The Time Is Now! Presidential Update - September

If WMIC 2026 in Tokyo has been sitting in your “maybe” column, I think it is time to move it to “yes.”

We are pushing towards 150 attendees, so the question of whether enough people will make the trip has been answered. They are coming. And so is an exceptional group of speakers, industry leaders and guests who will be just as interested in the conversations between sessions as those happening on stage.

The content makes the case on its own.

I am particularly looking forward to The Publisher’s Voice: Redefining the Value of News in the Age of AI. Leaders from Nine Publishing, MEI Global, The Washington Post and Dow Jones will tackle questions around content value, licensing and AI that are becoming more important by the day. That conversation takes on even greater relevance alongside updates from FIBEP’s Copyright Commission and the Media Rights Trust Initiative, as we continue working toward practical, sustainable approaches to licensed media content.

Another session I will be watching closely is Optimizing for AI: The New Rules of Being Found in a GEO World. GEO is moving quickly from interesting idea to business reality.

Then there is Tokyo itself. Welcome cocktails, networking throughout the Congress, a morning sightseeing run for the suspiciously energetic, and our Gala Dinner high above the city at Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills.

The people are coming. The conversations matter. The agenda is strong.

The time is now.

I hope to see you in Tokyo!

Todd Murphy

FIBEP President