AAN’s second annual Publishers Conference is taking place Nov. 13 and 14 in Charleston, S.C., and will feature a couple of big-picture presentations and informal discussions about the state of the industry.

Kicking things off on Friday, Nov. 13 will be newspaper broker and former publisher Gary Greene, who will discuss what happened to the newspaper industry in 2009 and what he foresees happening in 2010, using a recent survey of 130 publishers to guide him.

The following day, Robert Prioleau of Charleston-based interactive agency Blue Ion will address trends in interactive marketing and branding.

Others scheduled to speak during the two-day conference are Sara Weaver of Mediaphormedia, who will discuss her company’s Ellington Content Management system, and Ken Kalb of Analog Analytics, who will focus on his company’s online coupon business. Mediaphormedia and Analog Analytics are both conference sponsors.

Most of the conference will be devoted to informal, moderated discussions between publishers. The member-led sessions will touch on everything from business opportunities to leadership to market research.

One session will turn its focus to AAN itself. With executive director Richard Karpel leaving and the organization considering whether online-only publications should be allowed to join, president Mark Zusman will lead a “How Should AAN Change?” discussion.

And to conclude the conference, Karpel will be feted with a going away party on Saturday evening at the Charleston Grille.