IPG revamps spring conference for cash-strapped times 

The Independent Publishers Guild (IPG) has condensed its spring conference to a day and a half for 2023, and moved to London to make it “available to as many people as possible”. 

The event will take place at the Shaw Theatre in London on Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th February. It will comprise a full day of conference sessions and networking on the Monday, followed by a special delegate dinner at the British Library in the evening. A half-day of practical workshops and training sessions will follow on the Tuesday morning. 

Organisers said the structure of the spring conference has been “revamped” to help publishers reduce the cost of attending at a time of increasing pressure on spending. The changes are in response to feedback from delegates at the IPG’s conferences in 2022. This year’s spring conference took place in Nottingham over two days, while the autumn conference was held at the Shaw Theatre in London in just one day. 

The IPG has promised “its usual compelling combination of inspiring keynotes, publishing case studies, practical advice and networking”. Conference bookings open soon, and the full list of speakers and sessions will be unveiled over the coming weeks. As well as the in-person event, content will be streamed online to delegates who prefer to join remotely, via a digital platform with interactive features. 

Bridget Shine, chief executive, said: “At a time of enormous challenges and changes in publishing, it’s more important than ever for IPG members to get together to share experiences and advice. We’re very conscious that high inflation and the uncertain economic outlook is putting a strain on some publishers’ budgets, and we hope that by condensing and moving the conference we can make it available to as many people as possible. Tickets are exceptional value for money and there will be something to help every independent publisher do even better business. We can’t wait to meet and get the inspiration and information we all need to tackle publishing’s issues and find the opportunities amid the challenges.”