I am at the Society for Scholarly Publishing‘s Annual Meeting in Baltimore this week. In addition to participating in the wrap up panel on Friday at 2 p.m. and recording some multimedia pieces while I’m here, I will be trying my hand at liveblogging (and live tweeting via @AdamWeiss on Twitter) the sessions I attend.
So, for those of you who are at the meeting and want a heads up on what will be covered, here are the titles, times, and descriptions of the sessions I plan to attend. Of course, I will also attend the Keynote and Plenary sessions that all attendees will be able to see.
Thursday 5/28/2009
- Concurrent 1C: Publishing for the Google Generation (10:45 AM to 12:15 PM)
Google, Facebook, YouTube, IM, MySpace, Second Life- the last few years have seen the emergence of a new generation of Web tools that are a way of life for today’s students and young professionals. These young users have grown up using online information in a completely new way.Knowing which of these products and services is here to stay and which isn’t, how they are being used and why, and what impact they will have on the way we publish and disseminate scholarly content is key for all publishers, large and small.
This session will feature a panel of experts from the publishing and information worlds to discuss their experiences in publishing for the “Google generation,” as well as their projections for what’s likely to be in store next.
- Concurrent 2B: Market Big, Spend Small (2:00 PM to 3:30 PM)As operating budgets face increasing pressure from the uncertain global economy, many organizations are carefully scrutinizing expenses for places to cut costs from already lean budgets. Marketing and advertising budgets are often targeted when hefty cuts are levied, in part because the expenses associated with these activities seem unnecessary compared with other expense items. With so many organizations competing for the same pool of potential members and subscribers, reaching this audience is more important than ever. Do lower-cost options such as e-mail blasts and online brochures really work? Or do we need direct mail and social networking to reach other end users? Does the effectiveness of various types of marketing vary around the world?This session will present cost-effective and effective ways to market publications and associated services to markets around the world. We look at low-cost activities and how they can be combined with other types of promotions for added effectiveness.
- Concurrent 3A: Brave Adventures: New Publishing Models for the “Now” World (4:00 PM to 5:30 PM)
Will disruptive innovation create brave new content forms and business models for scholarly publishing as it has in many related industries? Can we imagine what new models might look like? Where can we look for the adventurers who are charting new paths?Join us to hear from speakers who are rethinking the mission, forms, and business models of publishing today. They will provide concrete examples and bold ideas of what the future might bring.
Whether you are currently piloting new models or just thinking about them, this session can help stimulate your vision for the future as well as suggest ways to bridge from traditional models to the new.
Friday, 5/29/2009
- Concurrent 4C: Publishing 2.0… (10:45 AM to 12:15 PM)Publishing 2.0 Tools and Technologies Shaping the Future of Publishing
What tools and technologies will have the biggest impact on publishing in the near future? What do publishers need to know to better evaluate their technology investment decisions?This session presents examples in which publishers have evaluated and implemented new technologies in the areas of semantic taxonomies, mobile applications, and social media. Join us for a free-flowing discussion and be prepared to participate in an interactive question and answer session.
This is one time where attendees will be asked to keep their cell phones turned on as audience members will be encouraged to ask questions and submit responses via text messaging.