THANK YOU FOR JOINING US for three days of networking and education at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel. 

In 2023, our attendees reaped the benefits of overlapping with The Book Manufacturers’ Institute (BMI)'s Book Manufacturing Mastered conference. PubWest and BMI attendees got together for networking and educational events to their mutual benefit. 

Pricing: $550 for PubWest members | $600 for non-members

The Renaissance Seattle Hotel is fully ADA compliant. Accessible hotel features include accessible on-site parking (including van-accessible on-site parking), elevators, and valet parking. Service animals are welcome.  The following spaces/rooms are accessible: The main entrance, meeting spaces, on-site restaurants, on-site fitness center. All rooms and suites are accessible through the interior corridor. The extensive accessibility features of guest rooms can be found by scrolling to the bottom of this page.

For more information about the physical features of our accessible rooms, common areas or special services relating to a specific disability please call +1 206-583-0300.

AGENDA AT A GLANCE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1
Join us from 6pm-8pm at our cocktail party kick off!

Start at the Courtyard Ballroom Registration desk to pick up your badge (after 5:00pm).

Hosted by The Book Manufacturers’ Institute (BMI)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2
registration desk & exhibits open at 8am
join us for breakfast with exhibitors from 8am-9am
Thank you to The Book Manufacturers’ Institute (BMI) for also hosting Thursday's breakfast!

9:15am-10:00am

Book Manufacturing in 2023 and Beyond

Hear from our panel as they discuss how their businesses have changed from pre-pandemic into 2023. They will explore the ways publishers, printers and suppliers must work together to navigate the book industry today, tomorrow and beyond. Panelists: Angela Engel, Publisher & Founder, The Collective Book Studio; Bill Rojack, Midland Paper; Joe Upton, Gasch Printing; Tim Hewitt, Friesens; and Moderator: Matt Baehr, Executive Director, BMI.

Publisher, Printer, and Supplier Roundtables

Join fellow publishers, printers and suppliers in roundtable discussions regarding the top things keeping you up at night about the book industry, as well as potential solutions to those issues.

Time to meet with exhibitors, followed by lunch and the Jack D. Rittenhouse Award presentation

Workshops: How to Read Your Market

The publishing industry is no stranger to shake-ups: consolidations and mergers, shifts in consumer behavior and purchasing models, and new and ever-evolving technology. In this workshop, experts across the industry discuss the resources and tools they use to navigate change, make critical business decisions, and put their toolkits to the test in real-world role-play scenarios. Panelists: Joe Biel (Microcosm Publishing), Richard T. Williams (Independent Publishers Group), Robert Sindelar (Third Place Books), Bob Durgy (BR Printers); Moderator: Sidney Thompson (Independent Publishers Group).

–concurrent with–

Accessibility

Accessibility is becoming a higher priority for publishers and readers. In this session we shall discuss ways to think about and implement this important work. Panelists include Rachel Done Cubillas and Rebekah Borucki (Row House Publishing).

Take a break from programming to meet with our exhibitors!

concurrent with

Listening Party for Academic and University Press Colleagues

Keynote Address: The Assault on Books in Schools and Libraries

Join us for this examination of the state of Freedom of speech in the publishing industry, including areas where it is under pressure and what you can do to push back! Keynote Speaker Christopher Finan has been a free speech activist for over 40 years and currently heads the National Coalition Against Censorship. He has also written extensively on the history of free speech in the United States. His latest book is How Free Speech Saved Democracy: The Untold History of How the First Amendment Became an Essential Tool for Securing Liberty and Social Justice.

Keynote sponsored by:

6:15pm-7:30pm

Offsite social at Little Oddfellows, 1521 10th Ave, Seattle, inside Elliott Bay Book Company.
Snacks are included and beverages may be purchased onsite.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3
registration desk & exhibits open at 8:30am
join us for coffee & pastries with exhibitors from 8:30am-9:30am

9:30am-10:05am

Keynote Address: Crisis Management with Melissa Agnes (virtual presentation)

Recognized globally as an expert, thought leader, and visionary in the field of crisis management, Melissa Agnes helps clients create a crisis-ready, crisis-resilient world by elevating industry standards; providing training and certification programs to professionals that better protect people, brands, the environment, and the economy in times of crisis; and promoting and incentivizing organizations and leaders to invest in effective crisis readiness. Here at PubWest2023, she'll be teaching us how to apply her methods to our own workspaces. Q&A with Cynthia Sherry (Chicago Review Press) will follow the presentation.

10:05am-11:00am

Take a break from programming to meet with our exhibitors!

11:00am-12:15pm

People Practices in 2023 – Opportunities and Landmines

Operationally (as opposed to legally) discussing best practices for retention and engagement in respect to all of the turmoil in people practices nowadays – unionizing, the Great Resignation, etc. Panelists: Todd Stocke (Sourcebooks) and Brad Farmer (Gibbs Smith); Moderator Jane Ferreyra (University of Nebraska Press).

12:30pm-2:00pm

2022 Book Design Awards presentation and Lunch

Indigenous Voices

Indigenous publishing will bring your publishing house to a new level of intention, join us for an informative discussion on both the why and how to get started. Panelists: Terri Mack (Strong Nations Publishing) and Tess Olympia (Sealaska Heritage Institute); Moderator: Doug Symington (Friesens).

–concurrent with–

Collaborating with Booksellers to Best Reach Consumers

Hear from booksellers how they are reaching consumers and how publishers can support their efforts. Let's talk about how we can work together in this ever-changing landscape! Panelists: Kalani Kapahua (Third Place Books), John Duvernoy (Elliott Bay Books), Bruce Rutledge (Chin Music Press); Moderator Victoria Sutherland (Foreword Magazine).

3:15pm-3:45pm

Take a break from programming and meet with our exhibitors!

3:45pm-5:00pm

Speedy Spiels on COLLABORATION

8 Speakers, 6 minutes each, speaking to the topic: COLLABORATION, anyhow, any way they choose. The perennial conference favorite Speedy Spiels is back to close out your weekend at PubWest. Don't miss it, because we'll beat a direct path from Speedy Spiels to the closing party! Panelists: Amy Barrett-Daffin (C&T Publishing), Josh Tallent (Firebrand), Brad Farmer (Gibbs Smith), Andrea Fleck-Nisbet (IBPA), Elly Blue (Microcosm), Alex Murphy (Stison), Cynthia Kintigh (University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources), Jane Ferreyra (University of Nebraska Press), Brooke Shannon (Young Authors Publishing/Swanson Scholarship recipient); Moderator Kevin Smokler.

5:00pm-6:00pm

Closing Reception