9:30 - 10:00: Registration
10:00 - 10:05 : Welcome
Speakers: Marifé Boix Garcia (Frankfurter Buchmesse, Germany), Ezequiel Martínez (Fundación El Libro, Argentina), Eugenia Bascarán (ReadingU, Argentina)
10:05 - 10:20: The Current State of the Global Audio Market and the Spanish-Language Market / Keynote
Topics:
- Where the audio industry stands today.
- Which markets are most developed and which offer the greatest growth potential.
- How consumption patterns in Spanish compare to those in other languages.
- What type of content perform best by region and platform.
Speaker: Eugenia Bascarán (ReadingU, Argentina)
10:20 - 10:50: Building a successful audio catalogue / Round table
Topics:
- How to select titles with potential for audio.
- Backlist vs. new releases: what to prioritise and why?
- Genres and types of works that work best in audio format.
- Production pace and medium-term planning.
Speakers: Julia Ariza (Editorial Fiordo, Argentina), Florencia López (Grupo Editorial Planeta Argentina, Argentina), Flavia Daniela Pittella (Journalist and writer, Argentina)
10:50 - 11:20: Opportunities to internationalise content through audio / Round table
Topics:
- Licensing audio rights to international platforms and labels.
- Co-production models between publishers, production companies and platforms.
- Strategies for translating and adapting content for other markets.
- Cases in which audio serves as a first step towards opening up new territories.
Speakers: Florencia Cambariere (Editorial Director VR Editoras, Argentina), Trini Vergara (Founder of Trini Vergara Ediciones, Argentina), Germán Echeverria (Autores de Argentina/ Autores del Mundo, Argentina), Patricia Kolesnicov (Journalist and writer, Argentina)
11:20 - 11:50: The Author's Voice in the Audiobook / Conversation
Topics:
- What happens when the author also narrates the book?
- A conversation about the process of recording an audiobook in the first person, the challenges in the studio, and the value of the author's voice in the listening experience.
Speakers: Florencia Sichel (Writer, Argentina), Esteban Castromán (Writer, Argentina)
11:50 - 12:15: Break / Networking
12:15 - 12:45: Audiobook production: building a solid partnership / Round table
Topics:
- How to choose a studio or production company based on the project and budget.
- Differences between technical services and publishing consulting .
- What tasks are the publisher's responsibility (voice selection, guidelines, adaptations)?
- What tasks should be delegated (recording, editing, direction, technical control)?
- Keys to building long-term relationships and optimising costs and time.
Speakers: Juan Pablo Bellini (ReadingU, Argentina), Florencia Menestrina (Trini Vergara Ediciones, Argentina), Vítor Loscalzo (Primavox, Brazil), Guadalupe González de Rosa (Conecta, Argentina)
12:45 - 13:30: Distribution, platforms and visibility / Round table
Topics:
- How does audiobook distribution work in general terms?
- What role do platforms play?
- What decisions remain in the hands of the publisher: metadata, territories, pricing, timing?
- Realistic expectations for visibility and performance.
- Audio within the global publishing marketing strategy.
Speakers: Carlos Rojas (Zebralution, Mexico / Germany), Catalina Lucas (Penguin Audio, Argentina)
13:30 - 13:50: Trends in audio in Spanish and around the world / Keynote
Topics:
- The current and future role of artificial intelligence in audio production and distribution.
- Changes in editorial communication: audio as a direct channel to audiences.
- New formats: audio newsletters, narrative podcasts, video podcasts.
- Crossovers between books, audio and other digital languages.
- Opportunities and risks for publishers.
Speaker: Daniel Benchimol (Proyecto451, Argentina)
13:50 - 14:00: Closure of the Audio Forum
Speakers: Marifé Boix Garcia (Frankfurter Buchmesse, Germany), Eugenia Bascarán (ReadingU, Argentina)
14:00 - 15:30: Break / Networking
15:30 - 15:50: Print on Demand: Local printing for the global market / Keynote
The print on demand (POD) model is a format that supports sustainability and guarantees a presence in the global market. This keynote offers insights into this type of printing and distribution, accessible to any publisher, to take advantage of sales channels that reach readers anywhere in the world.
Speaker: Lucina Schell (Ingram Lightning Source, USA)
15:50 - 16:20: How to make books available in different markets: challenges and solutions / Round table
Every publisher wants their books to reach the regions where the language they publish in is spoken. However, even with the use of new technologies, distribution remains one of the most significant challenges faced by those who produce, sell or promote books. This panel discussion will share experiences, difficulties and solutions related to the book marketing cycle.
Speakers: Lucina Schell (Ingram Lightning Source, USA), Edison García (INGRAM Content Group, USA), Carlos Rojas (Zebralution, Mexico / Germany)
16:30 - 16:40: Without metadata, there is no business / Keynote
The correct handling of metadata for each title is the basis for giving each book greater visibility and boosting its sales. To achieve this goal, books must be as easy to find as possible, both for booksellers and potential readers. What are the basic requirements of global book markets for increasing the visibility of publishers' catalogues and boosting sales? This keynote will present the metadata-based tools needed to increase commercial opportunities for publishers and booksellers.
Speaker: Cristiane Martins (MVB Latin America, Brazil)
16:40 - 17:00: AI, eBooks and eReading: Managing the Bad, Finding the Good / Keynote
AI is transforming everything, and the book world is no exception. Michael Tamblyn takes a look at the best and worst aspects of AI – from protecting intellectual property and ensuring that its use enhances, rather than undermines, the value of creative work, to examples of applications that have helped to improve content visibility, boost sales, and partner with local bookstores to grow the reading community.
Speaker: Michael Tamblyn (Rakuten Kobo, Canada)
