7:15 am
Registration opens. Continental breakfast.
8:15 am
Welcome and New Member Introductions
Jeff Crosby, ECPA President
8:30 am
Surprised by Oxford, Shaped by Books
Award-winning author, professor, and poet Carolyn Weber, whose memoir "Surprised by Oxford" (Thomas Nelson) has been adapted into a major motion picture, shares an inspirational opening keynote on her journey of faith and the role that books played at critical junctures in her story and laid the foundation for her own published works.
Carolyn Weber, author of Surprised by Oxford (Thomas Nelson) and professor at New College Franklin
9:15 am
Fostering Gracism through Publishing
Dr. David Anderson, award-winning author of Gracism: The Art of Inclusion, teaches us how to engage matters of race by extending grace to others regardless of -- and sometimes because of -- color, class, and culture. Dr. David Anderson will reveal practical ways publishers can help build bridges across deep divides to help us understand how to incorporate diversity in publishing.
Dr. David Anderson, Founder and President of Gracism Global
10:30 am
Developing Spiritual Discernment in Your Leadership Team
Spiritual discernment has long been lumped exclusively into the “knowing God’s will” category of the Christian life. How about we widen that perspective and consider discernment as “practicing a preference for God” in all aspects of our daily lives including our work? In this session, we will explore a biblical, relational, and practical approach for incorporating discernment into your individual lives and among your company's leadership teams.
Stephen Macchia, founder and president, Leadership Transformations
Author of The Discerning Life (Zondervan)
11:15 am
Panel discussion with three morning keynotes
1:15 pm
Lifelong Learning & Artificial Intelligence: Fact, Fiction or Fad?
Being a lifelong learner is one of the best ways to ensure your skills remain relevant in our fast-changing world. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a popular lifelong learning topic and it's attracting a lot of attention; the so-called experts say it's an area everyone, and every business, needs to focus on or risk being left behind. Are they on to something or is it just a bunch of hype you can ignore? This session will help you understand where AI is heading and how it's likely (or unlikely) to affect you and your organization.
Joe Wikert, President, Revenue Path Group
2:15 pm
Panel Discussion: A Report from International Markets
Peter Cerra, Senior Director of International Sales and Publishing, Tyndale House; and President of SEPA, the Spanish Evangelical Publishers Association
Rick Denham, Global Manager, Desiring God Ministries; and International Director, 9Marks
Brittany Passino, Director, International Marketing and Publicity, HarperCollins Christian and HarperCollins Focus Publishing
Sam Richardson, Chief Executive, SPCK (London)
Cindy Riggins, President, Riggins Rights Management
4:00 pm
Concurrent Breakout Workshops:
Option A:
Publishing to Create Demand by Nurturing an Ecosystem
In a day where emerging technologies are impacting historical publishing models, we are faced with both challenges and opportunities. Let’s explore proven strategies to create a demand for our resources by nurturing an ecosystem.
Rick Denham, Global Manager, Desiring God Ministries; and International Director, 9Marks
Option B:
You Can Get There From Here: Drawing the Line from Creative Brainstorming through Collegial Collaboration to Clear Deliverables
Everyone likes new ideas and everyone is disappointed when they never get put into practice. How can managers and organizations create a clearer path from idea to execution? Join Justin Paul Lawrence, a publishing executive and management trainer for a session linking up brainstorming, collaboration and deliverables in a way that will eliminate frustration and clarify the way forward for your organization.
Justin Paul Lawrence, Divisional Vice President for Go-To-Market at InterVarsity Press
Option C:
Serving ECPA: A Vendor Forum
Christopher Hudson of Peachtree Editorial and Brian Flagler of the Flagler Law Group will facilitate a vendors-only round table/open forum with those companies attending Leadership Summit who serve ECPA member publishers. The conversation will probe the ways in which ECPA can better support vendors with their unique position in the industry.
Brian Flagler (Flagler Law Group) and Chris Hudson (Peachtree Publishing) will facilitate this session designed exclusively for ECPA affiliates and vendors
6:30 pm
ECPA Awards Celebration
Keynote speaker: Philip Yancey, author of Where the Light Fell (Convergent) and What’s So Amazing About Grace (Zondervan), among many other award-winning books
Presentation of the 2023 Christian Book Award® winners, The Pinnacle Award to Philip Yancey, the Kenneth N. Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award to Luci Shaw, and recognition of the year's Milestone Sales Awards. More
