PRESENTING SPONSOR

The Google News Initiative works with publishers and journalists to fight misinformation, share resources and build a diverse and innovative news ecosystem.

PLATINIUM SPONSOR

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company. From the connectivity and platforms, we provide, to the content and experiences we create, our businesses reach hundreds of millions of customers, viewers, and guests worldwide. We deliver world-class broadband, wireless, and video through Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky; produce, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through brands including NBC, Telemundo, Universal, Peacock, and Sky; and bring incredible theme parks and attractions to life through Universal Destinations & Experiences. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

AWARDS SPONSOR

Second Street is a software that provides audience engagement solutions designed to help organizations run interactive campaigns such as contests, quizzes, polls, and ballots. The software supports organizations in gathering first-party data through customized promotions, which can be leveraged for audience segmentation and targeted marketing efforts. Second Street facilitates user participation by offering intuitive management tools for campaign creation and analytics features to help organizations assess engagement outcomes and campaign performance. The software addresses business needs related to boosting audience interaction, increasing digital revenue, and deepening understanding of consumer preferences through structured data collection and actionable insights. To learn more please visit https://uplandsoftware.com/secondstreet/

GOLD SPONSOR

Genna is an AI platform that transforms trusted data into broadcast-ready video at scale. The platform converts structured and editorial content into video using verified media assets, integrating directly with CMS systems, data feeds, and publishing workflows. Genna automates video creation and distribution across owned and third-party platforms, enabling publishers and broadcasters to scale video production efficiently. Genna’s technology is used by major media organizations including Reach plc, Advance Local,and USA Today Co . Learn more at genna.com.

Local news built democracy. Then the internet broke the business model, and newsrooms got stuck duct-taping legacy CMSes, and a dozen SaaS tools just to publish a story and collect a dollar.

PubGen is the reset button.

It’s an all-in-one, AI-native publishing platform made specifically for community newsrooms – not bloggers, not enterprises, not “content creators.” Archive-grounded AI that knows your paper’s history, voice, and standards. Smart paywalls that actually convert. Ads, subscriptions, newsletters, and analytics in one place. Fast pages. Accessible by default. Free upgrades forever, not another migration in five years.

The goal isn’t to replace journalists. It’s to give them back their time – and give every community a shot at keeping local news alive.

SILVER SPONSORS

Are there data sources your newsroom frequently needs to access but find it difficult or time consuming to use? 

At Local Media Fest 2026, United Robots is launching DataDesk, a service which turns hard-to-access local data sources into a stream of editor-ready story leads – ingesting, structuring, and summarizing hard-to-access local data. Your newsroom selects the sources and sets the filters. We do the rest.

United Robots also provides automated, ready-to-publish editorial content from structured data using data science and NLG (Natural Language Generation). The company works as a partner to local publishers – currently some 50 US newsrooms. United Robots has provided some 250 local news sites with > 6 mi automated texts since launch in 2016, on topics like weather warnings, wildfires, traffic, sports and real estate sales. 

For more information, visit unitedrobots.ai or contact cecilia.campbell@unitedrobots.ai to set up a meeting.

Newspack is an open-source publishing, revenue and analytics platform for trusted news organizations. It’s designed to keep you on the leading edge of digital technology, help you develop a loyal audience and move you toward long-term financial sustainability. A project of WordPress.com, with support from The Knight Foundation and the Google News Initiative, it is led by journalists and technologists who collectively have over 100 years of digital publishing experience. More than 300 publishers have signed or launched on the platform, including such notable publications as VTDigger, CalMatters, Capital B, The Voice of San Diego, Lookout Santa Cruz, and more. Learn more at Newspack.com or request a demo for a look under the hood.

BLOX Digital powers media with the industry’s most widely used and most advanced AI-driven CMS. BLOX NXT is your central platform for streamlining content creation, audience engagement, workflow efficiency, and revenue growth. AI supercharges every step, from real-time analytics and predictive audience insights to targeted subscription strategies and effortless user management.

We equip newsrooms to make smarter decisions, grow audiences, and unlock new opportunities with less friction and more speed. Join the leaders already transforming local media and discover how BLOX Digital can strengthen your operations and deepen your community impact. Let’s build a smarter future together.

AdApt Media Sales empowers local media companies with modernized, AI-driven tools and fractional sales leadership. Through innovative solutions tailored to the challenges of today’s media landscape, AdApt helps media properties optimize sales strategies, streamline processes, and achieve sustainable revenue growth. With a combined 50 years of sales leadership experience with local media companies, Jeff Gallop and David Buonfiglio can deliver effective sales leadership to properties in markets large and small. By providing clear structures, actionable insights, and tools for enhanced efficiency, AdApt Media Sales supports sales teams in delivering measurable results while fostering long-term success.

EmpowerLocal helps local media organizations generate more advertising revenue through collaborative selling and simplified media buying. Our platform enables advertisers to reach trusted local audiences across digital, email, print, audio, social, and events through a single campaign workflow, while helping publishers participate in larger opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.

Social News Desk is a social media management tool created for journalists, by journalists. Newsrooms can seamlessly use Social News Desk to schedule and automate their social media posts, along with detailed reporting and social listening for their community. 

Givebutter combines all-in-one fundraising software, 0% fees, and built-in rewards—so you can raise more, pay less, and multiply your impact with 2.5% APY on every dollar you raise.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? We have lots of great sponsorship options for you! Contact Lindsey Estes if you are interested in participating.