Rolv Erik Ryssdal, chief executive of Norway-based Schibsted, and Eugen Russ, one of the newspaper industry's most innovative publishers, have joined the programme for the 63rd World Newspaper Congress, to be held in Vienna, Austria, from October 12-15.

As head of Schibsted, Ryssdal oversees a media company that is known for its digital innovation and has recently become a pioneer on charging for digital content. Eugen Russ, publisher and chief executive of Vorarlberger Medienhaus in Austria, has won numerous awards for innovation and has parlayed the company's central role in community life into numerous lucrative businesses.

The two industry leaders will take part in a Congress session on how the industry responds to rapid and constant change. Other participants in the session include Jeongdo Hong, chief strategy officer of JoongAng Media Network in Korea, Hanzade Dogan Boyner, chairwoman of Dogan Gazetecilik, Turkey's biggest media group, Damian Kudryavtsev the chief executive of Kommersant Publishing House in Russia, and Wilfred David Kiboro, group chief executive of Nation Media Group in Kenya.

More than 1,200 publishers, chief executives, managing directors, chief editors and other senior newspaper executives are expected in Vienna for the Congress, World Editors Forum and Info Services Expo, the global annual summit meetings of the world's press organised by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-Ifra). Full details, including the programme and registration information, can be found at http://tinyurl.com/6x223jy

The Congress and Editors Forum is being held this year in conjunction with IfraExpo, the largest global trade exhibition for the news publishing and media industry. The Expo will proceed the Congress and Forum, giving newspaper professionals the opportunity to benefit from a mega 'Newspaper Week' event. Full details on all the events can be found at http://www.worldnewspaperweek.org

Other Congress highlights include:

- A session dedicated to new revenue opportunities and business models to preserve the financial sustainability and financial independence of news publishers. The session will include: Juan Luis Cebrián, CEO of Spain's Prisa Group, Gregor Waller, former head of strategy and innovation for Germany's Axel Springer, and other speakers to be announced.

- A session dedicated to digital innovations, featuring one of the most innovative publishers in Asia, the first tablet-only newspaper, and industry 'frenemies' Facebook and Google, to examine trends and success factors in digital, what new business and revenue models are promising and the role of social media. Speakers include Mariam Mammen Mathew, chief operating officer of Manorama Online in India, Rebecca Grossman-Cohen, director of marketing for The Daily, Madhav Chinnappa, strategic partner development manager for Google Books & News, Emma Barnett, digital media editor for the Telegraph Media Group, and others to be announced.

- An examination of new business opportunities, both traditional for newspaper companies and entirely new as well. As the newspaper business is no long based on the simple revenue model of advertising and circulation revenue, many new business and revenue models are emerging. Session speakers include Ravi Dhariwal, chief executive of The Times of India, Soheil Dastyari, chief executive of Gruner+Jahr Corporate Editors in Germany, Urs Gossweiler, chief executive of Gossweiler Media in Switzerland, and more to be announced.

- The annual presentation of the Innovations in Newspapers World Report, prepared for WAN-Ifra by Innovation Media Consulting, which this year will focus on: how to make pay walls work; how to re-invent narratives and workflows for the mobile news experience; the impact and implications of the iPad; and newspaper engagement with social media. And, as always, the presentation will be illustrated with case studies from around the world.

- An update of World Press Trends, the annual WAN-Ifra report on the newspaper industry worldwide. Covering all 233 countries and territories were newspapers are published, the report and presentation provide vital statistics and analyses of the global industry as well as individual markets.

The events, hosted by the Austrian Newspaper Association (VÖZ), will be accompanied by a rich social programme, tours, meetings with local and international political, business and cultural leaders, and more.

The full Congress programme, speakers information and more can be found at http://tinyurl.com/6x223jy