The 2018 IPG Annual Spring Conference
Independent Publishers Guild
Independent Publishers Guild represents 600 independent publisher members
National
www.independentpublishersguild.com
Success achieved
The results of updating and transforming IPG’s Spring Annual Conference: 24% delegate increase, 13% member increase immediately after the event and 26% higher financial return than expected.- Website
- http://www.ipg.uk.com
- Project dates
- September 2017 – March 2018
Project team
- Bridget Shine
- Charly Salvesen-Ford
- Imogen Race
- Tom Holman
- Nikki Morgan
- Charlotte Butler
- Angela Stanley
Tools & Systems
We made extensive use of our website, conference app, blogs, email campaigns, newsletters, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to promote and enhance the Conference, both before, and during the event.
Introduction
The IPG’s two-day Annual Spring Conference enables our members to do better business.
First staged in 1963, the Conference is widely recognized as one of the industry’s leading events. It is a forum for our members to learn from each other, and to share best practice in a welcoming and supportive environment.
In 2018, our project was not simply to make the conference the biggest and best in the long and proud history of the IPG, but to re-think the scope of the conference by moving the focus away from the informal sharing of best practice to a structured delivery of formally recognized quality content.
Discovery
We conduct thorough research into our members’ experiences at our Annual Spring Conference via an online survey, learning what delegates enjoyed and what could be improved next time. While the survey findings following our 2017 Annual Spring Conference indicated very high levels of satisfaction with the content and organization, it also indicated some areas where the programme’s content and logistics could be improved. These findings fed directly into the development of the conference for 2018.
The IPG executive team has a strong relationship with our members, reflected by good communication channels. We actively seek members’ input during the planning stage of the conference programme—we labour the point that this is ‘their’ conference and their contribution and feedback shapes future conferences.
The weekly IPG e-bulletin has a high open rate and we use that as a vehicle for canvassing feedback or suggestions re Conference content.
The IPG board also shares their expertise and connections during the planning process. They contribute fully during the event by chairing and/or speaking at Conference sessions.
We attend other industry conference and build links with people outside the industry. We stay on top of the news – from the latest industry news to forthcoming legislation that every member needs to understand, like GDPR.
Objectives
We set out to achieve the following:
- Be the first CPD accredited industry Conference
- Provide our members with a business framework that will support the sustainability of their business in these uncertain times
- Provide delegates with more ‘one-to-one’ contact time with retailers and other customers at the Conference
- We set out to deliver an innovative marketing strategy, to support our ambitious targets:
- Increase the number of delegates by 20%
- Increase the 2018 delegate and sponsorship income by 20%
- Increase the number of sponsors and exhibitors by 20%
Timeline
We worked on the Spring Conference from September 2017 to March 2018. We used our other events during this period to promote the Conference – our Autumn Conference, our collective stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair and our smaller gatherings.
Activities
Conference content: the key to increasing delegate and exhibitor numbers is to have a compelling programme of content, to make it a ‘must-attend’ Conference. In September 2017 we canvassed members for feedback and suggestions about what they wanted included on the programme. We worked on getting the right combination of ‘blue-sky’ sessions (how can you use AI in publishing, for example) and practical ‘here’s how we did it’ sessions. We added a few well-known names to the programme. We introduced ‘speed-networking’ meetings on day 1 of the Conference to allow delegates more access with retailers and other key industry figures. We ensured the programme had plenty of time for networking and we ran a ‘passport exhibitor’ prize scheme to ensure delegates made time to visit the exhibitors. We opened bookings in January 2018.
Once we had the programme confirmed we applied for CPD accreditation.
Marketing: we ensure throughout the year that members have the Conference date in their diaries. We marketed the Conference through our weekly e-bulletin and social media channels. We were strict about enforcing our early-bird booking deadline. As soon as the CPD accreditation was approved for the Conference, we promoted that to members. Our Conferences are the only events in our industry that are CPD accredited and we pushed that as an incentive for members to bring more junior colleagues with them, as part of their training and personal development.
Organisation: we are experienced event organisers so we didn’t do anything different to what we normally do. We started on the event earlier than in previous years and stuck to our schedule of team meetings with everyone knowing clearly what their roles and responsibilities were. Clear communication and attention to detail are key ingredients to a well-run event.
Innovation: Our Conference featured many innovations and new features in 2018, but we would like to highlight three in particular.
1. CPD accreditation. The ongoing improvement of members’ skills is a core aim of the IPG, so we were delighted to secure official CPD accreditation for the Conference from the CPD Certification Service for the first time in 2018. It confirmed how the event can contribute to Continuing Professional Development in the publishing sector, and was a focal point of the successful marketing of the Conference.
2. Conference app. For the first time at an IPG event, we provided delegates with a free app to enhance their experience. It allowed delegates to plan their schedules at the event, browse the profiles of fellow guests and event partners and exchange messages and contact details, and receive live updates on the event from the IPG team. It was widely welcomed and used (198 downloads) and will be employed again at future events. We improved investment in the app by recruiting a technical partner on the Conference. One delegate commented: “I thought the app was a very useful addition.”
3. Content for the IPG Skills Hub. In 2017 we launched the IPG Skills Hub, a major new portal for training content for our members. We were able to harness much of our speakers’ best content for the Skills Hub in the months following the Conference, adapting their slides and presentations to create valuable new training resources. This helped extend some of the benefits of the Conference to members who were unable to attend.
Marketing
Marketing for the Annual Spring Conference ran across the IPG’s web, email and social media platforms. It started several months in advance with a launch email inviting members to attend, and collateral including a '15 reasons to book' blog (see below). There were follow-up emails and extensive promotion on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and we made good use of a professionally produced video of highlights from a previous Conference too. We promoted the conference via press releases to trade media including the Bookseller, using the unveiling of the programme as a hook and generating good coverage.
We introduced our new conference app when we launched the event, to ensure awareness and engagement ahead of the conference.
We previewed our sponsors’ involvement in the conference via a series of interviews, and encouraged partners to spread awareness in their own marketing activities, which they did. Our promotional activity highlighted the exceptional value of the event in relation to other conferences, and emphasized the different delegate packages on offer, from single-day tickets to all-in Conference deals.
The IPG organized 30 subsidized delegate tickets for smaller publishers, to ensure the conference’s inclusivity. We actively promoted these with the result they were oversubscribed.
Challenges
The main challenge is to increase delegate numbers from previous years – everyone feels time poor. Taking the time out of the office to attend our two-day Conference needs to be a ‘must-do’ event rather than a ‘nice-to-do’ event.
Achievements
The conference exceeded all our financial objectives and generated feedback from delegates that exceeded even our highest hopes. Beyond those two key targets, here are just four of the objectives we set for the conference and how we met them.
1. Compelling speakers. Our Conference heard not just from some of publishing’s most inspirational leaders but from beyond our world too, with keynote sessions from renowned politician Ken Clarke and the BBC’s media editor Amol Rajan.
2. First-class training. By hosting training workshops, our Conference delivered practical tools for doing better business as well as inspiration.
3. Tailored content. We used a wide range of break-out sessions to provide content aimed at specific areas of publishing.
4. Value for sponsors. The Exhibitors’ Zone of our Conference was a popular hub of the event and brought our sponsors into contact with delegates.
Here are just five of the many impacts of the Conference for our members and our sector as a whole.
1. The tools to do better business. Our programme was designed to be of maximum practical value to members, equipping them with ideas to take straight back to the office and put into practice. It had formal accreditation, attracting a range of members.
2. Outstanding networking and socializing. Coffee breaks, lunches, dinners, drinks receptions and an ice-breaking ‘Me and My Business’ session all helped our members’ expand their contents.
3. Live engagement. Our social media activity enhanced the value of the Conference. Our team live-tweeted from every session, and our professional photos were widely shared. New for 2018, we also employed a cartoonist to draw live from the Conference auditorium! You can view albums of Conference photos here and here, and enjoy our Conference cartoons here. Twitter coverage can be seen here.
4. A celebration of our industry. The Conference hosted the 2018 Independent Publishing Awards, highlighting our members’ contribution to the UK’s economy and culture.
5. Raising the profile of independent publishers. Our Conference has become an influential and newsworthy event across the whole industry. Our trade media’s extensive coverage, some of which can be seen here and here.
For the IPG’s part, the Conference cemented our position at the heart of independent publishing; IPG’s membership is at an all-time high of 650 member companies.
Targets & Statistics
Attendance at our Annual Spring Conference has more than doubled in the last ten years under the leadership of our Chief Executive Bridget Shine and her dedicated team, and the 2018 event marked another step up. A total of 291 people attended the Conference—24% more than 2017’s total of 235.
Other statistics show the growth of the Conference. A total of 39 speakers gave presentations at the Conference—more than at any other event in our history. There were 31 different sessions—another record. We recruited a total of 20 companies (eight sponsors and twelve exhibitors) for the event—nine more than in 2017. These statistics show the phenomenal growth of our Annual Spring Conference, and its central importance in the publishing industry now.
The value of the Conference has continued to be seen throughout 2018. Membership of the IPG has just reached a record high of 650 companies, with 90 joining this year alone. The success of our Conference has undoubtedly contributed to this stunning increase—we had a spike in new members immediately after the Conference which is due to the industry media coverage.
Financials
We invested in:
- CPD accreditation for the Conference
- A few well-known external speakers to complement the high-calibre industry speakers
- A Conference app to ensure delegates got the best out of the event.
- Our delegate fees are set low to ensure our flagship event is inclusive and not exclusive. Sponsorship and exhibitor income is hugely important as it allows us to follow this inclusive strategy of low delegate rates.
The Conference far exceeded our financial expectations, and set new records for the IPG. We budgeted for an income of £85,000, and actually generated £107,000—26% ahead of budget. Income was also 50% ahead of the income of £71,500 at the 2017 event—a remarkable year on year increase.
We had budgeted for a surplus of £15,000, we made a surplus of £25,000. The positive financial return is shown by our subsequent Conference, the Autumn Conference, which increased its income by more than £20,000 from the 2017 event. The IPG invests the surplus into ways to make our future Conferences even better.
What would we do differently?
Nothing – it is very much a case of more of the same for future years.
Advice
Work out what you want to achieve, set clear goals and give yourself plenty of time.
Feedback & Testimonials
Our Annual Spring Conference generated overwhelmingly positive feedback. Our thorough post-event online survey of more than 100 delegates at the Conference revealed the following statistics:
- The average delegate ratings of the organization of the Conference was 4.9 (on a scale where 1 is Poor and 5 is Excellent)
- The programme for the Conference received an average rating of 4.7
- Every single delegate said the Conference ‘absolutely fulfilled’ (78%) or ‘partly fulfilled’ (22%) their reasons for attending
- Well over nine in ten (93%) delegates said they would recommend the Conference to others; the small remainder (7%) said they may do so.
- Glowing comments from Conference delegates in our post-event survey included:
- All of the sessions I attended were excellent. Really great speakers and extremely good content.
- You managed to create a really positive and friendly environment. As I was attending on my own, I really appreciated that.
- It's a great opportunity to get out of the daily grind and think about the business. What makes it special is the mix—from the inspiring speakers to the tangible steps and ideas.
- Very good speakers and uplifting, energetic atmosphere.
- An exceptional opportunity to meet old and new colleagues, learn about new ideas and get fresh thoughts on the old problems back in the office.
- I was really impressed with the whole event—everything was so well organised and well thought through, and the venue was lovely.
- As always a triumph—well done the IPG.
- Thank you enormously—it is a massive undertaking and we really appreciate it!
What a great event, and brilliantly put together by the wonderful IPG team. Thank you
Wider impact
The event has had a hugely positive impact on our other events. Our Autumn Conference, held in September, attracted 350 people—another all-time record. Sponsorship income was £63,000—97% higher than 2017’s total of £32,000, and 50% higher than our target of £42,000. Also CPD certified, we attribute much of this stunning success to the groundwork laid by our 2018 Annual Spring Conference.
