IAB ALM hasn’t even started, and I’ve probably clocked 6+ hours of discussion about AI with publishers, agencies, brands, associations, and hotel staff (hey, he brought it up).
Palm Springs has low humidity, but the air is dense with pontification about the future.
I think I’ve been successful in sharing some ideas people haven’t considered across two planes. First, what may lead to what the future of publishing might look like, and second, what publishers should be doing now. It’s a nuanced conversation, right? We want to talk about the future, but we need to be managing the present.
Now, watch this, because I’m going to give a citation, which is something that more of you should do if you care about the future of publishing: give credit where credit is due.
Here it is, in all of its citation glory:
“The single greatest misunderstanding about science by the public is that scientists solve problems; in reality, scientists are primarily concerned with creating them.”
- Yanai, I., Lercher, M. What is the question?
I would posit that this isn’t exclusive to scientists.
If you want to put a thought in someone’s head – whether for politics, marketing, storytelling, reporting, or whatever – you don’t put the answer in front of them.
Give them the right question to answer.
Give them the right problem to solve.
The Magna Carta was signed in 1215. You have a device in your hand that will tell you that if you ask. But why would you ask? You wouldn’t. It’s trivia.
However, this question starts the right conversation:
“Yes, the Magna Carta is a significant historical document, but why is it especially significant today, in February 2026?”
No one would think about it unless you asked the question. But when you do, it’s only then that someone can connect the dots… the Magna Carta famously established that no ruler is above the law.
The right question makes all the difference.
If AI is building the answer economy, we need to create the question economy.
Pretty philosophical for an ops guy, huh? Well, I’m not done.
Right now, operations people need to be focused on questions. How are you generating revenue for me today? How are you helping build my future? Do you believe in my future? What should my boss be asking me, but she doesn’t have the time to ask, and can I answer it?
At Base.Camp San Antonio and the remainder of the year, Beeler.Tech will provide the answers, but just as important, we’re going to help frame the questions. Join us.
We’re less than a month to Base.Camp San Antonio, folks…
So far, revenue leaders from Cox Automotive, Fandom, Graham Media, Hearst, MediaNews Group Inc, Mirror Digital, NASCAR, New York Post, POLITICO, The New York Times have committed to joining us.
And we’ve got a lot BIG AGENDA NEWS to share:
- We’re thrilled to announce David McRaney (author of How Minds Change; reasoning, self-delusion, and psychology expert) is joining as a keynote speaker to help us answer this critical question: how do minds change? David has uncovered and woven together the latest research across fields of psychology revealing that, even though it seems like real change takes generations to become visible, change can happen within a lifetime, within minutes.
- Jason Tollestrup of The Washington Post will show us how RFPs can be a real opportunity for publishers to bring AI into existing processes.
- KiYonna Carr of Yahoo is here to remind us that, when it comes to programmatic, we have to focus on controlling what we can control. But where are the opportunities to wrangle our programmatic destinies?
- Peter Chang of Fandom will talk us through a brand safety framework that works. Because Publishers with UGC content haven’t had the luxury of waiting for brand safety to “sort itself out.”
- Also, our famous Tuesday activities have been announced… and if you’ve been to Base.Camp before, this is where some of the most enduring memories and collaborations are born.
March is almost here. Raise your hand to join us now.
Hot off the presses, we’ve got four juicy reads for you this week:
- We’ve got trust issues: ad quality, trust, and revenueRob sits down with Danielle Koffler, Director of Product at Confiant, to unpack why ad quality has become a core business concern – not just a technical one. Drawing from Confiant’s H1 Mid-Year MAQ Index 2025, they explore how today’s ad quality landscape has become more pernicious and less predictable, and how publishers can mitigate risk, protect revenue, and restore trust.
- AI Publisher Response Live: Trust, strategy, and what’s next Did you miss the first AI Publisher Response Live podcast session last week? Get caught up now, as we prepare for AI Publisher Response on May 6 in NYC. In this conversation, we dug into practical strategy, including how publishers define their relationship with LLMs, where publisher leverage shows up in marketplace models, and how trust can be measured and strengthened as AI reshapes distribution. This video recording is open to all.
- The publisher response to AI in 2026 In this Camp.Fire, Rob Beeler frames the conversation around a collective publisher response to an AI-influenced world – less doomsday, more problem-solving. The discussion opens up to publishers, adtech partners, and operators grappling with real pressures. This conversation is for our exclusive publishers and partners only community. Please ask in the community for the password to watch this video.
Want to get caught up on everything we’ve published? Start here.
Here’s the latest news, and yes, it’s all true:
- ICYMI: Raef Godwin has joined the Beeler.Tech team! In addition to being a close collaborator of Rob’s for years, Raef has been a leading voice in the adops space, as well as our community. In his role, he’ll be bringing structured mentorship opportunities to our community and events, breaking down the impact of AI on the people in our industry, innovating new career growth programs, and more.
- Save the date: Camp.Fire is happening on Feb. 19! Camp.Fire is where publishers and partners come together to talk about the top topics within our community monthly. What’s this month’s topic? Still TBD. But once we’ve got that locked in, you know we’ll assemble the right crew for the conversation. Camp.Fire is exclusive to our existing publisher and partner community.
- Introducing the Advertising Economic Forum Futures Program AdEF is excited to offer an incredible opportunity to up-and-coming professionals across media agencies, adops professionals at publishers, programmatic traders, sales, marketing, and finance. The AdTech Futures Program is designed to give the next generation of industry leaders a front-row seat to cutting-edge discussions on the economic and financial forces driving adtech innovation. This is your chance to receive a complimentary ticket to AdEF, where you’ll connect with top investors, innovators, and influencers, gaining valuable insights and building your network for the future.
- Register now: AI Publisher Live on Feb. 6 with Amanda Sabreah This AI Publisher Response Live virtual session will feature Rob Beeler, along with Amanda Sabreah of Thought Factory. Amanda is coming in from the brand side to tackle a clear reality: publishers have a brand problem. We’ll dig into what “think like a brand” looks like in practice, and how that shift changes how audiences, partners, and the market recognize publisher value. Bring your questions and jump into the chat.
- The community for AI Publisher Response (May 6 in NYC) is growing Leaders from Thomson Reuters, The Weather Company, Automattic, Better Collective, Graham Media, Cox Automotive, PGA TOUR, Hearst, New York Post, The New York Times will be joining us. And “watch this space,” because your first look at the agenda drops next week. Raise your hand, we’ve got a lot of work to do
A full list of all 2026 events we’re involved in, all in one nice little package:
- Base.Camp San Antonio - March 1-4, 2026
- Advertising Economic Forum NYC - March 18-19, 2026
- Digital Day Camp: Spring - April 15 & 16, 2026
- Navigator NYC - May 5, 2026
- AI Publisher Response Event - May 6, 2026
- Navigator London - June 9, 2026
- Base.Camp La Jolla - October 4-7, 2026
- Digital Day Camp: Fall - October 21 & 22, 2026
- Base.Camp Madrid - November 8-11, 2026
Chicago AdTech Happy Hour
📅 Feb 10, 5:00 pm CT
📍 Parlor Pizza Bar in West Loop @ 108 N. Green St.
Our Chicago friends are hosting the first AdTech Happy Hour of 2026. This one is unsponsored. In Chicago? Don’t miss it! Send us pictures!
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