
Stephanie Chan
Senior Product Manager at The Globe and Mail
-
![]()
Sarah Adler Hartman
Chief Executive Officer at The Texas Tribune
-
![]()
Sydney Lewis
Product Manager at The Minnesota Star Tribune
-
![]()
Zeve Sanderson
Information Quality Lead, Trust Team at Google
-
![]()
Dana Chiueh
AI Engineering Fellow at ProPublica
-
![]()
Liesbeth Nizet
Head of Future Audiences Monetization at Mediahuis
-
![]()
Eve Bills Lacivita
Director of Product at City Bureau - Documenters
Plan your participation
🗓 Date & Time
The NPA Summit 2026 will take place on Wednesday, October 21, Thursday, October 22, and Friday, October 23. Registration on Wednesday will begin at 3 PM, followed by a keynote session and a welcome reception. On Thursday, we’ll start at 9:00 AM and finish at 6:00 PM. We'll wrap up on Friday with programming starting at 9:00 AM and ending after lunch.
The schedule includes a mid-day break so attendees can grab lunch off-site with peers.
📍 Venue & Address
We’ll be gathering at Venue SIX10, located at 610 S Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, IL 60605.
✈️ Travel Tips
If you're flying in, the closest airports are Midway International Airport (MDW) — about 25 minutes from downtown — and O’Hare International Airport (ORD) — about 40 minutes away.
We have secured room blocks in nearby hotels. You can explore the options here.
About the NPA Summit
The NPA Summit is a purpose-built convening for the news leaders responsible for strategy, systems, and organizational execution — across editorial, audience, business, and technology.
Unlike traditional conferences, the Summit prioritizes depth over scale: peer-level exchange, pressure-tested ideas, and practical frameworks you can apply inside your newsroom the moment you return.
400+ attendees. 300+ organizations. One room.
In 2025, our Chicago edition brought together the full spectrum of the industry — from global publishers like The New York Times, Reuters, and Politico, to national outlets like ProPublica and USA Today, to regional and hyperlocal newsrooms like The Texas Tribune, The Jersey Bee, and QCity Metro, serving the communities at the center of democratic life.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
The NPA Summit 2026 will take place at Venue SIX10 in Chicago, USA, on October 21-23. Tickets are on sale—you can purchase yours here.
-
If you're the person in the room who has to decide what gets built, what gets cut, and how your organization adapts — the NPA Summit is built for you. We bring together Directors, VPs, Executives, and senior practitioners across editorial, audience, product, technology, and business from news organizations of every size, to think together about what news becomes next.
-
We use a community-supported pricing model so that cost is never the reason someone can't be at the Summit.
$575 Full organizational support — this reflects the actual per-person cost of the Summit (large news orgs 250+ employees, nonprofits with budgets over $2M)
$475 Partial organizational support (smaller news orgs, nonprofits under $2M budget)
$375 Self-funded or no employer support
$0 Community-supported (a limited number of tickets are available at no cost to professionals who would not otherwise be able to attend — apply here)
Choose the tier that gets you in the room. We don't review who pays what and we won't follow up with questions. If your budget is tight, choose a lower tier. If you have flexibility, choosing a higher tier directly supports community-funded tickets for colleagues who couldn't otherwise attend. You can also add a donation at checkout.
Questions about pricing? Reach out at summit@newsproduct.org.
-
The Call for Session Proposals is now closed. All submissions are currently being evaluated by our community review panel, a group of expert practitioners from across the news product ecosystem. Stay tuned! The full schedule will be released in June 2026.
-
A limited number of community-supported tickets and travel stipends are available at no cost to professionals who would not otherwise be able to attend, ensuring representatives of small and community-focused publications have the opportunity to participate and contribute to the Summit. You can apply here.
-
Yes — and it's a great way to experience the Summit while contributing to the community. Volunteers receive a complimentary ticket and meals during the event, plus real access to the senior product leaders and peers in the room.
Please note that travel, hotel, and other personal expenses are not covered.
Ready to help? Apply to volunteer here.
-
If you have any additional questions or need further clarification, please feel free to get in touch with us at summit@newsproduct.org. We are here to help!
Support the NPA Summit
The News Product Alliance is happy to offer a number of partnership opportunities to meet sponsors' goals and budgets, including options to support accessibility, networking spaces and programming. Learn more about them by contacting feli@newsproduct.org.
Subscribe to our mailing list
