Wednesday, January 6, 2027
8:45 – 9:15 AM COFFEE AND BREAKFAST
9:15 – 10:00 AM WELCOME REMARKS AND INTRODUCTIONS
10:00 – 11:00 AM OPENING KEYNOTE
Greg Greeley, Chief Executive Officer of Simon & Schuster, in a fireside chat with Ed Nawotka, Senior News and International Editor at Publishers Weekly, reflects on the challenges and opportunities ahead for publishers. Greeley explores how questioning the status quo can help publishing leaders innovate, engage more deeply with audiences, and achieve stronger outcomes and growth.
11:15 – 11:45 AM BUILDING A MINDSET OF INNOVATION
How can a company or a team operationalize creative thinking in all of their planning? Stephanie Layser, strategist and technology expert at Amazon Web Services, shares what publishers can learn from Amazon and how to foster a culture that encourages innovation.
11:45 AM– 12:15 PM LEVERAGING YOUR IP AND CULTURAL ASSETS
Amy Jarashow, Senior Vice President, Skydance Global Publishing (formerly Paramount), pulls back the curtain on Skydance’s soon-to-launch publishing imprint and explores how publishers of every size can turn existing and new IP, untapped assets, and emerging trends into compelling stories. From attracting new audiences to deepening engagement with devoted readers and fans, she’ll share how to identify what resonates, uncover fresh opportunities and leave a lasting impact.
12:15 – 12:30 PM INNOVATION Q&A
12:30 – 1:30 PM LUNCH
1:30 – 2:15 PM MAXIMIZING THE EXPLODING POWER OF VIDEO
Dean Kowalski, Head of Learning Partnerships at YouTube, helps publishers leverage the largest video-sharing platform in the world. He demystifies YouTube’s algorithms, video formats, content and discovery tactics to help publishers market their authors, titles, and overall brands, all designed to convert interest into publishing profit.
2:30 – 3:00 PM FROM LAUNCH TO LONGEVITY
Random House Publishing Group leaders Susan Corcoran, Senior Vice President, Director of Publicity, and Kristin Fassler, Senior Vice President, Director of Marketing Strategy and Engagement, share how launch and post-publication campaigns work together, how data and creative thinking guide investment, and how their team has turned marketplace signals into reorders, bestseller placement, and sustained sales.
3:00 – 3:30 PM NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN: CREATORS AND MORE
Sam Fox, Executive Director, Content Creation and Strategy at HarperCollins Publishers, outlines how publishers on any budget can effectively use influencers and other direct-to-consumer strategies to extend the reach of marketing campaigns and turn audience attention into book purchases.
3:45 – 5:15 PM DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING: WHY ANALYTICS EQUALS DISCOVERY AND HANDS-ON WORKSHOP
Understanding consumer, marketplace, and sales insights is key for publishers eager to make smart, informed decisions using the best industry tools and resources available. In this session and hands-on workshop, Reid Welsh, Vice President, Insights and Analytics, Penguin Random House, explains how to apply these resources to real scenarios and achieve results.
5:15 – 5:45 PM DAILY WRAP-UP
6:00 – 8:00 PM RECEPTION, DINNER, NETWORKING
Thursday, January 7, 2027
8:45 – 9:15 AM COFFEE AND BREAKFAST
9:15 – 10:15 AM CREATING A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE
Restaurateur, business leader, and author Danny Meyer, whose new book is What Could Possibly Go Right? The Essential Journey to Scale an Enduring Culture, talks candidly in a fireside chat with his editor, Andy Ward, Executive Vice President and Publisher, Random House, about how to build an energized, cohesive, and motivated work environment that can apply to any creative business.
10:30 – 11:15 AM SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHORS GO MAINSTREAM: WHY IT MATTERS
Whether it’s a “takeover” of an established self-published author or building one internally, traditional publishers are finding this a lucrative and exciting way to augment their lists and grow audiences. Leah Hultenschmidt, Vice President and Publisher, the Forever imprint of Grand Central Publishing, and her best-selling author, Kennedy Ryan, take us through best practices and case studies.
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM NEW VENTURES, NEW REVENUE STREAMS
Tom Gorke, revenue and partnership leader at Google, helps publishers unlock growth by looking beyond traditional industry boundaries. Drawing insights from streaming models and app ecosystems, he explores key lessons in business innovation, diversified revenue streams, and AI adoption in the era of creator-driven publishing.
12:00 – 1:00 PM LUNCH
1:00 – 2:00 PM PUBLISHERS SPEAK OUT ON AI
In a candid conversation moderated by Stable Book Group president and publisher Keith Riegert, industry experts including Mary McAveney, Chief Executive Officer of Abrams Books; Samantha McCarthy, President of Bloomsbury US; Sasha Quinton, President, Children's Book Group, Scholastic; and Regina Brooks, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Serendipity Literary and President of the American Association of Literary Agents, discuss the many ways that publishers are successfully using AI … and what’s next.
2:15 – 3:15 PM THE NEW AI DISCOVERY LANDSCAPE: A CASE STUDY
As questions — not keywords — increasingly shape how people search, publishers need to understand what this shift means in practice. Cameron Lennon, Founder and Director, Zon Media, offers practical, forward-looking guidance for navigating the new world of AI-powered search, followed by a hands-on workshop.
3:30 – 4:15 PM CLOSING KEYNOTE: LOOKING TO THE FUTURE WITH SANYU DILLON
Sanyu Dillon, President of Random House Publishing Group at Penguin Random House, delivered the opening keynote address at the first NYU API in 2024. In conversation with Nina von Moltke, Co-Founder and President of Authors Equity, she returns to reflect on how the industry has changed and to share her perspective and predictions on what is next for publishers. Dillon offers insights designed to help our API attendees translate their classroom learning into action in the workplace.
4:30 – 5:00 PM CERTIFICATE CEREMONY