#fearlessDEN Delivering bold innovations is on the agenda for the Autumn 2014 meetup to be hosted by Trinity Mirror

At the next Digital Editors Network meetup on November 6th we’re asking innovators not only to show us things that will inspire, but also to share how they overcame the obstacles to make it happen - and how they boldly keep going on.

We're pleased to announce our host is one such fearless innovator: Trinity Mirror Regionals’ digital innovation editor Alison Gow.

Alison Gow of Trinity Mirror

“Back in 2008 we hosted a DEN in our Liverpool Echo offices; since then the network has grown considerably and so it's great to be able to offer a new invitation, this time to our Canary Wharf headquarters,” said Alison, who at the start of the year swapped the editor's chair at the Daily Post Wales, where Trinity Mirror piloted their Newsroom 3.0 concept, for the job of helping to deliver editorial innovation across all the titles in the UK’s largest publishers of regional newspapers. That’s no small challenge. 

“We've been accelerating the pace of change in Trinity Mirror in recent years, and the latest project, Newsroom 3.1, is probably the biggest editorial change in terms of culture and structure we've undertaken. So we're delighted to be the hosts for #fearlessDEN as the theme resonates with our understanding that evolution of the media industry, and development of ideas, is how we can ensure a strong future. 

“This is a theme that will probably speak to many people in the mainstream media; the leaked New York Times' innovation report underlined the undeniable demands of the legacy product and culture can impede the shift towards a more agile, digital future. 

“There is also the fear of failing and, worse, failing in a financially costly manner. Ideas can wind up stuck in the dreaded 'Paralysis by Analysis' stage and, while digital startups and entrepreneurs accept risk as an inherent part of what they do, for some digital editors the challenge is simply: "How do I convince my boss to take a chance on my idea?" 

“I suspect that at #fearlessDEN we'll get some answers that question.” 

To respond - and to examine the practical implications for your organisation, your team and you - we've invited a variety of media innovators, including:

• Malcolm Coles, the Trinity Mirror digital director who pitched the ideas and built the teams behind  usvth3m and ammp3d. 

• Matt McAlister is the Co-founder and CEO of Contributoria and the General Manage of  New Digital Businesses for the Guardian Media Group.

• Bibi van der Zee writes for about the environment and food for The Guardian. She's the author of The Protester's Handbook and led the editorial coverage of the LiveBetterChallenge project sponsored by Unilever. She'll be talking about how to manage editorial-sponsor relationships at a time abuzze with talk  of content marketing and native advertising.

• Will Guyatt is Instagram's European Communications Manager and will discuss the bold moves that have seen the mobile video and photo sharing service go from startup in 2010 to the fastest growing of all social media sites worldwide. 

• Jack Riley is Head of Audience Development for HuffingtonPost / @AOL UK, whose mothership was recently said to '...Crush Legacy  Outfits in Audience Growth'. Jack will be sharing how the challenges at the native digital news site differ from those he faced at @Independent & @EveningStandard where he was formerly Head of Digital Audience & Content Development.

Discussion will be chaired by François Nel of the Journalism Leaders Programme at UCLan, Nick Turner of the CN Group and Lucia Adams of The Times.
 
So, clear your diary and register HERE now.  

Over the coming weeks we’ll be working with Alison to finalise the line-up. So, if you'd like to sponsor, contribute ideas, speak or collaborate on the #fearlessDEN event, or host a future DEN meetup or workshop, don’t hesitate to contact any of the other convenors: François Nel at FPNel @ uclan.ac.uk, Nick Turner at nick.turner @ cumbrian-newspapers.co.uk, or Lucia Adams at lucia.adams @ news.co.uk

Also: Did the last DEN meetup inspire you to think or do things differently?If so, here’s your chance to share your story with others in the network in 140 words or less by completing this simple FORM. To thank you, we’ll enter you into a draw for a free lunch before or dinner after the meetup sponsored by Desk-Net.

The Digital Editors Network is a community, not a conference. An initiative supported by the Journalism Leaders Programme at the University of Central Lancashire, DEN  has since 2007 worked to link media innovators, whether they work inside, outside or alongside mainstream media organisations. You can connect with DEN by joining our LinkedIn group, or following us on Twitter @DENupdates or this blog.