Third Thursdays Webinars

Thursday, September 18, 2025

1-2 p.m. ET/noon-1 p.m. CT/10-11 a.m. PT

A webinar led by PCPA Adjunct Member

Jack Stevens of Woodland Group

Webinar leader:

Jack Stevens’s journey with Woodland began in the U.K. and has taken him through Hong Kong to the U.S., where he now serves as President. In this role, I’m proud to continue strengthening Woodland’s longstanding ties to the book industry, working closely with our customers on their supply chain challenges and am especially pleased to support this webinar having attended my first PCPA event earlier this year.

Description:

This webinar will be a timely discussion on tariffs, trade policy shifts, and their impact on publishing’s production and procurement, domestic and international. As the tariff landscape remains fluid, U.S. publishers face rising costs and pressure on sourcing strategies. Jack Stevens of Woodland Group will unpack today’s tariff environment, examining ripple effects on paper, ink, equipment, and other consumables critical to book production. They’ll share insights on navigating uncertainty with international logistics partners, followed by open discussion for attendees to raise questions, share experiences, and explore practical strategies.

Outcomes:

Attendees can expect to leave the session with an improved understanding of the US trade landscape and having learned some practical mitigation strategies to use going forward.

Who Should Attend:

Anyone involved in the sourcing, production and distribution of books, other media, equipment and other products.

Thursday, October 9, 2025

1-2 p.m. ET/noon-1 p.m. CT/10-11 a.m. PT

A webinar to be hosted by Tyler Carey, Chief Revenue Officer for PCPA Adjunct Member Westchester Publishing Services.

Panelists include:

• Tambra Womack, Content Distribution Manager for PCPA Publishing Member United Methodist Publishing House
• Michael Johnson, VP, Content for Benetech
• Mark Lerner, Manager of Editorial, Design & Production for Fordham University Press

Description

This informative session will explore strategies publishers are using to create or update digital materials that are in alignment with required accessibility standards, including Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the European Accessibility Act which became effective in June 2025. Attendees will learn:

The requirements for accessible reading materials,

• Considerations when integrating accessibility standards into editorial and production workflows,
• Appropriate usage of alt text to provide meaningful context for images,
• How accessibility standards benefit publishers, and more

Educational outcomes:

The panelists will share practical, real-world advice drawn from their experience, helping attendees better understand why creating born accessible materials is both a legal necessity and good business practice.

Who should attend:

Everyone, but especially individuals who work in production, editorial, and marketing roles.

Thursday, October 16, 2025

1-2 p.m. ET/noon-1 p.m. CT/10-11 a.m. PT

A webinar to be led by David Brake, Founder & CEO of PCPA Adjunct Member The Grandview Group.

Webinar leader:

David Brake, founder and CEO of The Grandview Group, a PCPA Adjunct Member. With over 30 years of experience in educational, professional, and technology-based publishing, David helps publishers and authors develop and engage their micro-audiences in strategic information and insight gathering activities that inform publishing decisions while creating product advocates for products and brands.

Description:

Discover proven methodologies for building dedicated micro-audiences that drive sustainable growth for Christian books, curricula, and educational products. Learn to strategically cultivate two distinct types of customer communities and systematically transform them into influential product advocates who amplify your market reach.

Educational Outcomes:

1. Communities-of-Practice vs. Communities-of-Interest - All micro-audiences exist within two broader kinds of communities. Understand the difference between these two community types and how to create meaningful engagement with each.

2. Community-to-Advocate Pipeline - Proven methods to engage communities and transform their members into champions who endorse and promote your products to their social and peer networks

3. Engagement-Driven Product Development - Techniques for involving your community members in content creation and product iteration to increase their personal or professional connection to your product and brand.

4. Tapping into the Collective Wisdom of the Crowd - As a group, Micro-audiences will always be smarter and more insightful than the publisher. Learn how to use this sometimes controversial and counterintuitive approach to your advantage.

Who Should Attend?

Marketing Directors/Managers, Sales Directors/Managers, Publisher CEOs/Executives, Editorial Directors, Product Development Teams

Thursday, November 20, 2025

1-2 p.m. ET/noon-1 p.m. CT/10-11 a.m. PT

A webinar to be led by PCPA Adjunct Member Belmont University Executive Education

Webinar leader:

Dr. Melanie Lashlee Adams is the Executive Director of Belmont Executive Education at Belmont University. In this role, she leads the leadership development, organizational development, and corporate education consulting practice within Belmont’s Division of Educational Innovation. In this role, Dr. Lashlee Adams serves as principal consultant, master facilitator, expert speaker, and executive coach as she leads the university’s efforts to deliver impactful programs of learning to client organizations and leaders.

Description:

Trust is your most powerful tool. In this session, we’ll explore trust as a core leadership skill that shapes team dynamics, communication, and decision-making. Through guided self-assessment, you’ll reflect on how others experience your leadership and identify behaviors that build or break trust. You’ll uncover what credibility and care look like in action—and why trust can erode, even with the best intentions.

Designed for managers, team leads and change agents who want to strengthen collaboration and lead with greater clarity, confidence, and influence.

Educational Outcomes:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Define trust as a critical leadership skill in the context of project and team management.
• Identify personal behaviors that build or erode trust using a guided self-assessment.
• Recognize the role of credibility, reliability, and care in cultivating trusted relationships.
• Describe common causes of trust breakdown—even among well-meaning team members.
• Apply at least two practical strategies to strengthen trust and influence, regardless of formal authority.

Who should attend?

Managers, Leaders, Influencers, Individual Contributors.

Thursday, December 18, 2025

1-2 p.m. ET/noon-1 p.m. CT/10-11 a.m. PT

A webinar to be led by Rodney Elder, EVP, North America for PCPA Member Company Virtusales

Description

Join Virtusales for a deep dive into a religious publisher’s recent production workflow transformation. Discover how they moved from manual FTP transfers and disconnected systems to a fully integrated process using BiblioDAM. Learn how they now manage assets, track statuses, and collaborate seamlessly with vendors, saving upwards of 20-40 minutes per title. This session will showcase the publisher's use of dashboards, automated notifications, and integrated file delivery to accelerate their publishing schedule and increase efficiency across teams.

Educational outcomes:

Attendees of this webinar will:

• Understand the tangible benefits of a centralized Publishing Asset Management (PAM) workflow for a publisher's entire production lifecycle.
• Learn how integrating manuscript, proofing, and asset management processes into a single workflow can eliminate information silos and save significant time.
• Discover how modern publishing platforms can automate notifications and schedule updates to improve team and vendor collaboration.
• Identify key opportunities to streamline their own production workflows, particularly in managing asset delivery to external partners (e.g., printers, distributors).
• See a real-world example of how to achieve rapid, successful adoption of a new production module.

Who should attend:

This webinar is designed for publishing professionals seeking to improve operational efficiency and collaboration within their organization. Recommended roles include:

• Executive Leadership (C-Suite, VPs, Directors)
• IT and Systems Managers
• Production and Operations Staff
• Managing Editors and Editorial Teams
• Art Directors and Design Staff
• Marketing and Sales Teams