Slovenia’s outstanding reading culture was highlighted by International Publishers Association president Bodour Al Qasimi in meetings with the Association of Slovenian Publishers and the National Book Agency of Slovenia in Ljubljana– her first overseas engagement of 2022.

In these meetings, Al Qasimi congratulated the local association on being invited as the Frankfurt Book Fair’s guest of honour later this year in recognition of its achievements, and highlighted how impressed she was by the progress of Slovenia’s publishing industry and its vibrant cultural scene.

She said she was very encouraged by the strength of the publishing numbers in the country and pledged the full support of the IPA. She also stated that she was ready to listen toand learn from members so as to understand how they are handling the challenges facing the industry, and their progress and opportunities.

Al Qasimi, now in her second and final year of IPA presidency, told Slovenian publishers that a primary objective of her visit is to identify the needs and expectations publishers have of the IPA, and their thoughts on how toprovide further support.

In her term as president, she has met publishers and local publishing associations in several markets in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Last year, the focus was on bringing everyone together to link the industry and join an ongoing consultation about its future.

These discussions and consultations resulted in the creation of the International Sustainable Publishing and Industry Resilience Plan (also known as the InSPIRe Plan) which has been endorsed by many publishing stakeholders including the Federation of European Publishers.

During her meetings, she emphasised that discussions within the industry can be controlled, and solutions found to logistics issues and allied challenges. By working together, publishers can establish a clearer idea of industry vulnerabilities and – most importantly – better appreciate the opportunities that lie ahead.

The IPA is striving to help publishers to seize these opportunities by supporting members and ensuring that the global publishing industry bounces back as evenly as possible in every market.

A key element of this support is the creation of the IPA Academy – a virtual training resource designed to help publishers and their workforces bridge skills and knowledge gaps and help those who have yet to adopt technology to cope with the digital transformation of their businesses.

The IPA will also continue supporting publishers in terms of copyright protection and the freedom to publish – two IPA pillars – as well as increase efforts to involve its members in events to discuss updates and explore new opportunities.

Among these is the 33rd International Publishers Congress taking place on from November11 – 13 in Jakarta, Indonesia, when members will hear the latest news from the industry and be able to expand their global network for potential business opportunities.