Keynote speaker Ray Snoddy, the media commentator, failed to attend after getting the date mixed up.
But his no-show failed to dampen the spirit of conference chair Carolyn Mackinnon-Ure, deputy group circulation director of Northcliffe Newspapers, who said he could well be booked for a future event.

Lynn Melvin, newspaper sales and promotions director of the Gazette Media Company on Teesside, showed how newspaper redesigns or format changes can pay dividends, rather than put off readers, if it is done right. She explained how the old Gazette was a tabloid-style newspaper, with lively snappy stories, trapped inside a broadsheet format.
But under a new compact design, its promotional campaign highlighted specific advertising slots, "the bigger picture", a roadshow, billboards, poster truck and branded Smart cars, as well as after-launch promotions. As a result the title has enjoyed its second consecutive circulation increase.

Jim Chisholm, strategic advisor to the World Association of Newspapers, predicted a hot future for free newspapers, explaining that there had been an explosion in the number of free titles around the world.
He said: "I would suggest that we are only just beginning to see free titles taking off. Nineteen per cent of the European urban population read a free daily at least once a week."

Jim Chisholm also urged the newspaper industry to adopt a 'one more copy' mentality, telling the conference that if every casual reader bought one more copy of their paper each week, circulation would increase by around 15 per cent across the UK.
He said: "Is it the case that every reporter in the newsroom writing a story is thinking 'one more copy'? Is every sub aware that they can put a panel on saying what's coming up next week?"