PubU 2018
November 6-7, 2018

Lipscomb University, Nashville, Tennessee


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Training, Connecting, and Inspiring the Christian Publishing Professional

Informing-U

PubU is a U-Build-It event. Our BrainTrust develops a variety of sessions you can choose from that will inform your role in Christian publishing.

Training-U

You'll leave PubU with the experience and knowledge of 10 training, networking, and general sessions -- all packed in just 24 hours!

Inspiring-U

PubU's signature value is learning from industry colleagues and leaders through panels, Q&A, sessions, and discussions about best practices, case studies, and challenges they've faced and overcome. Plan to leave PubU with a few more friends and mentors, inspired and encouraged in your publishing role.

Connecting-U

PubU is the place to network and meet others in the industry who do what you do—or not. In any case, the connections you make at PubU will enlarge your vision for the mission of Christian publishing while you hone and appreciate your craft as a vital component of that mission.

What people are saying about PubU

  • "PubU gathers publishing professionals to help them hone their area of expertise."

  • "PubU was a very valuable event. I loved the opportunity to learn from industry experts and meet other professionals from the industry."

  • "The highlight of my time at PubU was meeting others in the industry and being able to connect with and learn from them."

  • "Being able to bounce new ideas off of people who fully understand your role is invaluable."

  • "The most significant experience for me was spending time chatting with fellow editors."

  • "Had a blast hanging out with amazing colleagues."

  • "I love getting to meet other people in the industry and learn more about how to effectively market our books and reach readers in the growing digital age."

  • "PubU provides a great opportunity to network with other professionals in the Christian publishing industry."

  • "In the span of two days you learn about current tools, resources, and trends that might've taken months or years to come across otherwise."

  • "My first PubU experience was energizing and educational."

  • "Having worked from home for a number of years, this was an excellent opportunity to meet new friends, catch up with old, freshen my editing skills, and be inspired."

  • "The highlight of PubU is the valuable knowledge from the sessions and the contacts I meet."

  • "PubU refreshed me and sparked a desire to exercise my God-given creativity that I haven't felt in years."

  • "Without exception, the PubU sessions are excellent."

  • "The plenary sessions are a wonderful opportunity to gather as industry professionals and think about the place of creativity, justice, and theology in the world of Christian publishing."

  • "The sessions gave us tangible tools to apply to our strategies and got us rethinking how we tackle projects entirely."

  • "PubU is the boost of energy and creativity that we all need each year."

2018 Photo Gallery
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Featuring Donald Miller
as the PubU Keynote Speaker

Donald Miller is the CEO of StoryBrand and every year helps more than 3,000 business leaders clarify their brand message. Combined, Don's books have spent more than a year on the New York Times Bestsellers list. His books include: Blue Like Jazz, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, and Scary Close. Don is widely considered one of the most entertaining and informative speakers in the world. His audiences are challenged to lean into their own story, creatively develop and execute the story of their team, and understand the story of their customers so they can serve them with passion. Don's thoughts on story have deeply influenced leaders and teams for Pantene, Ford/Lincoln, Zaxby's, Chick-fil-A, Steelcase, Intel, Prime Lending and thousands more.

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Featuring Kristen McLean
as the PubU Plenary Speaker

Kristen McLean is the Executive Director of Business Development at the NPD Books practice, the team behind NPD BookScan. Kristen is a twenty year veteran of the publishing industry, with a career spanning many roles including retailing, buying, field sales, marketing, and business development which gives her an unusually deep perspective as a market analyst. In addition to working closely with a number of key clients, her current initiatives include the development of a Licensed Brand Reporting Service within NPD's wider Entertainment Group. She speaks broadly to industry leaders about trends in the Book and Media industries, and she is deeply interested in the confluence of emerging consumer behavior, technology, literacy, and generational shift in the Digital Age.

PubU Brain Trust

You're in good hands. Planning this year's program is the PubU BrainTrust. Team members represent expertise in major publishing roles and have a synergy that will reflect in our dynamic program.

  • All
  • marketing, sales, & publicity
  • editorial
  • design
  • Reader Engagement
  • Data, Delivery, & Workflow
  • rights
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Dave Schroeder

Vice President, Marketing
B&H Publishing Group

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Melinda Bouma

Publisher Zondervan Bibles, an Imprint
of HarperCollins Christian Publishing

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Josh Dennis

Executive Vice President
of Creative, Crossway

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Jerri Helms

Sr. Director of Digital Marketing Strategy, Bibles HarperCollins Christian
Publishing Group

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Kristen McLean

Executive Director of Business
Development NPD Book

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George Roach

International Rights Manager
Tyndale House Publishers

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Joshua Tallent

Director of Outreach and Education Firebrand Technologies

Emerging Leaders Scholarships

Develop new and diverse voices in your organization by sending them to PubU.

Nominate today

We thank the following companies for their support of the industry and this event:

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For more information on sponsoring this event, contact [email protected]