B2B’s Biggest Editorial Summit

Each year, ASBPE’s national conference offers educational programming on the best practices of B2B journalism, networking with our peer professionals, and insight into the future of the industry.

In 2025, we’re launching a new and improved national conference — ASBPEvolve: The Biggest B2B Editorial Summit. This year’s conference will take place virtually from May 28-30, helping save you money and providing the opportunity to attend regardless of where you are located.

ASBPEvolve will help B2B editorial professionals hone their skills and adapt to the evolution of the media landscape — tackling the biggest and hottest topics for B2B editorial professionals across three full days of programming:

• Morning sessions will focus on best practices to help editorial professionals improve their craft with topics such as mastering the art of the tricky interview and how to cover diversity issues in a changing landscape.
• Afternoon sessions will focus on where the industry is going in the future and how editorial professionals can adapt to change with topics from understanding our audiences through data analytics to how AI is impacting trust and our content strategies.
• Networking in small groups will also help you learn from other professionals and organizations on how they’re navigating the biggest challenges and opportunities we face.

ASBPE members pay only $325 for three full-days of education and networking, with no travel costs! Register by May 21 to save $50 per attendee.The final deadline to register is May 26, 2025.

Register Today!

Interested in showing your support for the hard-working B2B journalists and publications that not only use your products and services, but endeavor to make us all better informed and improve the industries they cover? Read more about sponsoring ASBPE’s national conference.

2025 Keynote Speaker: Sean Griffey

ASBPE is pleased to announce that Sean Griffey, co-founder and former CEO of Industry Dive (now part of Informa TechTarget) will be our keynote speaker at ASBPEvolve 2025.

“The only constant in the media business is change. The best media businesses are incredibly smart about adapting to and riding the waves of change,” said Davide Savenije, president of ASBPE. “As the former CEO of Industry Dive, Sean Griffey is one of the savviest media operators I know. I’m excited for the entire B2B editorial community to hear his insights and opinions on where the media business is headed — and how we can adapt and thrive in it.”

The Future of Media & B2B: A keynote conversation with Sean Griffey, founder of Industry Dive

Where is the future of media headed?

In 2025, it feels like there’s more disruption and uncertainty in the media landscape than ever before. From the fast rise of generative AI to changing audience trends, we’re seeing a perfect storm of transformative trends fundamentally reshape the media business as we know it. 

The big question is: Where are we going? What media trends and business strategies will prevail?

Hear from Sean Griffey, a media executive who disrupted the market and built Industry Dive into a leading B2B media company with a highly focused business model. He will share his perspective on where the future is going and how smart media companies can thrive in it. 

Sean Griffey is a board member for Informa TechTarget, one of the world’s largest B2B media companies, and Omeda, an audience engagement platform for media companies. Griffey initially got started in media at FierceMarkets where he served as president. Before catching the start-up bug, Griffey spent nearly 10 years as a consultant at A.T. Kearney and PricewaterhouseCoopers helping companies with a broad range of strategic and operational engagements.

ASBPE President Davide Savenije will host and moderate the conversation. Davide Savenije is the president of ASBPE’s national board of directors and the head of vertical markets & editorial operations for Informa TechTarget. Savenije helped build up the Industry Dive editorial model and newsroom as editor-in-chief. His team’s publications are widely recognized for their journalistic excellence and impact — winning ASBPE’s Website of the Year and the Neal Award for Best Industry Coverage three times.

Registration Fees and Deadlines

Conference Tickets

Full conference tickets include access to all educational and networking sessions across the three days, May 28-30, and free attendance at the Tuesday, May 27, 2025 National Azbee Awards of Excellence presentation.

*No registrations will be accepted after May 26, 2025.

Read more below for opportunities to attend the full conference with the Diversity Fellowship or Young Leader Scholarship.

Register Today!

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National Azbee Awards of Excellence Tickets

Awards Only tickets include access only to the Tuesday, May 27, 2025 Azbee Awards of Excellence presentation, which will include insightful interviews with 2025 winners providing best practices, tips and strategies for improving your own publication.

 

Register Today!

2025 Conference Schedule & Sessions

ASBPEvolve 2025 brings you highly relevant and timely topics across a three-day virtual event. We’re featuring wide-ranging coverage on topics that are front-of-mind for our members, focused networking opportunities to help you learn from fellow B2B professionals, and our Annual Members’ Forum allowing you to shape our 2025-26 programming.

Wednesday, May 28

The event hub opens at 8:30 a.m. EDT for greetings and networking. We’ll begin promptly at 9:00 am, with opening remarks, followed by our first session.

Finding Focus in a Frantic News Cycle

Time: 9:05 – 9:55 a.m. EDT
Speaker: Billy Mitchell, Executive Editor, Scoop News Group
Moderator: Sam Silverstein, Reporter, Grocery Dive, Informa TechTarget

The exceptionally rapid pace of developments since President Trump took office dramatically underscores the challenges B2B journalists face as they look to provide people with timely coverage of the sectors they follow — often with limited resources. This session will provide attendees with strategies for how to develop stories that stand out, even when they aren’t able to be first with the news. It will also examine ways small teams can develop insightful, actionable articles by using a service journalism-focused approach to help readers cope with change. In addition, the session will provide journalists with guidance on how to develop and maintain relationships with people in agencies or organizations they cover.

The Future of Media & B2B: A keynote conversation with Sean Griffey, founder of Industry Dive

Time: 9:55 – 10:55 a.m. EDT
Speaker: Sean Griffey, Co-Founder and former CEO of Industry Dive
Moderator: Davide Savenije, Head of Vertical Markets & Editorial Operations, Informa TechTarget

Where is the future of media headed? In 2025, it feels like there’s more disruption and uncertainty in the media landscape than ever before. From the fast rise of generative AI to changing audience trends, we’re seeing a perfect storm of transformative trends fundamentally reshape the media business as we know it. The big question is: Where are we going? What media trends and business strategies will prevail?

Hear from Sean Griffey, a media executive who disrupted the market and built Industry Dive into a leading B2B media company with a highly focused business model. He will share his perspective on where the future is going and how smart media companies can thrive in it.

How Editorial Teams Can Navigate the Business Side — Ethically and Effectively

Time: 11:05 – 11:55 a.m. EDT
Panelists: Sandy Almendarez, Vice President, Content, Informa Markets; Davide Savenije, Head of Vertical Markets & Editorial Operations, Informa TechTarget; and Andrea Wells, Vice President, Content, Wells Media Group Inc.
Moderator: Tony Russo, Editor, Funeral Service Insider, Kates-Boylston Publications

The success of publications depends not only on great content, but a strong monetization strategy. But journalists don’t play any role in that — or do they? Hear from top editors operating successful B2B publications on how they ethically navigate the commercial side of their businesses to help build financially sustainable publications.

Developing and Executing Video Projects as an On-Camera Editor

Time: 11:55 a.m. – 12:40 p.m. EDT
Speaker: Stephanie Hendrixson, Editor-in-Chief, Additive Manufacturing Media, Gardner Business Media
Moderator: Adam Butler, Executive Producer, Multimedia, Scoop News Group

The Additive Manufacturing team has pioneered an approach to video that includes a long-running, regular YouTube series and short, more spontaneous videos filmed on location at trade shows and manufacturing facilities. This video presence differentiates them from other media in their niche and has helped their brand and video-hosting editors grow loyal followings. Executive Editor Stephanie Hendrixson shares how B2B editors can generate ideas for video projects, including strategies for executing these projects and tips to prepare for on-camera appearances.

Journalism Ethics in the Age of AI (Lunch Discussion)

Time: 12:50 – 1:20 p.m. EDT
Panelists: Michael Lear-Olimpi, Associate Professor of Communications and Media Ethicist, Central Penn College; and John O’Brien, Editor/Publisher, ABA Journal, American Bar Association
Moderator: Brad Dennison, Director of Editorial & Policy Affairs, Healthcare Financial Management Association

Join members of ASBPE’s newly relaunched Ethics Committee for a 30-minute panel discussion over lunch. Committee Chair and HFMA Director of Editorial & Policy Affairs Brad Dennison will be joined by ABA Journal Editor & Publisher John O’Brien and Associate Professor and Media Ethicist Michael Lear-Olimpi to discuss ASBPE’s recent AI ethics policy for members, what we’ve learned about using AI ethically in B2B media, and where to draw the line to maintain trust and transparency with your audience.

ASBPE Educational Foundation

Time: 1:25 – 1:35 p.m. EDT
Speaker: Robert Freedman, President, ASBPE Educational Foundation, and Lead Editor, Facilities Dive, Informa TechTarget

Hear about the programs supported by the ASBPE Educational Foundation. You can support these efforts through a tax-deductible contribution. The Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization supporting education and excellence in the B2B media industry.

Taming Digital Chaos: Right Stories & Right Distribution

Time: 1:35 – 2:20 p.m. EDT
Panelists: Drew Armstrong, Executive Editor, Endpoints News, Khalil Garriott, Executive Editor, ABA Banking Journal and Vice President for Creative Content & Copywriting Strategy, American Bankers Association; and Travis Hessman, Vice President, Content, Endeavor Business Media
Moderator: Tony Russo, Editor, Funeral Service Insider, Kates-Boylston Publications>

Without firm direction, digital publishing — particularly in print+digital environments — can be an overwhelming and self-defeating endeavor. Brands are compelled to fill their sites with as much content as possible, scrambling to cover every piece of news, and to tell every story in their markets. The results can be devastating: Quality drops, and strategic planning and editorial focus evaporate into a blast of noise.

In this session, we will share multiple techniques to tame this mess, using processes and approaches developed in print to focus efforts on creating the right content at the right velocity to better serve the audience, to improve site metrics, and to reduce the strain on digital editors.

Audience Strategy Networking Session

Time: 2:20 – 3:05 p.m. EDT
Moderators: Erin Hallstrom, Associate Director of SEO Strategy, Endeavor Business Media; and Travis Hessman, Vice President of Content, Endeavor Business Media

A lot is changing in how we attract new audiences. In addition to search engines like Google, today’s users turn to social media, long and short-form video and AI assistants to get answers to their most pressing career questions. How do B2B journalists contend with that? Let’s talk about this and more during our Audience Strategy Networking Session.

How AI Impacts Your SEO and What You Can Do About It

Time: 3:15 – 4:05 p.m. EDT
Speaker: Erin Hallstrom, Associate Director of SEO Strategy, Endeavor Business Media

Google’s AI Overviews represent a significant leap in search technology, demanding a new approach to content creation and distribution. In this session, B2B SEO expert Erin Hallstrom shares findings from her in-depth Google study, analyzing the impact of AI Overviews on Endeavor Business Media’s brands. Gain valuable insights into how traditional SEO principles must evolve to ensure your journalism remains discoverable. Learn how to harness AI to optimize your content, ensuring it resonates with both search engines and the audiences you serve.

Covering DEI in a World of Changing Policy

Time: 4:05 – 4:55 p.m. EDT
Panelists: Tiana Headley, Judiciary Reporter, Bloomberg Law, Bloomberg News Group; Sharon Newport, CAE, Organizational Consultant, Facilitator, and Executive Coach, Sharon Newport, LLC; and Marisa Porto, MBA, Distinguished Professor, Knight Chair in Local News and Sustainability, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Moderator: Richard Luna, Senior Director, Content, Associated Luxury Hotels International

In recent years, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was viewed as a solution to address inequities everywhere from business contracts to the workforce and C-suite, even in university admissions. News organizations joined the cause and created strategic plans to ensure underrepresented communities gained visibility in content as well as in newsroom staff. The movement gained significant traction in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, but everything has changed under the Trump Administration. This panel will discuss the challenges that B2B media faces in reporting DEI issues and how B2B media can keep readers informed about issues related to the coverage of underrepresented communities.

Thursday, May 29

The event hub opens at 8:30 a.m. EDT for greetings and networking. We’ll begin promptly at 9:00 am, with a brief welcome, followed by our first session of day two.

Editing: Coaching vs. Fixing

Time: 9:05 – 9:50 a.m. EDT
Panelists: John O’Brien, Editor/Publisher, ABA Journal, American Bar Association; Chelsea Emery, Executive Editor, Staffing Industry Analysts, Crain Communications; and Karen Langhauser, Editor-in-Chief, Cell & Gene Therapy Review and Tablets & Capsules, CompareNetworks
Moderator: Stephanie Ricca, Editorial Director, Hotel News Now, CoStar Group

The greatest writers and reporters seem to be born with wordsmithing prowess and innate storytelling ability. The truth is everyone is capable of writing well, of creating stories that are instructional, compelling, entertaining, and moving. Enter the writing coach — an editor — who brings out the best in us and in our articles. The best editors are writing coaches rather than fixers; they teach us how to finesse our material from passable prose into profound reporting. This distinguished panel of B2B editors shares the best ways to get the most from your writers without bruising egos or asking for rewrites.

Onboarding Freelancers: An Extension of Your In-House Team

Time: 9:50 – 10:40 a.m. EDT
Panelists: Victor Li, Assistant Managing Editor, ABA Journal, American Bar Association; and Jenny Jones, award-winning Freelance Editor, Writer and Communications Lead
Moderator: Brooke Bilyj, Founder and Chief Content Officer, Bantamedia

In this panel discussion, editors and freelance writers will benefit from the experience of Kevin Davis, the managing editor of the ABA Journal, the national legal affairs magazine of the American Bar Association and Jenny Jones, an award-winning editor and writer. Learn how to find and onboard freelancers and how to support them through each assignment so that they both succeed. Panelists will discuss how they work with new freelance writers, how editors make assignments, evaluate freelance pitches, and manage the process of an assignment from start to finish.

Caring for Yourself & Your Team Through Difficult Change

Time: 10:50 – 11:45 a.m. EDT
Panelists: Corinne Jorgenson, Cognitive Scientist and Deputy Writing Manager, Proposals, Dragonfly Editorial; Dr. Karen Ladley, Ed.D., Senior Associate Director, Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism (RCJF), The Carter Center; and Samantha Ragland, Vice President, Journalism Programs, American Press Institute
Moderator: Khalil Garriott, Executive Editor, ABA Banking Journal and Vice President for Creative Content & Copywriting Strategy, American Bankers Association

In the last few years, widespread layoffs have hit the media business. In the aftermath, there’s an unspoken cost to the mental health of those employees left to pick up the slack. This can include feelings of guilt, confusion, uncertainty, and distrust. Burnout has become a significant issue in newsrooms, with studies showing that a large percentage of journalists experience it. Many reporters feel that greater recognition and acknowledgment of their work could help mitigate feelings of burnout. This panel discussion will provide actionable solutions for newsroom managers to set the tone and reduce stigma by talking about mental health, sharing their experiences and working to reshape the workplace culture so their staff can thrive.

Improving Collaboration: Remote, In-Office & Hybrid

Time: 11:45 a.m. – 12:40 p.m. EDT
Panelists: Denise M. Gustavson, Editorial Director, Media Brands, PRINTING United Alliance; Heidi Patalano, Editor-in-Chief, National Mortgage News, Arizent; and Scott Wenger, Senior Economics Editor, World Bank
Moderator: Craig Johnson, Senior Editorial Director, Staffing Industry Analysts

Many in the B2B community either work remotely, in-office full-time, or have a hybrid schedule. The question is, how do you keep everyone working together and on the same page? This panel will discuss strategies for improving collaboration and managing staff, regardless of where your team works.

Artificial Intelligence’s Biggest Stumbling Block: Trust

Time: 1:30 – 2:15 p.m. EDT
Speaker: Geoffrey Colon, Vice President of Strategy, Digital Surgeons
Moderator: Travis Hessman, Vice President of Content, Endeavor Business Media

Journalists have always been there to report on obstacles, to hold power accountable, and to help keep the social contract in place. But how do we approach artificial intelligence and its many, inherent trust issues? Geoffrey Colon will take the audience on a deep dive into multiple talking points, including disinformation, ethical concerns, bias, “hallucinations” in large language models (LLMs), job loss, industry concentration, state overreach, and much more.

A.I. Show & Tell

Time: 2:15 – 3:00 p.m. EDT
Moderator: Jonathan Maze, Editor-in-Chief, Restaurant Business, Informa Connect Foodservice

Join B2B media professionals from across the country and share your screen to show us your most creative uses for artificial intelligence for your B2B publication, business or personal needs. From writing negotiation emails for budget discussions to creating outlines for articles from interview transcripts, A.I. can be used ethically to reduce your workload and expand opportunities. More details coming soon!

Beyond the Numbers: Turning Analytics into Journalistic Insight

Time: 3:10 – 4:05 p.m. EDT
Panelists: Erin Hallstrom, Associate Director of SEO Strategy, Endeavor Business Media; Leeann Kirchner, Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), American Chemical Society; and Davide Savenije, Head of Vertical Markets & Editorial Operations, Informa TechTarget

Are you making the most of your analytics data? This panel discussion tackles the challenge of interpreting complex metrics and turning them into meaningful insights for journalists. Hear from Erin Hallstrom (Endeavor Business Media), Davide Savenije (Informa TechTarget), and Leeann Kirchner (Chemical & Engineering News) as they share their unique perspectives on data analysis. Discover how they identify key trends, understand audience behavior, and use data to refine their reporting and content strategies. Gain the tools and knowledge you need to confidently analyze your data and make informed decisions that resonate with your audience.

Evolving Your Brand: Design Strategies from a Supercentenarian

Time: 4:05 – 4:55 p.m. EDT (*Date and time changed)
Speaker: Kristina Deckert, Senior Creative Director, National Audubon Society & Audobon magazine
Moderator: Justin Armburger, Creative Director, Beyond the Meeting Room, Associated Luxury Hotels International

Future-proofing your brand is a labor of love. That’s why we’re looking to a tough old bird, the National Audubon Society, for guidance. Justin Armburger, creative director of Beyond the Meeting Room, is joined by Kristina Deckert, creative director of the 120-year-old organization and its magazine, to discuss navigating design trends while maintaining a strong, adaptable visual identity through multiple mediums. Plus, they’ll tackle how technology is reshaping design, print’s role in an increasingly digital world, and much more.

Friday, May 30

The event hub opens at 8:30 a.m. EDT for greetings and networking. We’ll begin promptly at 9:00 am, with a brief welcome, followed by our first session of day three.

Lessons from Leadership: Career Advice from Top Editorial Leaders

Time: 9:05 – 10:00 a.m. EDT
Panelists: Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief, Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Content Director, IRONMARKETS; Davide Savenije, Head of Vertical Markets & Editorial Operations, Informa TechTarget; and Sarah Sluis, Executive Editor, AdExchanger and AdMonsters
Moderator: Jonathan Maze, Editor-in-Chief, Restaurant Business, Informa Connect Foodservice

Have ambitions to grow your career? Lead a big team? In this session, you will hear the career stories and perspectives of some of the most successful editorial leaders in B2B media. Learn how they got to where they are today, the lessons that helped them in their careers, and what they think it takes to become a top leader in B2B media.

Leadership Networking Session

Time: 10:00 – 10:45 a.m. EDT
Moderator: Davide Savenije, Head of Vertical Markets & Editorial Operations, Informa TechTarget

Leadership doesn’t come from your job title. Whether or not you’re a manager, we all have opportunities to lead in our work. Do you aspire to lead — or to lead better? Whether you are just starting out as an editor in B2B media or have decades of management experience, this networking session is designed to discuss what leadership means to us, how good leaders show up at work, and how being a leader can help you grow in your career, regardless of your job title.

Annual Members’ Forum

Time: 10:55 – 11:30 a.m. EDT
Moderators: Davide Savenije, Head of Vertical Markets & Editorial Operations, Informa TechTarget and President, ASBPE; Brooke Bilyj, Founder and Chief Content Officer, Bantamedia and Vice President, ASBPE; and Jessi McCarthy-Hills, Executive Director, ASBPE

ASBPE continues to invest in new programming that our members want and need the most. The Annual Members’ Forum creates a space for members to help our Board of Directors shape key initiatives for the following year. We’ll share our plans for upcoming programming and new initiatives, and we’ll open the floor for members to share feedback, suggestions, and requests. Let’s continue to build a better ASBPE.

Mastering the Art of the (Tricky) Interview

Time: 11:30 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. EDT
Panelists: Gavin Bade, Trade and Economic Policy Reporter, The Wall Street Journal; and Emma Cosgrove, Senior Reporter, Business Insider
Moderator: Brian Bull, Senior Reporter, Buffalo’s Fire and KLCC, Oregon’s NPR network

Compelling storytelling depends on your ability to uncover hard-hitting news, capture firsthand accounts, and draw poignant quotes from your sources. But how can you effectively elicit these insights from tricky interviews or tight-lipped interviewees? This panel discussion will explore best practices for setting expectations and ground rules for productive interviews, negotiating the interview process whether via phone call or in-person, handling difficult sources (including those who are traumatized or just reluctant to talk) to get them to open up, asking delicate questions to unlock sensitive details, and phrasing queries correctly to evoke meaningful quotes, powerful stories, and substantive scoops. The session will equip attendees to interview major newsmakers to extract fresh angles, particularly on difficult topics.

From Print to Screen: Transforming our Publications

Time: 1:15 – 2:05 p.m. EDT (*Date and time changed)
Panelists: Nico Heins, Senior Art Director, Restaurant Business and Foodservice Director, Informa Connect; and Maya Kaplan, Art Director and Lead Designer, McKinsey Quarterly, McKinsey & Company
Moderator: Andrew Bass, Art & Production Manager, Risk Management, Risk & Insurance Management Society, Inc.

As more publications transition to digital formats, designers must consider how to effectively transform our pages from traditional print layouts to digital iterations that are suitable for online media. What creative strategies can be employed in these transformations? We have encountered various solutions such as replica PDFs, interactive flipbooks, and web-based magazine sites. Which platforms best facilitate this transition, and how should one approach designing content within them? Are there unexplored alternatives that could be considered? Join our panelists as they share their experiences in addressing these questions for their own publications and find inspiration for realizing your creative vision.

Scaling Innovation

Time: 2:05 – 2:55 p.m. EDT
Speaker: Travis Hessman, Vice President of Content, Endeavor Business Media

No one knows exactly how to win, what will work, and what’s best. But everyone has ideas. The trick for any publisher is to effectively collect, test, and disseminate the best of those ideas. But there’s a lot working against us: We have silos to break, deadlines to meet, metrics to track, beats to cover, newsletters to send, and a wall of tradition standing in our way. In this session, Travis Hessman will detail the technique he’s used at Endeavor Business Media to scale innovation and improvement across 90+ brands and throughout the processes of more than 200 editors in a silo-busting, tradition-defying flurry that should have been impossible.

About Our 2025 Sponsors

Supporting ASBPE’s national conference is the best way to show your support for the hard-working B2B journalists and publications that not only use your products and services, but endeavor to make us all better informed, hold officials accountable and improve the industries they cover. Read more about sponsoring ASBPE’s national conference.

SILVER SPONSOR

Nota is an AI-powered SaaS platform that helps digital publishers create, optimize, and distribute content more efficiently. Our tools can ingest content in any format — text, audio, or video — and generate outputs in any format, all aligned with your brand’s unique voice, style, and tone. From headline generation and SEO optimization to social captions, image/video creation, and newsletter production, Nota supports every stage of the content lifecycle. Seamlessly integrated into workflows, our platform reduces production time, boosts engagement, and empowers your team to repurpose content with speed and consistency.

Questions?

We love to hear from our members and guests. Please get in touch with our Conference Committee through our contact form if you:

• have any questions, concerns or feedback for ASBPE.
• are interested in speaking at or becoming a sponsor for our 2025 conference.
• are an Azbee Awards judge and would like to use Azbee Bucks to cover a portion of your registration fees.
• are a non-member who currently resides outside the United States, are interested in attending our 2025 National Conference, and need additional guidance for your registration.

If you have suggestions for a conference session topic, please complete our suggestion form.

By completing payment for national conference tickets, you indicate you have read and agree to ASBPE’s Payment, Refund & Cancellation Policy. Your purchase also provides permission for ASBPE to share limited contact information and conference activity details with our sponsors. Please reach out to ASBPE’s Executive Director with any questions about this policy before completing payment.