The event, held at the British Museum, was hosted by the editor of thelondonpaper, Stefano Hatfield, who spoke of the value of free media, highlighting the prominence of brands such as Facebook and Google.
One of the event's speakers, Mike Bartlett, director of product strategy at the internet phone service Skype, claimed the success of free media depended on its ability to deliver quality services "instantly".
He added that ease of use was important and pointed to Skype's new software application Skype 4.0, which had fewer features than its predecessor but had improved audio and video quality. He claimed the release "was its most successful to date".
Trevor Johnson, head of market development, EMEA, at Facebook, rebuffed suggestions that big brand advertising did not work successfully across free media, highlighting the success of O2's student initiative on the social networking site.
Participants in the event also dismissed claims advertising on free media was of less value in consumers' minds than ads across paid-for titles.
The event - an initiative by thelondonpaper - was held in association with Media Week.
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