With 2025 in full swing, the media industry is buzzing with events offering valuable insights, networking, and the latest trends. We’ve curated a list of events that cater to a wide range of professionals in the news and photography industries, which you won’t want to miss!
Bookmark this page—we’ll keep updating it with new additions throughout the year!
Dates: April 9–13, 2025
Location: Perugia, Italy
The International Journalism Festival (IJF) is one of the world’s most prestigious gatherings for journalists, media professionals, and industry leaders. Held annually in the historic city of Perugia, Italy, the festival offers a free and open platform for discussing the future of journalism, media ethics, investigative reporting, digital storytelling, and press freedom. The event offers great networking with global journalists and features keynote speakers from The Guardian, NYT, BBC, and Reuters.
Learn more: International Journalism Festival (IJF)
Dates: May 3, 2025
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
A summit brings together photojournalists and visual storytellers to explore the impact of images in modern journalism. The event offers presentations, workshops, and discussions on the future of visual storytelling and social change, providing great networking opportunities.
Learn more: CatchLight Visual Storytelling Summit 2025
Dates: May 4–6, 2025
Location: Kraków, Poland
Organized by the World Association of News Publishers, this congress will focus on the ongoing transformation of the news industry. Under the theme "Mastering Media’s New Playbook," Through three specialized tracks and interactive workshops, newsroom and news organization leaders can explore emerging strategies to create competitive and innovative environments where essential journalism can flourish.
Learn more: WAN-IFRA World News Media Congress 2025
Dates: May 12–14, 2025
Location: Juan-les-Pins, France
As a premier event for professionals in visual media, the CEPIC Conference provides extensive networking opportunities, workshops, and panel discussions. The main theme of this year's CEPIC Conference is "The Future of Licensing." The 2025 edition will feature ‘speed-dating‘ sessions, panels on SEO and metadata best practices, debates on subscription models, and insights into AI's impact on rights management and more.
Learn more: CEPIC Conference 2025
Dates: May 19–23, 2025
Location: New York City, USA
Hosted by the International News Media Association (INMA), this congress delves into strategies and trends shaping the news media industry. It features a media conference, study tours of New York media companies, and seminars on topics like generative AI, newsroom transformation, and subscriptions.
Learn more: INMA World Congress of News Media 2025
Dates: May 29–30, 2025
Location: Online
This virtual conference offers lifetime access to recorded sessions, live watch parties, interactive networking opportunities, and exhibitor showcases, catering to professionals involved in photo management and archiving.
Learn more: The Photo Managers 2025 Virtual Conference
Dates: August 30-September 14, 2025
Location: Perpignan, France
Visa pour l'Image serves as a platform to showcase the world's best photojournalism, offering insights into global events and issues. The festival also includes evening screenings that highlight significant news events and social issues, along with award ceremonies recognizing outstanding contributions to photojournalism. The program for the 2025 edition will be announced in May.
Learn more: Visa pour l’Image 2025 – International Festival of Photojournalism
Dates: September 12–15, 2025
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
It’s one of the largest and most influential events for media, entertainment, and technology professionals. The show focuses on the latest innovations in content creation, broadcasting, and digital media. Attendees can explore cutting-edge technologies, attend insightful sessions, and network with industry leaders from around the world, making it a must-attend event for anyone in the media and entertainment sector.
Learn more: IBC Show 2025
Dates: September 17–18, 2025
Location: Riga, Latvia
Organized by the Centre for Media Studies at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, this two-day event in the heart of Riga brings together media professionals, including managers, innovators, digital experts, editors, and content writers. The forum unites the media business community to share insights, generate new ideas, and collaborate, offering opportunities to exchange industry knowledge and explore emerging opportunities in the evolving media landscape.
Learn more: Reinventing Media Business
Dates: October 9–10, 2025
Location: Rome, Italy
Twice a year, MINDS hosts conferences for its members, gathering senior managers from all major sectors of the news agency industry, including editorial, strategy, technology, products, and sales. These events are designed to foster idea exchange, inspire new business opportunities, and explore potential collaborations. While the conferences are exclusive to MINDS members, third parties can join as supporters.
Learn more: 39th MINDS Conference Rome
Dates: October 20–22, 2025
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
The International Digital Media Licensing Conference (IDMLC) is an annual event bringing together industry professionals to discuss trends, technology, and legal aspects of digital media licensing. The conference features expert panels, networking opportunities, and insights from major industry players like Adobe, Google, and Getty Images.
Learn more: International Digital Media Licensing Conference (IDMLC) 2025
Dates: October 21–23, 2025
Location: Madrid, Spain
Celebrating its 100th anniversary, FIPP returns to Madrid for a landmark congress. The event will gather media professionals worldwide for discussions, keynote presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities, aiming to shape the future of media.
Learn more: FIPP World Media Congress 2025
At these leading media and photography conferences, professionals not only explore creativity and business strategies but also tackle the challenges of the digital age. Topics such as AI’s role in rights management, the evolving landscape of visual storytelling, and the future of licensing and copyright protection remain at the forefront of industry discussions.
As the media industry adapts to these changes, finding fair and effective solutions for copyright protection is more important than ever. At Fair Licensing, we support a collaborative approach to copyright management—helping creators and agencies turn potential disputes into opportunities.
Want to learn more? Visit our homepage or get in touch with us.
We also recommend our blog article, 'Why take an amicable Approach to Resolving Copyright Issues as an Agency?' for further reading.
Do you find this article helpful? Share it with friends on social media.