The biennial Publishers Congress, held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was one of the highest-attended Congresses yet, and sold out weeks in advance. Local and international publishers gathered to network with other industry professionals, grow their skill sets, and debate the industry’s future. The top three countries represented were Malaysia with 245 attendees, the Philippines with 26 attendees, and India with 24 attendees. The Congress featured 80 speakers and moderators, 24 panel sessions, and 9 keynotes.
Other related events included a Greater Kuala Lumpur Book Tour and a Greater Kuala Lumpur Cultural Tour, the Pinocchio Exhibition, and the Selangor State Public Library, which ran from 5 to 30 July, courtesy of the Congress partner, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. The second side event was the Selangor Literature and Content Expression (SLICE) Seminar.
Reflecting on the success of the Congress, IPA Executive Committee member and President of MABOPA, Sheikh Faisal, said, “I would like to thank the IPA for the trust and assistance throughout the 18 months of preparation. Also to the Programming committee, for their wisdom and guidance, across multiple timezones in coming up with a great program. We have achieved our objectives and saw many of our local players, especially the government agencies, taking advantage of us being the host to showcase how beautifully vibrant and active our book industry in Malaysia is, with a strong working relationship we have between the industry and the government. We are happy hearing and reading all the nice comments from speakers and delegates of their experience at the Congress. We hope to strengthen our relationship with the global publishing community as we learn from each other and continue to champion copyright and freedom to publish. Finally thanks to my team members, government agencies and all partners and sponsors who helped to make this Congress a success. We trust that everyone left Kuala Lumpur with a smile on their face remembering what a great Congress it was for them.”
In her opening speech, IPA President, Gvanta Jobava, said, “When it comes to technology we have artificial intelligence front of mind but also the skills transition that our workforces will have to go through. On the societal level, we are thinking about how we can continue to be a trusted source in an age of misinformation and fake news. How will we continue to engage readers and maintain literacy, as well as ensuring the trinity of freedoms: the freedom of expression, the freedom to publish and the freedom to read? How can we guarantee sustainable access to knowledge? How will our supply chains evolve to be more innovative and sustainable? How will geopolitical trends, and national policy shifts affect our sector? How will market consolidation — not just in publishing, but in distribution and other areas — affect us? And finally, how will we fight piracy and IP theft?”
IPA Vice President, Giovanni Hoepli, said, “When I was elected as Vice President of the IPA, I insisted it was thanks to teamwork. And we need that teamwork now. We need that combined publishing intelligence: To seize the opportunity of AI while protecting copyright; To protect the freedom to publish; To promote a sustainable business that cherishes our planet; To bring joy to children and adults, boys and girls, opening a book full of magic; To support each other in the hardest times; To celebrate each other at the best of times.” 
We share a few important reports and responses to the Congress in the Newsletter, including: