IBPA Publishing University 2026

We hope you'll join us for IBPA Publishing University 2025, May 15-17, 2025 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Please click here to register.

Looking for information on the IBPA Think Tank for Established Publishers? Click here.

Self-Parking Garage is located on NE 2nd Ave between Multnomah Street and NE Holladay Street.
In and out privileges and ability to charge to guest rooms. Self-Parking rates:
$5 - per hour
$13 - Early Bird (in by 10am)
$16 - 12 hour max
$35 - Overnight (24 hour max)
$15 Evening and Weekends (up to 12 hours)

Valet Parking is located at the hotel entrance, 300 NE Multnomah Street.
In and out privileges and ability to charge to guest rooms. Valet Parking rates:
$20 for the first 3 hours
$7 - per each additional hour
$45 - Overnight (24 hour max)

See you soon!

Watch the conference orientation that we recorded on Friday, May 1, 2026: 

https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/m3CuCx7hrHGKtv3-PphCWSBcjVrK-4tIcbTiFVfDqgQnDb43Zh-NS_pN2hIA7pA8.aHA2OIMW_IDdvuKa?startTime=1777654867000

Passcode: %8Ube!!*

The orientation slides are also attached to this session here in Sched.

In addition, we invite you to check out the attached file with "Portland Perks," discounts for when you're visiting Portland.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Come by registration after 8:00am on Thursday to get your badge and conference bag. Attending an afternoon workshop or our Think Tank for Established Publishers? You'll need to register and get your badge first.

If you're attending the IBPA Think Tank for Established Publishers, head over to our venue at Portland State University, and you'll check in there. (That registration opens at 10am and the Think Tank starts at 11am.) Thanks!

Selling more books isn’t about doing more marketing — it’s about doing the right marketing in the right order. In this fast-paced, strategy-driven workshop, industry experts break down the three-level framework that turns visibility into credibility and credibility into revenue. From metadata and market positioning to branding, retailer expectations, paid promotion, and global expansion, you’ll learn how to build a marketing engine that scales. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your U.S. reach or expand internationally, you’ll leave with a clear, actionable framework you can implement immediately.

Attention earns awareness. Trust earns loyalty. Strategy earns sales. 

IBPA Think Tank for Established Publishers
A day of expert-level peer-to-peer discussions with tailored tracks for:
Executives and C-Suite
Editorial/Production Key Staff
Marketing/Sales Key Staff

One member of your publishing team must be a conference attendee with a one-day, two-day, or three-day ticket. Separate registration for additional staff is available at a discounted rate here.

Our wireframe agenda:
10:30am Registration opens outside room 329 on the third floor.

11:00am-11:35am Plenary welcome and Idea XChange panel with Grace Hagen (Midwest Independent Booksellers Association), Victoria Sutherland (Foreword Reviews), Matthew Mansfield (NielsenIQ BookData), and Brad Farmer (Gibbs Smith) in room 329.

11:45am-1:00pm  Peer Group Discussions 1 -
Executive (facilitated by Michele Cobb and Victoria Sutherland) in room 329.
Sales & Marketing (facilitated by Kalen Landow and Laura Stanfill) in room 294.
Editorial & Design (facilitated by Lauren Wise and Leigh McDonald) in room 333.

1:00pm - 2:15pm  IBPA+PubWest Design Awards Luncheon  in room 329.

2:30pm - 3:45pm  Breakout sessions 2 -
Inventory Management, Production, & Supply Chain (facilitated by Amy Barrett-Daffin and Molly Merkle) in room 329.
Sales & Marketing (facilitated by Angela Engel and Brooke Warner) in room 294.
Editorial & Design (facilitated by JuLee Brand and Karla Olson) in room 333.

4:00pm - 4:30pm Closing session in room 329.

And we invite you to go directly from the Think Tank to Literature and Libations, our conference-opening cocktail reception at Powells from 5pm-7pm!

[If you are driving and need to park for Think Tank, please use Parking Structure 1 at 1872 SW Broadway, kitty corner from the student union building.]

[Getting to Portland State University: https://www.pdx.edu/blog/getting-campus-transportation-and-psu
TriMet Max train  Green Line  from Oregon Convention Center light rail stop just outside the Hyatt Regency hotel, look for train going west/south to City Center & PSU Max train stops at "PSU Urban Center/SW 5th & Mill" (about 7 quick stops total - 20 minute trip) About $3 using Hop Fast Pass card you can load with a credit card at station stops.]

For author publishers and micro publishers who are figuring out the business of publishing 
 
Are you full of literary dreams, visions, and goals that are bigger than your budget? Don't get discouraged because in this workshop, you will be empowered and equipped with the resources, systems, strategies, and techniques to help you achieve, manifest, and reach them. If you are an author or publisher looking to build, scale, and grow your publishing business, and would like the resources you need to do so, then this is the workshop you don't want to miss. 
 
To help you maximize the workshop, consider investing in the following companion curriculum and resources: 
 
Make a Living as a Writer (hardcopy curriculum):  
https://www.pathtopublishing.com/conferencestore
 
Act Like an Author, Think Like a Business: Ways to Achieve Financial Literary Success: https://www.pathtopublishing.com/actlikeanauthorbook

Marketing Launch Plan Workshop: Build, Customize, and Scale Your Book Campaigns

In this hands-on workshop, attendees will create a customized launch plan for a specific book title—while simultaneously learning how to scale and adapt that plan across multiple titles for long-term publishing success.
Launching a book is only part of the journey—positioning it effectively in the market determines its success. This workshop is designed to help publishers, authors, and marketing teams connect the dots between publishing and promotion by identifying clear paths to reach readers, generate sales, and build brand equity for future titles.
 Participants will create and leave with a title-specific personalized marketing toolkit that includes:

• Target reader and buyer identification
• Title-specific business model strategies (retail, non-traditional retail, specialty markets, and supplemental revenue streams)
• Universal marketing strategies and actionable steps
• Customized promotional activities and marketing tools
• Event, traditional media, and digital engagement pitch letter models
• One genre/topic-specific media list
• Specialty market outreach overview and strategies
• Social media marketing plan template and engagement strategies
• Book trailer template
• Media video pitching tutorial

This workshop is ideal for authors, publishers, and marketing professionals looking to develop powerful, repeatable book launch systems that build visibility, drive sales, and create long-term success.

Optimizing Amazon for Profit in an AI Age
Presented by Ian Lamont

Amazon Ads. Kindle Direct Publishing. Vendor Central. No matter which way you turn, Amazon is always finding another way to take a bigger slice of the revenue pie ... and leave less for publishers. So how can publishers put some of that money back into their own pockets?

An experienced independent publisher and Amazon seller, Ian Lamont has deep insights into ever-evolving Amazon programs and new AI features. While he doesn't have a magic wand, he has best practices that can help everyone from independent authors to distributed publishers make more money from sales on Amazon.

Come prepared with your three biggest concerns about Amazon and your best listening skills. This fast-moving session will leave you with tons of notes and resources, and will feature an opportunity for on-the-spot evaluations of your own Amazon book listings.

Topics will include:

• An Amazon Roadmap for Publishers in an age of AI
• Detail Page Optimization for Books
• Search and Rufus Fundamentals
• Best Practices for Amazon Ads  
• Branding on Amazon, from A+ to Amazon Stores

For Start Strong Independent Publishers.

Learn the basics of starting your own traditional publishing company. Whether you are at square one or already running another kind of publishing-related operation, this program will introduce the key points you need to know in order to get your traditional press up and running. Doug Seibold started his company, Agate, in 2002 with little more than a cell phone, a laptop, and an internet connection, and is eager to share his experience and perspective with aspiring publishers. This program will cover:

• Finding potential funding sources—grants, investors, banks
• Determining your publishing topics and acquisition strategy
• Understanding the publishing financial timeline
• Deciding who to hire and when to hire them

Participants should leave with a fuller understanding of everything that goes into a publishing startup.

Join us at Powell's flagship store, 1005 W Burnside St. Portland, OR 97209 -- it's the largest independent bookstore in the world!!

Free reception for all IBPA Publishing University conference attendees, IBPA Think Tank for Established Publisher attendees, as well as our Pacific Northwest publishing industry friends.

[Getting to Powell's City of Books From the Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center:
Option A:
Mass Transit, Red Line Train

• Walk to the TriMet MAX light rail stop outside the hotel.
• Board the Red Line train going west to City Center or Beaverton direction.
• Scan your credit card or Apple/Google Pay on your phone to pay. Cost is $2.80.
• Get off at the “Galleria SW 10th Avenue" station which is the 6th stop.
• Walk north on 10th Ave to Powell's City of Books, approximately 6 minutes (0.3 miles).]

Option B:
Walking

• Distance is 1.3 miles, approximately 30 minutes

[Getting to Powell's City of Books From Portland State University:
Option A:
Mass transit Portland Streetcar: From PSU student union, walk north about a block to the SW Park & Mill transit stop. Streetcar is NS Line (North South Line) going north toward NW 23rd Ave. Get off the streetcar at the NW 10th & Couch station. Go immediately around the corner to the W Burnside Powell's City of Books entrance.
Option B:
You can also use the Max Green or Yellow line, board at PSU South/SW 6th & College MAX Station taking train headed to Clackamas TC, get off at 6th & Pine stop, and walk 1/3 mile north-east to Powells.]