IFRA

Henrik Palsson, the vice president and head of consumer lab, Ericcsson starts his closing presentation with a story about his family. He says in Switzerland, two of his daughters don't read news on paper but on television or online. Palsson says he travels too much to read a physical paper so the only person who reads a newspaper is his wife. Even she discontinued reading after realizing they could not get the local news at their summer home.

Manfred Werfel, group director and deputy CEO newspaper production at WAN-IFRA, says during his presentation at the closing session Friday, "Dramatic cost savings can only be achieved through new business models." Various models are emerging, including profit centers, joint ventures and outsourcing, Werfel explains.

Ilkka Kuusisto, from Poyry Management Consultants, Singapore, at the conference closing session invites participants to look at history instead of forecasts. He retells the history of the strength of newspapers, withstanding factors such as the economy and alternative media like television. He says the most important factors that affect newsprint prices are supply and demand.