Future of Print Takes Center Stage at Book Business Conference & Expo

More than 1,000 publishing industry professionals converged on New York’s Marriott Marquis, March 5-7, braving a windy Times Square to attend the 2007 Book Business Conference and Expo. The future of print was a primary theme throughout both the exhibit hall, which housed approximately 100 industry suppliers and services, and the conference program, which was packed with more than two dozen sessions, roundtables and panel discussions relevant to book publishers looking for tools to manage their businesses in an ever-changing industry.

“The conference hit on so many of the most significant issues facing book publishers that attendees and speakers alike were truly energized by the time they left,” says Noelle Skodzinski, Book Business magazine’s editor-in-chief and the conference program director. “Some participants thanked us for making their trips across the country worthwhile. Several others said the conference delivered some of the best sessions they have ever attended. The program content clearly provides a resource and forum unique for book publishing executives, and we were thrilled with this year’s event,” she says. “We had so many amazing speakers from leading publishing companies that shared great insights and practical advice with our attendees. It was very inspiring.”

Approximately 75 speakers hailed from companies such as Random House Inc., Houghton Mifflin Co., Scholastic, HarperCollins, McGraw-Hill, John Wiley and Sons Inc., Vintage Books, Arcadia House, Merriam-Webster, Sourcebooks, Quirk Books, Oxford University Press, Sterling Publishing Co. Inc., Pearson, Thieme Publishers and New York University Press.

It was a who’s who in publishing event, with most of the major book publishing companies represented, as well as small and mid-size companies that are growing and innovating successfully during this tumultuous, but exciting time in the industry. But it wasn’t an event where seeing and being seen was on the minds of most attendees; they were there to learn. The conference offered a how-to on just about every hot topic in book publishing, from digital strategy, to managing production, cutting manufacturing costs, managing cash flow, inventory management, global sourcing, environmental sustainability and much more.