RTDNA25: New Orleans

RTDNA25 Schedule

Wednesday | Thursday | Friday

 Wednesday, June 11

1 - 4 p.m. // Pre-Conference Workshops

• AI Tools + Ethics
• Leading to Win

5 - 7 p.m. // Welcome Happy Hour & Registration

Stop by the Hotel Monteleone’s own iconic Carousel Bar & Lounge to grab your registration materials and be welcomed to “The Big Easy” over great drinks, appetizers, and even better company. Mingle with sponsors, exhibitors and peers to kick off RTDNA25 in style.

Thursday, June 12

8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.  // Registration Desk Open

Stop by the registration desk to grab your registration materials or get your questions answered.

8:30 – 9:30 a.m.  // Opening Keynote

We'll kick things off with an engaging Opening Keynote.

9:30 - 10:15 a.m. // Morning Joe: Coffee & Connections

Grab a cup, fill it up and spend time connecting with peers in the new RTDNA25 lounge.

9:30 - 10:15 a.m. // Feedback Loop: Critiques*

Sit down with the pros and have your reel or resume critiqued. Leave with tips and tricks, the confidence to know you’re moving in the right direction, and a new connection in the industry. *Sign-up required

9:30 - 10:15 a.m. // Life + Work Couch Coaching

Join certified coach and meditation facilitator Nicholas Whitaker for exclusive 1:1 coaching sessions just for RTDNA guests. In this laser-focused session, you will have the space to share what's weighing on your mind and heart, and receive compassionate coaching to help guide you to your next steps. If you've never received coaching before, this is a great, low-risk way to get some experience with it and discover what even a single coaching session can do to help move you forward. *Sign-up required

10:15 – 11:15 a.m. // Breakout Sessions

Our breakouts are built around shared knowledge, both from the trainer and other attendees. Participate in a session to get hands-on experience, in-depth discussions and a meaningful deep-dive into a variety of topics.

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. // Power Hour

Join us in the RTDNA25 Lounge for some speedy presentations and shared tips and tricks.

12:30 - 2 p.m. // Dine Arounds

Join your fellow conference attendees for lunch to discuss professional topics that matter to you in a small, intimate setting. Personally connecting in an intimate setting will allow you to benefit from the wisdom of diverse experiences and foster new relationships with industry colleagues. The table topics will be determined by the group — a catalyst to truly connect with one another. *Pre-registration required. **Please note that the meal cost is not included in your conference registration unless attending a sponsored Dine Around.

Sponsored Dine Arounds:

• FOX

2 – 3:15 p.m. // RTDNA Awards & Honors

We'll salute the RTDNA Foundation's 2025 Scholarship and Fellowship recipients and then recognize and hear from the best of the best with our Paul White and John F. Hogan awards. Hear from each recipient about the power of journalism, their triumphs and tribulations and how they feel about the future of the industry.

3:15 - 4 p.m. // Afternoon Boost: Snacks & Social

Get the boost you need with some afternoon snacks and gather in our lounge to share what you’ve learned and socialize with peers and sponsors.

3:15 - 4 p.m. // Feedback Loop: Critiques

Sit down with the pros and have your reel or resume critiqued. Leave with tips and tricks, the confidence to know you’re moving in the right direction, and a new connection in the industry. *Sign-up required

4 - 5 p.m.  // Breakout Sessions

Our breakouts are built around shared knowledge, both from the trainer and other attendees. Participate in a session to get hands-on experience, in-depth discussions and a meaningful deep-dive into a variety of topics.

5 – 6:30 p.m. // Grub and Give

Giving back is one of the foundational elements of RTDNA25 so join us for a quick dinner and then roll up your sleeves and engage in several service projects that benefit the New Orleans community while you chat it up with your peers. Sponsored by FOX.

7:30 – 8 p.m. // Second Line Reception

It wouldn’t be a party in the French Quarter without participating in a second line parade to celebrate 

our Opening Night Party! Join us for a short reception at the hotel before following the band on to our party venue, Rue Bourbon.

8 - 11 p.m. // Opening Night Party

Celebrate Day 1 by hitting the town at Rue Bourbon with us at the Opening Night Party, sponsored by our friends at CNN Newsource.

Friday, June 13

8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.  // Registration Desk Open

Stop by the registration desk to grab your registration materials or get your questions answered.

8:30 – 9:30 a.m. // Beignets & Coffee Break

Grab a cup, fill it up and spend time connecting with sponsors, exhibitors and peers in the RTDNA25 Lounge.

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. // Breakout Sessions

Our breakouts are built around shared knowledge, both from the trainer and other attendees. Participate in a session to get hands-on experience, in-depth discussions and a meaningful deep-dive into a variety of topics.

10:30 – 11:30 a.m. // Feedback Loop: Critiques

Sit down with the pros and have your reel or resume critiqued. Leave with tips and tricks, the confidence to know you’re moving in the right direction, and a new connection in the industry. *Sign-up required

10:30 – 11:30 a.m. // Self-Care Space: You-Call-It

Leaders need self-care just as much as their teams do, and sometimes that comes in the form of fun. We’re here for you with a variety of activities to break up the day, help you take a breath and soak up a bit of enjoyment — you’ve earned it!

11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. // Lunch On Your Own

Get a bite to eat with new or old friends, but make sure you're back in time for the next round of breakouts.

1 – 2:30 p.m. // Breakout Sessions

Our breakouts are built around shared knowledge, both from the trainer and other attendees. Participate in a session to get hands-on experience, in-depth discussions and a meaningful deep-dive into a variety of topics.

2:30 - 3:15 p.m. // Afternoon Boost: Snacks & Social

Get the boost you need with some afternoon snacks and gather in our lounge to share what you’ve learned and socialize with peers, sponsors and exhibitors.

3:15 – 4:15 p.m. // Breakout Sessions

Our breakouts are built around shared knowledge, both from the trainer and other attendees. Participate in a session to get hands-on experience, in-depth discussions and a meaningful deep-dive into a variety of topics.

4:30 - 5 p.m. // Closing Keynote

Join us for a wrap up of the conference in a moderated discussion to help you organize and prepare to bring all your new ideas and connections back to your newsrooms.

6 - 8 p.m. // Sponsored Parties Around Town

Join the various companies and organizations at parties around NOLA. *Invitations required unless otherwise listed

RTDNA25 Breakout Sessions

Trainer Information Available Soon!

How to Fight for YOUR Best Career

Navigating your career is tough, especially in the current climate. Bring all the questions for this AMA session with Nicholas Whitaker, a conscious leadership coach who empowers professionals and leaders on their career journeys. From negotiating salaries to advocating for yourself, take time to prep for your next career move or better your current role. 

How Do You Do, Fellow Kids?

Journalism's youngest audience consumes information differently than generations before them. Hear directly from young people — teens and young adults — about where they get their news, how we can better serve them and what you can do to better align your coverage and delivery for the younger generations. 

How Jazz Improv Can Transform Your Newsroom (No, seriously)

What can newsroom leaders learn from jazz improvisation? It turns out, plenty. Jazz is an ever-changing dialogue based on a mastery of the material; sharing, listening and responding; opportunities to explore; and the freedom to fail. The end result is something new and often something brilliant.

Innovative Products: Meet Your Audience's Needs Without Sacrificing Your Mission

Newsrooms have limited resources; what are effective models for ensuring we're placing the smartest bets possible? As audience behaviors radically change, how can we develop editorial products that can compete with giant platforms? And how can we create a structure to support that innovation while maintaining our newsroom missions?

Burnout: Why We Might Be Doing This To Ourselves, and How To Stop

Burnout isn’t just about overworking — it’s about broken systems that force you to do everything yourself. Learn how to build burnout-proof businesses with custom systems, automation, and smarter workflows so your business runs smoothly — without running you into the ground.

Consciously Disengaging from News

Data shows a 10-year trend toward disengagement from online news, with interest in news falling and news avoidance rising. What's causing the trend and what does that mean for journalism — and democracy? Join the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism to discuss their findings over years of study and what we all may do to help overcome this continuing wave of disengagement.

Staying Safe: Online Harassment Mitigation and Response

We are far from the halcyon days of the early internet, where we could spin up personal websites and blogs with relative privacy and anonymity. But there are steps we can take to dial back the amount of personal information about us. Join the Freedom of the Press Foundation for a training where you'll learn where your information lurks online and how to either suppress access to it or remove it altogether, and what to do when you've become a target for trolls. 

Using AI Smarter to Manage Better

By now, we've all sat through a session on AI and might have even tinkered with some of the software. This session, though, will help you consider all of the implications of AI use in your newsroom while showing you tools to improve YOUR workflow as a newsroom leader? See how these tools can make you a better manager by proofreading emails to your newsroom, synthesizing data in your decision-making, improving attendance at company town hall meetings.

Working Better Together: Collaboration Toolkit

Collaborations are key for producing news that spans markets and audiences. Let's explore how you can create teams that work effectively and efficiently, what skills you and others should enhance and what you should know to know to produce the best journalism.

Hotel Monteleone

214 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130

$239/night + applicable state/local fees

 Reserve Your Room Before May 21

We're so excited to host RTDNA25 at Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans' most celebrated hotel in the French Quarter. Known as the grand dame of Royal Street, Hotel Monteleone is one of the last great family-owned and operated hotels in New Orleans. Since 1886, five generations of Monteleones have dedicated themselves to making their hotel what it was, and still is — a sparkling jewel in the heart of the French Quarter.

With over a century of history, Hotel Monteleone has earned numerous awards and prestige through dedicated service and a commitment to comfort. Our historic hotel is an official literary landmark designated by the Friends of the Library Association and is a member of the Historic Hotels of America, the Preferred Hotel Group, and Associated Luxury Hotels International. Read more about the beautiful hotel's history.

RTDNA5, hosted by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), will bring together hundreds of news directors, producers, reporters, editors, photographers, and other media professionals June 11-13 2025 at Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans.

Attendees are interested in learning about journalism and media trends, new digital tools, emerging technologies, career opportunities, and more. RTDNA25 will provide job seekers and recruiters with a place to network and explore new opportunities.

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Sponsors Get All the Rewards!

Networking Opportunities

With a small, exclusive number of sponsors, there are plenty of interactive opportunities to connect with attendees. No, we don't have a traditional exhibit floor because we think engaging with attendees is so much more than that. Our opportunities are broad and meaningful, giving you a chance to build great, lasting connections.

Access

Highlight your company, job openings, services or opportunities by branding conference lanyards, Wi-Fi or T-Shirts or becoming the exclusive sponsor of a Happy Hour or the Headshot Studio. Be the exclusive sponsor of a hospitality event like a special event, sponsor a snack break, and more! Create and maintain business relationships during some of the more “social” aspects! 

Exposure

Looking for a way to make an impression? We offer a number of branded and experiential marketing opportunities to engage our audience. Our sponsor recognition package offers optimal exposure. We highlight our sponsors at every turn so you're sure to feel - and be - noticed!

Sponsorship Levels

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