The annual MGIP London Dinner was held at the magnificent Stationers' Hall. As we said in our February newsletter, we have been trying to get a ‘foot in their door’ for the last three years, and finally we managed it! 

The MGIP would like to give a special thanks to Bridgeman Images for supporting our event, and we would also like to thank all of our UK members who helped us a lot, especially Piers Russell-Cobb and Robin Wood. 

Jean Arcache, MGIP President, gave a compelling welcome speech. Here are some extracts: 

'Here we are in April 2018 and Publishing is still very strong worldwide - in all forms:  digital, print, as well as audio - as the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) has recently surveyed.

Publishing is increasing in all forms thanks to emerging markets, such as India, which is the second largest English-speaking community worldwide, and Africa, particularly in French or English-speaking parts. Millions of Chinese people are now studying English as a second language, which could be a great opportunity to sell and export copies or even find partners for rights and distribution out there. Obviously academic publishers are the first to benefit from these developments, but trade fiction and illustrated (as well children's publishers) might benefit more and more from it too.
 
How to create opportunities from all these worldwide trends?

Some thoughts:
COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE - Most independent publishers are respected leaders in their field, but they need to be trained in 'collective intelligence' to outstrip the competition. This is what MGIP is for: helping each member to generate more business and make their publishing houses stronger and stronger.

 

TRANSITION through TRANSFORMATION and use of IMAGINATION are key factors for success. Let me give you one example of the challenges of TRANSITION how to devolve leadership in the company. Hubert de Givenchy recently passed away aged 91 years old. He was one of the French Couturiers - well known worldwide because he designed dresses for Audrey Hepburn. He was considered le chic français, but he was not able to find someone talented enough to take over his design house once he was gone.

Independent publishers are facing (or will face) TRANSITION like this sooner or later. The question is: should they pass on their business to a family member?  Should they sell their publishing house to a competitor? Or to a global publishing group?  

Who can give them advice?  The MGIP community should definitely be able to help!

TRANSFORMATION is similar. To stay talented and sufficiently informed enough to publish the best books is a never-ending story. To succeed you need to exchange knowledge, to listen to experts’ advice and to work as a team with your international network. The Motovun Group can help you to do it better.

This year, at our summer meeting at Cumberland Lodge UK, we will do our best to help participants to:

Last but not least,  IMAGINATION. This is a watchword for publishers who want to use new tools and technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.  Here is an exciting example of AI in action: JFK was killed in Dallas on his way to give a speech, which he had already written but never got to utter. More than 50 years later, engineers at The Times used phonetic units of audio taken from 831 of Kennedy's speeches, plus machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques, were able to create the experience of JFK’s voice giving his Dallas speech.

To close my speech, I want to give some news about the book bus Matilda, sponsored by MGIP. Matilda is currently visiting isolated villages in Malawi to help children to learn to read and to have access to children’s books. We need volunteers from your publishing houses or friends who will fly to Malawi and stay one or two weeks with the book bus, reading stories to young girls and boys so they can see how reading could enrich their lives. Please can you all think all about it ...We need you!'

'We couldn't have asked for grander or more appropriate surroundings for the Motovun Group of International Publishers - MGIP annual pre-London Book Fair dinner than Stationers' Hall, home to printing and publishing since the livery was founded in 1403 and birthplace of 'copyright'. The original hall was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and was rebuilt in 1670 and remodeled in 1800. Each stained glass window, sculpted detail, every painting and piece of furniture bear rich history to the world and past of printing and publishing.

Following our board meeting, we gathered for drinks and dined in the impressive oak-panelled, surrounded with the warm glow of the stained glass windowed Livery Hall, surely one of the grandest publishing dinners London has ever hosted. Yet another brilliantly-organised event by Barbara Glauning, who performed a true coup in securing this venue, beating a rival publishing group to the date! I am certainly not alone in thinking that we must absolutely repeat this special occasion at Stationers' Hall next year!'

The MGIP Summer Meeting 2018 will take place from 29^th June  to 2^nd July at Cumberland Lodge, situated in Windsor Great Park.

Members and guests are all invited to join us at this unique venue. The Cumberland Lodge’s motto is: ‘a place for exchanging views and inspiring minds’ which makes it the perfect place for our MGIP Summer Meeting. 

Here is a short outline of the schedule to help your organise your travel plans: 
 

• General assembly for MGIP members only, 9am.
• 2-minute presentations of members' news and the MGIP Rights Centre. 
• Lectures, speeches and workshops
• Guided excursion to Windsor Castle’s Art Gallery 
• Dinner in the garden of Cumberland Lodge 
• Evening programme introduced by Wouters van der Veen, who is a specialist and author of several books about Vincent van Gogh with excerpts of the films Loving Vincent and Lust for Life. 

• Lectures and workshops
• Visit to the Royal Chapel of All Saints in the morning
• Election of MGIP Book Awards by all attendees
• Farewell dinner and announcement of MGIP Award winners

• Excursion to Oxford to visit the Bodleian Library
• Tolkien Exhibition in the Weston Library
• A walk through St John's College grounds
• Dinner on the banks of the River Thames in Windsor

Getting to Cumberland Lodge:
London Heathrow is the nearest airport,  just 20 minutes away from Great Windsor Park. A taxi contact will be provided once you have made your reservation.
 
For arrivals to London City airport there is a direct train from Waterloo Station to Egham. At the station there are taxis to Cumberland Lodge which is a 10-minute drive away. 

For more information, please visit the venue's website: www.cumberlandlodge.ac.uk
 
For those who have a return evening flight on 2nd July and don’t want to miss the excursion on Monday, they can leave from Oxford. Heathrow is about a one-hour drive. It maybe be possible to arrange a transfer for you. 
 
More details will follow or you can email us at office@motovungroup.org, but please save the date for what promises to be three exceptional days this summer.

 

To reserve and book for our events, remember to email office@motovungroup.org.

Please follow us on Facebook and view our YouTube channel for more members’ information.

Motovun Group of International Publishers 
International Non-profit Association Under Belgian Law | Founded in 1977 - Founding President: Bato Tomasević

 

Our mailing address is:
office@motovungroup.org

Responsible for editorial content: Barbara Glauning – Layout Eden Phillips Harrington, Librios

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