Magazines Canada Symposium 2026: Dream, Build, Innovate
About this Event
Magazines Canada Symposium 2026: Dream, Build, Innovate
The Magazines Canada Symposium is back, with more amazing professional development sessions to help busy magazine media professionals build and innovate what they do—and dream even bigger for the future. There will also be plenty of time to connect and consult with colleagues and friends old and new—our industry’s most valuable asset is the people who make it work, after all!
Building on our success in 2025—the fascinating conversations, the valuable professional development, the amazing connections—we are coming back with another great day for #MagazinePeople on Wednesday September 23 at The Guild Inn Estate in Scarborough. Join us for a great day of magazine media talk!
Whether you join us in-person or virtually, we think you’ll get great value from spending the day with other magazine media people, sharing great ideas, and helping each other with the challenges of our ever-evolving industry.
After a delicious lunch (we haven’t figured out how to stream food yet—streaming starts with the first session), we'll dive into three diverse and engaging topics relevant to mag professionals from all corners of the industry (details below, and more to come). And then a cocktail hour to relax, connect, and discuss what we've heard. All in the beautiful surroundings of the Guild Inn Estate.
Tickets for staff at member publications, individual, professional development, or student/instructor members in good standing are all $50 to attend in person, or $25 to attend via streaming.
But what if you aren't a member? NO WORRIES! You can still attend and join the conversation—non-member tickets are $100 in person and $50 streaming. Even better? If you attend the Symposium and realize later that a Magazines Canada membership is right for you/your organization—your ticket cost can be deducted from the cost of a new membership. Keep the connections, learning, and conversations going!
Agenda
🕑: 12:00 PM - 06:30 PM
Magazines Canada Symposium 2026: Tentative Agenda (subject to change)
🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Welcome
Info: Join us at noon at the beautiful Guild Inn—get checked in, greet colleagues past and present, and find your seat for a wonderful afternoon ahead.
🕑: 12:30 PM - 01:30 PM
Lunch
Info: Enjoy a delicious buffet lunch with lots of options to suit every diet.
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
Maximizing Your Newsletter
Host: David Topping
🕑: 02:30 PM - 02:45 PM
Short break
🕑: 02:45 PM - 03:45 PM
Publisher Roundtable Discussions
Host: Magazines Canada staff and board
Info: All our attendees are invited to participate in facilitated roundtable discussions focused on the most pressing opportunities and challenges facing magazine publishers today. (Remote attendees are invited to participate via breakout rooms.)
Themed tables will each led by a facilitator—staff, the board, and committee leads will pop in as moderators for the tables. Participants would choose the topic most relevant to their organization and join a peer-to-peer discussion. After the first discussion period, if time allows, attendees rotate to a second table, allowing them to explore multiple topics and connect with a broader group of industry colleagues. The session would conclude with a brief report-back from each table, highlighting key insights and takeaways.
🕑: 03:45 PM - 04:00 PM
Short break
🕑: 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM
The Future of Sales & Revenue Panel
Info: Let’s look at how publishers are evolving their commercial strategies, building stronger advertiser partnerships, packaging audiences differently and diversifying revenue. What’s working in 2026, and how, and how does it vary across sectors? A signature Magazines Canada tri-sector panel, with a representative each from B2B, arts & lit, and consumer magazines plus a moderator to share successes, pain-points, and the current and upcoming landscape for magazine media as seen from in the field. And of course lots of time for q&a at the end of the hour.
🕑: 05:00 PM - 06:30 PM
Cocktail hour
Info: Grab a drink and some snacks and settle in with your colleagues and friends to talk the day over!
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
CAD 28.25 to CAD 113.00
