Local Media Association will bring together industry leaders from across the country for LMA Fest 2025, an intensive three-day event focused on revenue growth, innovation and sustainability in local media.

The 2025 gathering will happen at the Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago on August 19-21. Attendees can expect a mix of general sessions, focused breakouts and collaborative workshops designed to deliver practical insights and tangible strategies.

We are grateful to our numerous sponsors who make LMA Fest possible, and you will also have the opportunity to meet with our R&D partners. Click here to book your one-on-one meetings with those partners now.

Here is an outline of what you’ll learn at this year’s event. It is not too late to register!

DAY 1: Tuesday, August 19 – General sessions, breakouts & big ideas

The day begins with registration and a networking breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by opening remarks at 9 a.m. from LMA co-CEOs Jay Small and Liz White Notarangelo. They’ll set the tone for the event, previewing the agenda and sharing a few surprises.

At 9:15 a.m., Arun Venkataraman of the Google News Initiative will present new research on audience behavior and what it means for the evolving local news value proposition.

Two sets of breakout sessions follow:

  • Senior Leadership Track sessions will cover the state of journalism philanthropy, newsroom expansion strategies and impact-driven fundraising.
  • Digital Sales Track sessions will focus on revenue wins, content marketing insights and case studies on successful events.

Lunch at noon will feature recognition of LMA’s Innovators of the Year, with remarks by LMA Board Chair Janis Ware and LMF Board Chair Tanisha Leonard.

In the afternoon, sessions continue with practical panels on turning philanthropic funding into community impact and showcasing event-based revenue success. A unique table talk session from 2–3:15 p.m. will rotate participants through small-group discussions on topics like AI workflows, podcast strategy and succession planning.

Closing general sessions highlight sustainability research from the FT Strategies and Google News Initiative, followed by a panel showcasing real-world AI experiments in local newsrooms.

The day ends with a game at the “friendly confines,” Wrigley Field, where the Chicago Cubs will take on the Milwaukee Brewers.

DAY 2: Wednesday, August 20 – Keynotes, workshops & hands-on learning

Breakfast kicks off at 8 a.m., followed by a keynote session from Comcast at 8:30 a.m.

Breakouts begin at 9:30 a.m.:

  • Senior leaders will hear about outcomes from the first Statewide Summit on the Local News Crisis.
  • Revenue professionals will explore 10 actionable ways to grow digital sales.

A hands-on AI workshop at 10:45 a.m. will guide media teams through automation strategies that boost productivity without technical complexity.

At noon, collaboration begins with a private lunch, followed by closed-door sessions across several LMA initiatives, including:

  • Knight x LMA BloomLab
  • Word In Black
  • Family & Independent Media Sustainability Lab
  • Branded Content Project Cash Camp
  • News Is Out
  • Latido Beat
  • Economic Mobility Lab

Those meetings continue into Thursday, our third and final day of LMA Fest.

Click here to see the full LMA Fest agenda, or go ahead and register now. Be doubly sure to book time with our R&D partners once you register.

Editor’s note: AI was used to generate a summary of the LMA Fest 2025 agenda and turn it into a story, which was then edited for clarity and style.