Media bosses sign up for Dubai Summit

Among those who will address the conference are Gavin O'Reilly, group chief operating officer of Independent News & Media, and Aroon Purie, editor-in-chief and chief executive of the India Today Group.

O'Reilly, whose company has interests in the UK, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa, will talk on "Future Media Landscapes - the Prospects for Newspapers and Magazines."

Purie, whose flagship India today is South Asia's most widely read news weekly, will discuss the challenges and opportunities for periodicals in developing markets.

Confirmed speakers also include: Joseph Ghoussoub, the incoming president of the International Advertising Association, John Alexander, chief executive of BPA Media in Australia, and Sir Brian Neill, the retired UK judge who is an international authority on media law.

The publishing summit augments Dubai's strategic position as a top international convention destination and its status as a regional economic powerhouse, easily accessible to delegates attending from as far apart as Morocco and Hong Kong.

Mohammed bin Ghalib, director of the International Media Production Zone, said: "This conference signals the beginning of a new era in Middle East publishing. It brings together experts, leaders, and professionals to share knowledge. We are proud to be the facilitators in keeping with our commitment to providing the regional publishing industry with a highly cost-effective base to establish their operations."

The conference will mark the first collaboration between WAN and FIPP, the leading international bodies for the publishing industry.

Paris-based WAN represents 18,000 newspapers worldwide, 72 national newspaper associations, 13 news agencies, and newspaper executives in 102 countries.

FIPP has 182 members in 53 countries, comprising 42 national associations, one regional association (Latin America), 104 publishing member companies, 31 associate members and six individual members, between them publishing more than 110,000 magazine titles with estimated annual advertising revenues in the region of US$70 billion.

The two organisations will share their international expertise, strategies, and knowledge with their Middle East colleagues, focusing on issues such as editorial responsibility, exploiting technological advances, and cultural sensitivities in advertising and editorial.