Ten things we learned at the 2024 Spring Conference
Here are just some of our many takeaways from a packed Spring Conference. We’d love to hear yours!
1. Independence is something to be proud of
The Spring Conference opened with keynotes from leaders across different sectors of publishing. All agreed that independence gave them a special freedom and agility. “In independent publishing we make money from making books, rather than making books to make money,” said Sophy Thompson of Thames & Hudson, which celebrates its 75th year under family ownership in 2024. Rebecca Gray of Profile Books—fresh from a Christmas number one with GT Karber’s Murdle—told another success story. “Independence isn’t just a circumstance—it’s a mindset,” she said.
2. Publishers’ work is more important than ever
Another first-day Conference keynote came from Sir Chris Bryant MP, shadow minister for the Creative Industries and Digital, who praised the important work of publishers. “At a time when disinformation is rampant, fact-checked books are more important than ever.” He discussed the need to stabilise the economy, promote work in the creative industries and protect copyright. “You could argue that it [copyright] is the most successful form of international trade deal that has ever been signed,” he said. Bryant also called on publishers to talk loudly about their value and priorities, including to their local MPs.
3. Vigilance is needed on AI
The impact of generative Artificial Intelligence on publishing was a recurring theme of the Spring Conference—especially around copyright. In a legal overview, a Fox Williams team emphasised protection against infringement. “There’s a lot of talk about AI being the wild west… but you can take comfort from existing legislation,” Mary Elliott said, while Tom West of Publishers’ Licensing Services emphasised the importance of collective licensing in protecting IP. George Walkley, tech expert and provider of the IPG’s training in AI—including an online day on 30 April—showed how attitudes to AI vary and stressed the need for publishers to stay in control. “We need to keep humans in the loop.”
4. … But AI brings opportunities too
George Walkley also ran through some of the efficiency and cost benefits of AI. They were echoed by several other speakers, including Shimmr’s Searsha Sadek, Mensch’s Richard Charkin, People & Robots’ Srin Madipalli and Class’ Dick Warner, who all highlighted how it can help book marketing and discoverability. Madipalli said: “In the long run I think more good will come out of AI than bad… but it’ll definitely be a major inflection point for the industry.”
5. Social media is changing, but it’s still great for community-building
A popular session on social media heard from David Schneider and Ella Higgins of the That Lot agency, who ran through the changing strengths of different platforms—like Instagram for community-building, TikTok for niches and X for reactive content. They advised publishers to know their voice, find their niches and audiences, keep things topical and be brave in what they push out. “Social media is great for building a community, but you need to keep people engaged and reward them for interacting,” Higgins said. There were more insights into TikTok from Matthew Perry, who explained how TikTok Shop can help convert browsers into buyers.
6. We can all improve recruitment, retention and inclusion
People-focused content at the Conference included tips for recruitment and retention from Usborne’s Katie White and Boydell & Brewer’s Jenny Pearce, including around broadening hiring pools, using recruitment software, selling yourself as a place to work and being open on salaries and progression. Rose Sandy followed on day two with excellent advice for improving inclusion in publishing, including by incorporating it into company values, job ads and internal communications and collaborating with others who have the same goals.
7. Help is available on sustainability
Sustainability in publishing was another important theme of the Conference. A panel looked at ways to extend the life of pre-loved books through resale platforms like World of Books, reduce returns and make more responsible decisions on things like paper. Sustainability consultant Jonathan Griffin added practical tips on reducing carbon footprints, including by using the Carbon Calculator and materials databases, licensed by the IPG for free use by members; contact us for access information. A Zero Carbon Toolkit is available on the IPG Skills Hub.
8. There’s untapped potential in rights
The Conference had several sessions on rights, including an expert clinic with Lynette Owen, a brand licensing masterclass from Ame Verso of David & Charles and tips on selling film and TV rights from Emma Topping of Viv Loves Film. They showed that there may be more rights opportunities than some publishers realise. In all cases it’s important to know exactly what rights you hold and research targets—not just at book fairs but at other media and trade shows.
9, Distribution is a hot topic
Distribution is a big concern in publishing at the moment, with all publishers facing cost increases and some either switching distributor or thinking about doing so. Ingram’s Bunmi Western and Sarah Knapton together with publishing expert Graham Haynes offered advice for moving to a new partner, including the importance of clear and regular communications, managing expectations and getting metadata feeds right. In another session, Ingram’s David Taylor highlighted how print on demand can speed up distribution and reduce waste.
10. Academic publishers have a real-world impact
Conference speakers from academic publishing included Cambridge University Press’ Mandy Hill and Emerald’s Sally Wilson, who looked at developments in Open Access in particular and the value of what scholarly publishers do. “Sustainable growth isn’t just about numbers but real world impact… creating an environment where all voices are heard and content is accessible to everyone,” Wilson said.
You can read more Conference takeaways via the #ipgsc hashtag. Our Conference photo albums are here and here. There are reports from the Conference from The Bookseller here, here and here and from BookBrunch here.
Thank you to all our sponsors and exhibitors who supported the Spring Conference: to our longstanding gold sponsor Ingram Content Group, to our silver sponsors Publishers' Licensing Services and The London Book Fair, our bronze sponsors Bookwire, Frankfurter Buchmesse, Glassboxx and ProQuest, part of Clarivate and to our tech sponsor Shimmr. Thanks also to our exhibitors and partners: BookBrunch, Bookshop.org, Clays, CPI, Edelweiss, Gardners, Hobbs, Imprint Digital, Inspired, Nielsen BookData, PageMagik, Publiship, The Bookseller and World of Books.