PubU | ECPA

SESSION ONE

Metadata Best Practices for the Modern Publisher

Are your metadata practices stuck in Egypt? Is your backlist data as old as Moses? Are you looking for a path through the turbulent metadata waters? Metadata is your company’s most important non-people resource, and how you create and manage your metadata can have a massive impact on your books' success. This session will provide practical, actionable information about how metadata influences sales, what metadata is most important, and how to update your data for the biggest impact. We will discuss modern techniques and best practices that any publisher can implement right away. Come with your questions and your own examples of metadata headaches you need to solve.

Joshua Tallent

Joshua Tallent is the Director of Sales and Education at Firebrand Technologies (https://firebrandtech.com), where his focus is on helping publishers of all sizes learn about, and find solutions to, their workflow and metadata problems. Joshua’s background is deeply rooted in ebook development, metadata, and other publishing technologies, and he is an acclaimed teacher and guide on the role of data in publishing. He serves as the Chair of the BISG Board of Directors and is the host of the BookSmarts Podcast (https://booksmartspodcast.com), which features practical discussions and interviews about publishing data and technologies. In his spare time, Joshua enjoys teaching Bible studies, playing complex board games, and fiddling with his home automation system.

SESSION TWO

Overview and Benefits of a Strategic Rights Program

From the formation and signing of the author contract all the way through to the end of a book's lifecycle, rights play a prominent role in almost every stage. Yet, rights can easily become confusing or misunderstood. In this session we want to explore a basic understanding of publishing rights and how to leverage them in areas such as financial profit, ministry value, legal requirements, and author relations.

George Roach

George Roach is Senior Global Rights and Permissions Manager at Tyndale House Publishers. For the past 8+ years he has been working with Rights and Licensing at Tyndale with a primary focus on Bible and Domestic Licensing. He lives in West Chicago, IL with his wife, Dawnielle, and two daughters. He enjoys biking, running, and spending time outdoors.

SESSION THREE

Supply Chain Logistics Update

An informative update on global supply chain issues. A great opportunity to bring questions and get tips for preparing your organization to successfully navigate current and future logistic disruptions.

Adrian Blackman

Adrian Blackman is Executive Vice President of Woodland Group, with 41 years of expertise in global supply chain and logistics management. Adrian possesses a comprehensive understanding of the distribution and logistics needs of the book printing and publishing industry, transferable to any fast-moving consumer goods environment. Adrian offers initiative, strong analytical capabilities, interpersonal leadership and communication skills with an entrepreneurial spirit and approach. Changing the ordinary, thinking out of the box and delivering logistical solutions has become Adrian’s primary focus and objective, whilst mentoring, training, embracing, encouraging & empowering others to do the same.

SESSION FOUR

Vendor Visits: Why In-Person Meetings Matter

Is the in-person business meeting a relic of the past? (No!) Are partner visits worth the time and cost? (Yes!) Join this panel for an open discussion about the benefits, tradeoffs, and obstacles associated with partner visits. We look forward to seeing you, in-person, for this timely talk.

Ben McCoy

Ben McCoy is Vice President of Operations and Chief of Staff at InterVarsity Press where he has worked since 2009. His areas of involvement include print production, inventory control, project management, organizational training, and vendor partnerships; previously at IVP he was involved with editorial operations and content production. Ben enjoys watching movies and engaging in outdoor activities such as hiking, backpacking, and surf fishing. Ben lives in North Carolina with his wife, two teenage children, and their energetic Australian Shepherd.

Linda Walz

Linda Walz is the production director at Tyndale House Publishers and has been helping to produce books and Bibles for more than 30 years. She gets to work with a dynamic group of buyers and loves being part of the process that brings our authors’ messages and our designers’ visions to life. In her free time, Linda enjoys combing for fun finds at antique markets, reading, and paper crafting.

Matt Kennell

Matt Kennell is the Executive Director of Sales at Versa Press, Inc., an industry leading US book manufacturer with a wide range of capabilities. He is an owner and member of the 4th generation family management team at Versa Press with 12 years of experience. He is heavily involved with the broader book publishing community and has expanded Versa Press’s presence and support for a variety of different book publishing associations. Matt is passionate about making positive impacts on the book publishing supply chain that help our industry be positioned well to thrive long term. To this end, Matt has become deeply involved in the work of BISG’s supply chain committee and believes that it is important to foster collaboration across supply chain participants. This led him to eventually join the BISG board of directors in July of 2022.

SESSION FIVE

The Multi-Faceted Profitability of Partnership

Taking your production relationships from transactional to personal. Join Tom Frank of Versa Press and Jeff Tolsma of Baker Publishing group to learn how growing from a transactional relationship to a partnership has served to benefit both companies.

Jeff Tolsma

Jeff Tolsma serves as Production Manager for Baker Publishing Group, where he enthusiastically leads an exceptional team of production specialists. His passion is facilitating the production of thought-provoking Christian books that will edify and encourage followers of Jesus. Jeff’s 20+ years of project management experience on the printing side helped BPG successfully navigate the production challenges of the recent past and new opportunities to come.

Tom Frank

Tom Frank has been a sales representative for Versa Press for over 26 years. He takes pride in working with publishers in Michigan and New England, using a consultative sales approach. By understanding his customers specific needs and preferences, he offers cost-effective solutions that help them realize their goals. Tom is dedicated to showcasing the extensive capabilities of Versa Press, whether through state-of-the-art equipment, specialized features, or connecting customers with other talented Versa Press professionals to help achieve success.

SESSION SIX

2024: A Paper Odyssey

What paper options are left, why, how are they different, and what’s next? No monoliths but real printed samples. No AI, but real print and paper people who will help you navigate this unpredictable but critical journey.

Matt Baehr

Matt Baehr is the Executive Director of the Book Manufacturers' Institute (BMI). He’s been the chief executive of the association since 2017. Matt has a long career in association management, primarily working with trade associations. He holds an undergraduate degree from the Catholic University in Washington, DC as well as graduate degrees from Ohio University in Athens, OH. He resides in Bradenton, FL where he enjoys soccer, cooking and spending time with his wife and 3 children.

Bill Rojack

Bill Rojack is Senior Vice President of Sales at MIDLAND. With 30 years of experience in the paper business, he specializes in sourcing and developing paper products and programs for many markets, with a unique concentration on publishing and direct mail verticals. Bill’s personal interest in environmental stewardship drew him to an early adoption of now-popular sustainability trends in the paper sector. This interest has also provided Bill a unique opportunity to develop aggressive but achievable procurement strategies in collaboration with global paper manufacturers and supply chain partners.

Matt Kennell

Matt Kennell is the Executive Director of Sales at Versa Press, Inc., an industry leading US book manufacturer with a wide range of capabilities. He is an owner and member of the 4th generation family management team at Versa Press with 12 years of experience. He is heavily involved with the broader book publishing community and has expanded Versa Press’s presence and support for a variety of different book publishing associations. Matt is passionate about making positive impacts on the book publishing supply chain that help our industry be positioned well to thrive long term. To this end, Matt has become deeply involved in the work of BISG’s supply chain committee and believes that it is important to foster collaboration across supply chain participants. This led him to eventually join the BISG board of directors in July of 2022.

RELATED MASTER CLASSES (ONLINE)

Color Management

Friesens Corporation’s PrePress and Color Expert, Brad Schmidt, walks you through color management and how to prepare your files for print on either a digital or offset press.

The Way Forward: How DEI is Shaping the Future of Publishing

A Q&A with Carrie Bloxson, Hachette Book Group’s senior VP of culture and diversity, equity and inclusion, in conversation with ECPA president Jeff Crosby, and ECPA board member Daisy Hutton, VP and publisher of Hachette Nashville.

The impact of the European Accessibility Act and the updated ADA Title II Regulations on reflowable and fixed layout epubs

Nord Compo's Larry Bennett discusses the new U.S. and E.U. regulations governing accessibility for digital products will have a profound impact on most publishers. This Master Class will delve into the specifics of what that means for U.S. publishers for their frontlist and backlist titles that are available in reflowable epub format. Then we’ll take a deep dive into how to make fixed layout epubs more accessible.

Online Retail Analytics: How changing title data impacts sales

This session with Firebrand Technologies' Joshua Tallent will demonstrate Firebrand's Eloquence on Alert platform, including some exciting new features that make retail analytics easier to do than ever before.