From its inception, BookTech West has been designed for attendees by industry experts, editors and inventive coordinators. This year, Conference Coordinator Rebecca Churilla invites participants to e-mail questions to her prior to the show to be included in "On the Cutting Edge" sessions listed below. According to Churilla, "BookTech West is founded on the ideal that one-to-one communication is a good business practice. That's why I'm inviting curious professionals to send their questions to me even before the show begins." Churilla explains that by opening up dialogue before the show begins, she'll compile and present the inquiries to each speaker to consider. "If the speakers understand what the attendees most want to hear," Churilla says, "they'll be more effective in delivering the best advice possible."
BookTech West 2001's "On the Cutting Edge" sessions are the first sessions to ever initiate free preliminary participation within three years. Churilla anticipates that by welcoming ideas, the sessions will be best suited towards the intended audiences "For instance," she suggests, "if a session attendee really wants to discuss the future of e-books, we want to ensure that our talented speakers fulfill this expectation. Or if someone is specific about discussing digital rights protection, our speakers will make sure that they have valuable evidence to support their insights."
Once the e-mail inquires have been sent, on Wednesday, August 1, 2001 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, design, e-books, strategists and managers, and small and independent publishers will meet in separate forums to discuss, "On The Cutting Edge at BookTech West," and answer each specific question.
Churilla says the session will commence as a forum. She asks, "Did a previous session bring up an issue that you would like to delve further into? Did a speaker run out of time? Or did we miss your topic of interest completely?" Panelists tackling these issues will include:
David Cole - Principal, Gemini Marketing and Communications
Cole is a marketing consultant and writer with more than 25 years of publishing experience. He is the author of "The Complete Guide to Book Marketing" from Allworth Press and co-author of "The Lobster Kids' Guide to Exploring San Francisco." He has serves as contributing editor and columnist for two publishing industry newsletters, "Bulldog Reporter's Book Marketing & Publicity" and "Book Publishing Report." Cole has worked in almost every aspect of publishing, including print production, editing, public relations, marketing and management. He served as marketing director for Nolo Press for six years and has worked as an independent publicist, freelance writer and editor. He was the founder and first president of the San Francisco Bay Area Book Festival. He taught for three years at the University of California Publishing Certification Program. Currently, Cole promotes a wide range of writing and marketing services to publishers throughout the country. His clients include numerous small- and mid-size firms, professional, educational, niche and general trade publishers, newsletter and magazine publishers, non-profits and dot-coms.
Mike Bertuch - President, ViaTech Publishing Solutions
Baruch is an expert in just-in-time manufacturing. He has traveled around the world creating manufacturing environments ruled by self-directed teams that eliminate the non-value-added functions that create lead time. His own company, ViaTech Publishing Solutions, creates inventory-free production environments for 2,500 U.S. publishers.
John Edwards - President, Edwards Brothers
Edwards Brothers is a book manufacturer with three manufacturing facilities serving educational publishers, as well as professional, trade and journal markets. Edwards has more than 15 years of experience in book publishing.
Richard Nash - Director of Acquisitions, EBookagent.net
Nash directs EBookagent.net, a new company that manages e-book sales and distribution for scores of independent presses in the U.S. and U.K. Previously, he worked in a variety of positions at Oxford University Press USA, including: electronic publishing, editorial, copyright and contracts and foreign rights. He also writes plays, art criticism and fiction. His articles have appeared in numerous online and print publications. His first book, "The Organs of Emotion," will be published in October 2001. He is also chairman of the board of Soft Skull Press, a 2000 Firecracker Independent Publisher of the Year.
Bob Bruce - Executive Director, Open eBook Forum
Bruce has been executive director of the Open eBook Forum since July 2000. He has over 13 years experience in electronic publishing and multimedia. In 1988, he founded and became CEO of Media Lab, a multimedia/electronic publishing software and services company. In 1998, he joined netLibrary as senior director of multimedia and technology strategy.
Jill Lublin - Owner, Promising Promotion
Lublin is a public relations/marketing consultant and owner of Promising Promotion, based in Northern California. During Lublin's 16 years of experience, she has worked throughout the entertainment industry, as well as with national and international seminar leaders, authors, entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations. Her clients have been featured on the Today Show, CNN, Live With Regis, American Airlines, NPR, major U.S. market newspapers and magazines and on ABC, NBC, and CBS radio and television networks. She speaks nationally and teaches public relations. Lublin is also the author of two audiotapes and a training video, as well as an upcoming book, "Guerilla Publicity," part of the best selling Jay Levinson Guerilla Marketing Series, tentatively scheduled for released in March 2002.
Florrie Binchford Kichler - Publisher, Patricia Press
Binchford-Kichler's publishing career began at Bobbs-Merrill Company where she worked for more than 10 years. In 1997, she founded her own company, Patricia Press, to restore to print a classic children's book series first published 50 years before. The company's first title in the newly named Young Patriots Series, "Amelia Earhart, Young Air Pioneer," received ForeWord's Book of the Year Award. She has been the recipient of many other honors and is a member of the Publishers Marketing Association, American Library Association, the Childrens' Book Council, and many other industry organizations.
For more information on BookTech West or how to solve your most pressing industry inquiries, e-mail Churilla (rchurilla@napco.com) before July 27, 2001.
-Natalie Hope McDonald