Beyond the Printed Word shows way to digital user

Lohmann's vast “digital professional experience” makes him ideally suited to act as the “browser” of this Ifra event: In the last years, he has been responsible for advancing the spread of the Internet and its use in South Africa. News24.com is one of South Africa's leading online news service and reportedly the website with the most traffic there. Since 2005, he has been responsible for driving strategic business development at various media channels, such as the News24 interactive TV Channel 59 or mobile platforms.

Confronting

The digital revolution is confronting traditional media with new challenges, but also new possibilities and opportunities. How can newspapers make better use of the new technologies for their own benefit? Which new media formats can logically complement the online offerings of newspapers? How is it possible to stay profitable online? The conference will use international case studies as well as first-hand reports of experiences and concepts from the industry to provide answers to these questions.

Beyond the Printed Word, in keeping with tradition, will focus on latest developments, innovations, and possibilities of the digital era for newspaper houses: highly topical subjects concerning Web 2.0 (citizen journalism and social networks), hyper-local content, and media diversification (mobile services and Web TV) as well as online advertising are on the agenda.

Networking

Last year's Ifra conference in Vienna was attended by approximately 450 experts from five continents. “Beyond” has established itself as one of the most distinguished and important networking and informational venues for media strategists and decision-makers from all over the world who want to lead the way as digital media develops

For more information about the Beyond the Printed Word conference and to register – the Early Bird special rate is available up to 31 August 2007 – go to www.ifra.com/beyond or contact Karolina Dzeko, Ifra programme manager events, on tel +49 6151 733 769 or email . The venue this year is the Citywest Hotel in the Irish capital.