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Friday, May 16
 

8:00am CDT

Small Group Breakfasts (additional fee)
Friday May 16, 2025 8:00am - 9:45am CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
Come and join your peers for interactive small group breakfast meetups around topics you have a shared interest in!

List your top 3 topics when you sign up and get ready to make new friends. When you arrive, you can choose the table you'd like to sit at—and move around—according to topics posted at the various tables! (Be sure to bring business cards and/or be ready to share your contact information.)

We'll shuffle the room seating so you'll have the opportunity to join three different group discussions over the hour and 45 minutes.

While we wish we could offer this event for free, there is an additional fee of $65 to register for a small group breakfast, which only partly offsets the cost of food. (The breakfast buffet will have vegan options as well as gluten-free options.) You can sign up for the small group breakfast here.
Friday May 16, 2025 8:00am - 9:45am CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  Community Building

10:00am CDT

Welcome First Timers! Learn How to Get the Most out of IBPA Publishing University
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
Full description to come.
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  Community Building

11:00am CDT

Welcome and Opening Keynote: The Pillars of Publishing – Copyright and Freedom of Expression
Friday May 16, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Our program begins!

Andrea Fleck-Nisbet, IBPA's CEO, will welcome everyone and introduce Maria A. Pallante for our opening keynote:

The Pillars of Publishing – Copyright and Freedom of Expression
The legal framework that supports the publishing industry has never been more important. Maria A. Pallante, President and CEO of the Association of American Publishers, will discuss the bedrock principles that underpin the global publishing ecosystem: copyright and freedom of expression. The discussion will explore the landscape of copyright law and regulation, with a particular focus on exclusive rights of authors and publishers in their creative works, as well as the crucial role of freedom of speech and freedom to publish to our democracy and an informed citizenry.
Speakers
avatar for Maria A. Pallante

Maria A. Pallante

President and CEO, Association of American Publishers
Maria A. Pallante leads AAP’s strategic agenda and public policy portfolio, working with her talented team to advance and protect the laws that incentivize and protect creative and intellectual authorship. From 2011 to 2016, she served as Register of Copyrights and Director of the... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
  Plenary

11:00am CDT

Exhibit Hall Hours (meet our sponsors!)
Friday May 16, 2025 11:00am - 5:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
Meet our sponsors in person!
Friday May 16, 2025 11:00am - 5:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101

12:00pm CDT

Lunch & Meet Our Sponsors
Friday May 16, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm CDT
Grab lunch and meet our sponsors!
Friday May 16, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm CDT
  Community Building

12:45pm CDT

Board Recognition
Friday May 16, 2025 12:45pm - 1:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
Join us to thank our outgoing – and welcome our incoming – members of the IBPA Board of Directors.
Friday May 16, 2025 12:45pm - 1:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  Community Building

1:15pm CDT

Breakout 1 (Author Publishers) - Your Brand and Value Proposition
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
Details and faculty to be announced.

The author publisher breakout sessions are intended for author publishers (a.k.a. self-published authors) who are creating and publishing their own works. 
Speakers
avatar for Lindsy Bivens

Lindsy Bivens

Consultant & Publisher, The Author's Pen
Lindsy Bivens is a powerhouse consultant, publisher, and dynamic speaker who has empowered countless authors, entrepreneurs, and leaders to transform their stories into movements. As the visionary behind The Author’s Pen, LLC, Lindsy has personally guided over 100 authors and impacted... Read More →
avatar for Brandon Birkmeyer

Brandon Birkmeyer

Personal Branding Coach, Brands On Brands Consulting
Brandon is a personal branding specialist and a former Coca-Cola and Apple advertising executive with over 22 years of experience at Madison Avenue advertising agencies advising top FORTUNE 100 companies on brand strategy. In 2018, he launched the Brands On Brands podcast, which is... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  Breakout Sessions + Ask the Experts

1:15pm CDT

Breakout 1 (Start Strong Independent Publishers) - Grant Writing, Fundraising, and Sponsorship Models
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
With Laine Bradley and Dr. Katherine Newburgh

Details to be announced.

The Start Strong Independent Publishers breakout sessions are for independent publishers who are just starting out and are looking for help navigating the basics of successful publishing. (Generally you will have been in the publishing industry for three years or less and have published fewer than ten titles.) 
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Katherine Newburgh

Dr. Katherine Newburgh

Founder, Books of Eden Publishing
Dr. Katherine Newburgh (also published as Katherine Hall) is an award-winning author, editor, and the founder of Books of Eden Publishing. She is the author of three books, including Finding Home: A Mystical Memoir, which won the silver medal in the 2024 international Coalition of... Read More →
avatar for Laine Bradley

Laine Bradley

Founder and Consultant, Vraiment Financial
Laine Bradley is a grant funding consultant and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in helping organizations and businesses secure significant financial resources. As the founder of Vraiment Financial, Laine has assisted independent publishers, nonprofits, and startups in... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  Breakout Sessions + Ask the Experts

1:15pm CDT

Breakout 1 - (Established Independent Publishers) - Non-English Content for the US Market
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
Details to be announced.

The Established Publisher breakout sessions are intended for independent publishers who have an established business and experience in the industry, and are looking to successfully grow and scale their publishing company. (Generally you will have been in the publishing industry for at least four years, and have published more than ten titles.) Please note that if you are just starting out and you attend an Established Independent Publisher session you are auditing the class, and we ask that you not take up session time with beginner-level questions.
Speakers
avatar for Wiley Barnes

Wiley Barnes

Director, Chickasaw Press
Wiley Barnes, Chickasaw, has spent twenty-four years forging a career in publishing, writing, printing, photography, and graphic design, with the last seventeen years at the Chickasaw Nation. During that time, he has had the pleasure of working on a number of projects that promote... Read More →
avatar for Arthur A. Levine

Arthur A. Levine

President and Editor-in-Chief, Levine Querido
Arthur A. Levine is the President and Editor-in-Chief of Levine Querido, a new independent publisher dedicated to finding and publishing brilliantly illustrated and written books from a diverse spectrum of creators across the United States and around the world including Printz and... Read More →
avatar for Ashley Mireles-Guerrero

Ashley Mireles-Guerrero

Director of Sales & Marketing/Founder CEO, Familius/Judging by the Cover: A Bookstore
Ashley Marie Mireles-Guerrero is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Familius Publishing and the author of over 13 books, including 100 First Words for Little Californians and Proud to Be Latino: Food/Comida. A 2022 Publishers Weekly Star Watch Finalist and 2024 BookCamp Forty... Read More →
avatar for Icy Smith

Icy Smith

Publisher, East West Discovery Press LLC
Icy Smith is the founder of East West Discovery Press, a publisher and distributor of multicultural and bilingual books in many different languages, with the mission of promoting understanding among people of different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Smith has written award-winning... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  Breakout Sessions + Ask the Experts

1:15pm CDT

Main Ballroom (During Breakout Session 1) - Ask the Experts and Meet our Sponsors!
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
Ask-the-Experts consults (both one expert-with-one attendee and one expert-with-five attendees) will be happening in the main Colorado ballroom during Breakout 1, and you can chat with our sponsors as well.

Sign ups will be on-site, and will open on Friday May 16th at 10am by Registration.
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  Breakout Sessions + Ask the Experts

2:15pm CDT

Friday Afternoon Snack and Meet Our Sponsors!
Friday May 16, 2025 2:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
Grab a snack, chat with some of our conference sponsors, and connect with your community!
Friday May 16, 2025 2:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  Community Building

3:00pm CDT

Breakout 2 (Author Publishers) - Consumer Marketing
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
Consumer marketing
Juliet Wills and Django De Gree, II

Details to be announced.

The author publisher breakout sessions are intended for author publishers (a.k.a. self-published authors) who are creating and publishing their own works. 
Speakers
avatar for Django De Gree, II

Django De Gree, II

CEO, Author, Wrote By Me
Django De Gree is the CEO & Co-Founder of Wrote By Me and the author of I Hope You Wake Up. A visionary entrepreneur, Django is dedicated to revolutionizing the book publishing industry by empowering authors and publishers to sell directly to readers, keep more of their earnings... Read More →
avatar for Juliet Wills

Juliet Wills

VP Global Sales and Rights, Galaxy Press
Juliet Wills: I started in publishing while still in High School as the receptionist of a literary agency. Early in life I discovered a passion for inspiring our youth to read (I started as a reluctant reader myself, and with a great book fell in love with reading, so I know how important... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  Breakout Sessions + Ask the Experts

3:00pm CDT

Breakout 2 (Start Strong Independent Publishers) - Leveraging Tech (and AI) to Expand Your Business
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
Leveraging Tech (and AI) to Expand Your Business
With Ian Henzel, Florenza Lee, and Sierra Kay

Leveraging the right technologies is crucial for building your brand, reaching your audience, and driving sales. New publishers are constantly challenged with managing resources. Technology can help extend a publisher’s reach. This session will provide insights into AI and marketing technologies publishers can use to help streamline efforts and engage effectively with readers.

The Start Strong Independent Publishers breakout sessions are for independent publishers who are just starting out and are looking for help navigating the basics of successful publishing. (Generally you will have been in the publishing industry for three years or less and have published fewer than ten titles.) 
Speakers
avatar for Ian Henzel

Ian Henzel

Managing Publisher, Rattling Good Yarns Press
Ian Henzel loves challenges. After retiring from a 42-year career in technology marketing, product management, project management, and quality assurance across Asia and Europe in 2019, Ian co-founded Rattling Good Yarns Press, LLC. The press focuses on shining a light on overlooked... Read More →
avatar for Florenza Lee

Florenza Lee

Executive Director of Publications, Words to Ponder Publishing Company, LLC
Florenza Lee is a multi-award-winning author and publisher known for her captivating children’s books that emphasize social-emotional learning, mindfulness, and manners. Dubbed the Book Doula, she has guided many writers to publication and founded Words to Ponder Publishing Company... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  Breakout Sessions + Ask the Experts

3:00pm CDT

Breakout 2 - (Established Independent Publishers) - Diversify Your Manufacturing Options in the Global Printing Market
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
Diversify Your Manufacturing Options in the Global Printing Market
Faculty and Details to be announced.

The Established Publisher breakout sessions are intended for independent publishers who have an established business and experience in the industry, and are looking to successfully grow and scale their publishing company. (Generally you will have been in the publishing industry for at least four years, and have published more than ten titles.) Please note that if you are just starting out and you attend an Established Independent Publisher session you are auditing the class, and we ask that you not take up session time with beginner-level questions.
Speakers
avatar for Matt Baehr

Matt Baehr

Executive Director, Book Manufacturers' Institute
Matt Baehr is the Executive Director of the Book Manufacturers' Institute (BMI). He’s been the chief executive of the association since 2017. Matt has a long career in association management, primarily working with trade associations. He holds an undergraduate degree from the Catholic... Read More →
avatar for Kurt Brackob

Kurt Brackob

Director, Histria Books
Dr. Kurt Brackob is editorial director for Histria Books, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kurt has worked for over 20 years in the publishing industry. He is a historian and author of several books including Scanderbeg: A History of George Castriota and the Albanian Resistance to Islamic Expansion in Fifteenth Century Europe and Mircea t... Read More →
avatar for Keith Riegert

Keith Riegert

President / CEO, The Stable Book Group / Perfect Bound
Keith Riegert is the CEO of the SaaS platform, Perfect Bound, as well as the president of The Stable Book Group. He serves on the Board of Advisors for the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and is a member of the Board of Advisors and an adjunct professor at NYU’s Masters... Read More →
avatar for Dwight Vicks

Dwight Vicks

President, Vicks Print & Distribution
Dwight Vicks is President of Vicks Print & Distribution, a company founded by his grandfather in 1918. What began as a letterpress operation, Vicks has evolved into a digital print and distribution company serving niche publishers. The company employs 90 professionals and has two... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  Breakout Sessions + Ask the Experts

3:00pm CDT

Main Ballroom (During Breakout Session 2) - Ask the Experts and Meet our Sponsors!
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
Ask-the-Experts consults (both one expert-with-one attendee and one expert-with-five attendees) will be happening in the main Colorado ballroom during Breakout 2, and you can chat with our sponsors as well.

Sign ups will be on-site, and will open on Friday May 16th at 10am by Registration.
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  Breakout Sessions + Ask the Experts

4:15pm CDT

Friday Afternoon Keynote Panel: AI and Publishing - Opportunities, Challenges, and Transformation
Friday May 16, 2025 4:15pm - 5:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
In this panel discussion moderated by Keith Riegert (President of the Stable Book Group and CEO of Perfect Bound), Mary Rasenberger (CEO of the Authors Guild), Amanda Zila, PhD (Co-Founder of Inkbloom), and Trip Adler (Founder and CEO of Created by Humans) will address the various opportunities, challenges, and transformations happening as AI impacts the publishing landscape.  

Topics will include: 
  • Acquisition management 
  • Copyright protection 
  • Fair use and ethical considerations 
  • Licensing opportunities  
  • Editorial, production, and marketing tools 
These industry experts will provide their insights into the emerging technologies that are rapidly changing our industry. With ample time for Q&A, the audience will also have the opportunity to share and engage on these topics.
Speakers
avatar for Mary Rasenberger

Mary Rasenberger

CEO, The Authors Guild
Mary Rasenberger is the Chief Executive Officer of the Authors Guild. Prior to joining the Guild in November 2014, Mary practiced law for over 25 years in the areas of intellectual property, media and technology, with special expertise in copyright law. Most recently, Mary was a partner... Read More →
avatar for Trip Adler

Trip Adler

Co-Founder & CEO, Created by Humans
Trip Adler is an entrepreneur and executive who has spent his career at the intersection of publishing and technology.   He is the co-founder and CEO of Created by Humans, an AI Rights licensing platform that connects creators and AI companies. The company is dedicated to preserving... Read More →
avatar for Amanda Zila

Amanda Zila

Co-Founder & CEO, Inkbloom
Amanda Zila, PhD is the CEO and Co-Founder of Inkbloom, an AI software platform helping publishers make more efficient acquisition, editing, and marketing decisions. Her previous experience includes innovation consulting, technology transfer, and neuroscience research. In her free... Read More →
avatar for Keith Riegert

Keith Riegert

President / CEO, The Stable Book Group / Perfect Bound
Keith Riegert is the CEO of the SaaS platform, Perfect Bound, as well as the president of The Stable Book Group. He serves on the Board of Advisors for the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and is a member of the Board of Advisors and an adjunct professor at NYU’s Masters... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 4:15pm - 5:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  Plenary

6:00pm CDT

IBPA Book Awards Reception
Friday May 16, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
The 37th Annual IBPA Book Awards!
6:00-7:00pm Cocktail Reception
7:00-9:30pm Dinner and Ceremony
9:30-10:30pm  Photos and After-Party
Friday May 16, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  IBPA Book Awards

7:00pm CDT

IBPA Book Awards Dinner and Ceremony
Friday May 16, 2025 7:00pm - 9:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
The 37th Annual IBPA Book Awards!
6:00-7:00pm Cocktail Reception
7:00-9:30pm Dinner and Ceremony
9:30-10:30pm Photos and After-Party

Finalists and judges receive a free ticket. Email terry@ibpa-online.org to arrange that, please. There is an additional fee to attend the dinner and ceremony.
Friday May 16, 2025 7:00pm - 9:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  IBPA Book Awards

9:30pm CDT

IBPA Book Awards After-Party and Photos
Friday May 16, 2025 9:30pm - 10:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
The 37th Annual IBPA Book Awards!
6:00-7:00pm Cocktail Reception
7:00-9:30pm Dinner and Ceremony
9:30-10:30pm Photos and After-Party

Finalists and judges receive a free ticket. Email terry@ibpa-online.org to arrange that, please. There is an additional fee to attend the dinner and ceremony.
Friday May 16, 2025 9:30pm - 10:30pm CDT
Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101
  IBPA Book Awards
 
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Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront
Open Book
  • Breakout Sessions + Ask the Experts
  • Community Building
  • IBPA Book Awards
  • IBPA Think Tank
  • Plenary
  • Preconference Workshops
  • Audience For This Session
  • Author Publishers (A.K.A. Self-Published Authors)
  • Established Independent Publishers
  • Everyone
  • Executives and Key Staff
  • Start Strong Independent Publishers