Publishing Business Virtual Conference & Expo Is Today. Editorial Director Noelle Skodzinski Gives You the Lowdown

The keynote presentation is focusing on consumer trends in e-books and strategies for e-book pricing. I'm really excited about having Frank Luby from Simon-Kucher present.

I think attendees are going to leave the show with greater insights into, and strategies for dealing with, some of the biggest challenges and opportunities they're facing today, an eye toward the future—what trends will be impacting them next—as well as with new connections in the industry who they can continue to exchange ideas with in the future.

It's a really fun and educational environment, and a great forum for meeting and exchanging ideas with your peers.

Extra: Based on your interactions with executives in the book and magazine publishing worlds, what do you see as the biggest challenge facing publishers today?

Skodzinski: That's a tough question. So many challenges exist today—some of which are presented by opportunities. Understanding the e-book opportunity and how to develop a strategy for taking advantage of it; how to prioritize investment in e-books and apps, and adapting internally, while still continuing to grow print sales, which are still extremely important —essentially still the bread and butter for most publishers. The changing retail landscape, with Borders' bankruptcy, and decreasing retail outlets and shelf space—limited ways to get books in front of the consumer, as well as challenges with e-tailing and pricing for e-books. Managing inventory and decreasing returns is another big priority.

And different industry segments face other significant challenges and opportunities. For example, educational publishers are faced with repercussions of the economic recession and school budget cuts, yet higher-ed has seen growth as a result: Many unemployed are going back to school to try to prepare for new careers.

Extra: While this certainly looks like an excellent learning opportunity for attendees, how's the networking?