Protocols for Publishers ✨ London

London, UK February 4-5 2025
Protocols for Publishers is a series that brings together publishers, developers, and researchers to explore open protocols for a sustainable agentic web.

Why?

We're on the path to a new kind of web, with an uncertain future: AI-based user agents are fast-becoming a core interface to the internet for over half-a-billion active users per week. Platforms have increasingly seized control of the publisher-reader relationship: search engines are squeezing out web publishers to juice ad revenue, while social platforms have captured audiences with algorithmic reach and paid promotion. The rise of new AI super-apps, in place of traditional browsers, is set to make this dynamic exponentially worse.

How can publishers engage in this platform shift beyond being a dataset to be scraped? How can we avoid being trapped by a new wave of mega-platforms? And how can publishers on the web reach real users, build lasting relationships, and continue to have a equitable business model?

We believe now is a critical time to get technologists & publishers working together to explore—and define—real answers to these questions.

What & When?

Following our successful event in New York City we are now bringing PfP✨ to Europe. As in New York, we will be hosting a public Showcase featuring a number of short talks, followed by an invite-only day-long Stakeholder Summit where publishers and technologists can deepen the discussion.

Showcase

February 4th 2026

On February 4th, 2026 from 7PM join us for an evening of presentations and open discussion, where protocol builders and publishers share their thinking about the future of the web. You'll hear short talks about the challenges and opportunities in the space featuring ActivityPub, AT Protocol, Web Payments, and controlling your data in an AI World. Each talk will include Q&A. Following will be a relaxed mixer over drinks and light bites with the speakers and peers.

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The Showcase is a public event, so anyone can join and there is no need to apply. As we are trying to get a sense of the number of attendees, please indicate your interest by filling out the short form below. Once we have determined the right size of venue and catering, we will send an event invitation from the PfP✨ Luma.

Speakers

Saskia Welch manages projects, communities, and communications at the Newsmast Foundation, Saskia supports Newsmast app development from the initial spark to the big launch.

Siddhartha Kurapati leads Communications and Digital Marketing at The Bristol Cable. Siddhartha ensures that The Cable’s independent journalism reaches newer audiences and stands out from the noise of mainstream news.

Together they will speak on building a local news app using Activity Pub for The Bristol Cable.

To be announced later this week

Stakeholder Forum

February 5th 2026

Apply to join the Stakeholder Forum →

A curated full day of focused conversations. We'll rotate through small-group discussions on real-world challenges, share new protocol capabilities, and work through the strategic landscape to identify opportunities to leverage for a better future for the web publishing ecosystem.

Build relationships creative and knowledgeable people from both the publishing and technology domains. Chatham House Rules are to be observed, ensuring everyone has a safe space for deep discussion.

PROPOSED AGENDA

09:30 - Doors open, morning tea/coffee and light breakfast
10:00 - Strategic landscape and discussion sessions focused on AI-intermediation
12:00 - Lunch
13:30 - SPECIAL PRESENTATION: Laurens Hof gives an analysis of the open social landscape (see more info below)
14:00 - Discussion sessions focused on open social
15:00 - Tea/coffee break
15:15 - Discussion sessions focused on open social
16:00 - Closing

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NOTE: This agenda is entirely provisional, and is subject to change as we consider the interests of attendees as expressed in their application submissions.

Laurens Hof is an independent analyst and consultant based in the Netherlands, specialising in decentralised social networking protocols. Through his newsletter Connected Places, he provides in-depth analysis of the ATProto and ActivityPub ecosystems, examining governance models, cultural dynamics and technical changes. He consults on strategy, funding, and ecosystem development for open social networking protocols.

Learn more →

Apply to join the Stakeholder Forum →

Supporters

Thank you to our partners

Newsmast Foundation is an educational charity, supporting the use of social media for good at the forefront of new, open social media.

Learn more →

More to announce soon…

Sponsorship & collaborations

If you're a publisher, protocol builder, or other supporter of a capture-resistant web futures and want to get involved as a sponsor contact us here.

Image credits: Photo by Johannes Plenio and line art by Richard Horvath on Unsplash.