ALPSP Annual Conference and Awards 2026
9-11 September | The Manchester Deansgate Hotel, UK
Early Bird Rates ending 31 May.
3 Day Conference Ticket (including Welcome Reception and Conference Dinner)
| Price Dates | Price Tier | ALPSP Member | Non-Member |
| 12 Jan - 31 May 2026 | Early Bird | £670 + VAT | £930 + VAT |
| 01 Jun - 15 Aug 2026 | Standard | £825 + VAT | £1,085 + VAT |
| 16 Aug - 31 Aug 2026 | Late | £975 + VAT | £1,235 + VAT |
This in-person event takes place in the UK. The ticket price includes UK standard-rate VAT at 20%, which is applied based on the event’s location. A VAT receipt with a full VAT breakdown will be issued once your booking is complete.
About the event
This year, the ALPSP Conference is looking beyond scholarly publishing for inspiration. Across dynamic plenaries and parallel sessions, we’ll explore how our community can thrive in a changing world. Expect practical insights on AI, industry benchmarking, community engagement, global markets and diversity, operating lean in tiny teams, and global priorities like the SDGs, author diversity, publishing equity, and research integrity. This is a programme designed to challenge assumptions, spark new thinking, and equip you to create meaningful impact.
Keynote Speaker
We open with Learning from the experts: what science communicators can teach us about research impact — an energising session from Suze Kundu that invites delegates to look beyond traditional publishing and learn from those who excel at capturing attention, building trust and translating complex ideas for broad audiences. This outward‑looking theme echoes throughout the programme, setting the tone for a conference built on curiosity and innovation.
Plenary Sessions
Our plenaries bring the community together to explore the forces reshaping scholarly communication today. This year’s programme includes:
- Award Finalist Lightning Presentations
- PLS Session
- Conference Wrap‑Up
Alongside these core elements, three major plenaries anchor the event:
Beyond Publishing: A cross‑industry exploration of how other sectors approach innovation, improvement and creative problem‑solving — offering fresh inspiration for the future of scholarly communication.
Defending and Defunding Research: A timely look at the pressures facing universities and the implications for research, funding and the role of scholarly communications in a constrained environment.
Engaging for Impact: A deep dive into community engagement, policy influence and the evolving strategies that help research create meaningful, measurable change.
Parallel Sessions
Delegates can tailor their experience through a diverse set of parallel sessions designed to address today’s most pressing challenges and opportunities:
- Discovery, Access and AI
- Publishing and the Sustainable Development Goals
- Diversifying Global Author Pipelines
- Lean Editorial (including new perspectives on AI in editorial workflows)
- EDI and Inclusive Publishing
- Repository Open Access and Open Data, including Preprints
- Research Integrity, featuring voices from STM, United to Act, librarians, funders and researchers
These sessions create a future‑focused programme that blends strategic insight with practical takeaways. Delegates will leave inspired, informed and equipped to drive meaningful impact across their organisations and the wider research ecosystem.
The ALPSP Conference provides a friendly forum in which to share information and knowledge, learn about new initiatives, and engage in open discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing publishing today. With expert speakers and a wide-ranging programme, our annual event is for everyone in the scholarly publishing community.
Meet the Programme Committee
Tasha Mellins-Cohen (Chair), COUNTER
Devyani Mahajan, BMJ
Dylan Storan, Research Consulting
Godwyns Onwuchekwa, Global Tapestry Consulting
Kelly Henwood, TBI Communications
Marion Morrow, KGL
Simon Holt, Elsevier
Sponsorship opportunities
Sponsoring the ALPSP Conference gives you the opportunity to promote your organization to the scholarly publishing community. You will also be helping ALPSP and its work representing, strengthening, and supporting international academic and scholarly publishing and those who work within it. Our sponsors receive exposure during the event and in the preceding weeks with visibility on our website, conference app and associated marketing.
Member discounts
ALPSP is pleased to offer a discount on the ALPSP Conference and virtual training course registration fees to member organizations that are based primarily in Low Income/Low Middle-Income Countries (LIC/LMIC). This is based on staff numbers and is in line with the discount on membership fees.
The annual conference is a fantastic opportunity to network with our publisher clients and to learn about emerging technologies and trends in our sector, and for the sharing of ideas and experience within our publishing community."
