IPG to host virtual Spring Conference in June

The Independent Publishers Guild is thrilled to announce an exciting new virtual Spring Conference for its members on Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 June 2020.

The two-day event will be completely free to access for every employee of every IPG member. It will host a wide range of speakers from across publishing and beyond, delivering presentations on a variety of topics from wherever they are working, including on responses to the latest challenges in the industry. Non-members will be charged a nominal delegate fee.

The Spring Conference will be hosted on a state-of-the art digital platform, and delegates will be able to make new contacts and talk to leading publishing suppliers and service providers in virtual meetings.

The event will have an emphasis on training and professional development, and provide practical advice to help members become even better businesses—both during challenging periods and in happier times beyond. The training element means that all staff will be eligible to attend, even if they remain furloughed and unable to do day-to-day work for their employer.

The IPG will be revealing the programme of speakers for the Spring Conference over the next few weeks, plus more about the platform’s features that delegates can enjoy. Registration for the event will open shortly.

The Spring Conference is supported by gold sponsor Ingram Content Group; silver sponsors PLS, ProQuest and The Paperback Shop; and exhibitors Above the Treeline, Clays, Halstan, Inspired Selection, MetaComet Systems, Westchester Publishing Services, YUDU and The Book Trade Charity. The generous support of these companies in challenging times is hugely appreciated, and has enabled the IPG to make access free for its members.

IPG chief executive Bridget Shine said: “While we are not able meet face-to-face for our Spring Conference this year, this is going to be a wonderful way for publishers to do as they do at every IPG event: get ideas and inspiration from experts, interact with friends and establish new contacts. Independent publishers have been adapting to recent challenges, and this solution shows our own creative response to the coronavirus crisis. The IPG’s community has long had a spirit of mutual support and a remarkable generosity of sharing advice, and the 2020 Spring Conference is going to be a memorable example of that. We’re really looking forward to the virtual company of our brilliant members in June.”

For any further information please contact Bridget Shine, IPG chief executive on 01437 563335 or email [email protected].