Editor’s note: Registration is open for SSP’s 48th Annual Meeting, held in sunny southern California. Today, our Annual Meeting Planning Committee (AMPC) Co-chairs (Jessie Slater, Greg Fagan, and Marianne Calilhanna) discuss what they’re most excited to deliver in this year’s program.

Scholarly publishing is in the midst of great upheaval and uncertainty. With cuts to US funding in medical and scientific research; distrust in academia, once-revered institutions, and expertise in general; shrinking academic library budgets; huge growth in proposals and publications; the effects of AI on content creation; continuing strains on the peer review process; and an uncertain (to put it mildly) political environment, our industry is in the midst of serious upheaval.

What can we do as a community to keep the faith and stand our ground in these unsettled times? How can we adhere to our core values while adapting to the ever-changing landscape? There are many unknowns, but one thing we do know is that by publishing and disseminating critical information and spreading knowledge, we serve an essential function to humanity at large.

The 2026 SSP Annual Meeting in Chula Vista invites us to navigate a paradox: How to adapt and innovate in turbulent times while staying true to the mission of integrity at the heart of scholarly communication.

As the Annual Meeting co-chairs, we recently discussed what we’re looking forward to when we gather in California in May. Here are our thoughts:

Jessie Slater: In some ways, it’s hard to believe another year has passed, and it’s already time for the Annual Meeting. In other ways, it feels as though we’ve all been through a lifetime of change and uncertainty in the past 12 months. I’m truly looking forward to regrouping with our community to see how we’re all pushing through; not just surviving, but continuing to advocate for and innovate scholarly publishing. The AMPC has lined up fantastic plenaries to inspire us and so many excellent educational sessions that present new ideas and real-world case studies to give us plenty to talk about during all the breaks. Thank you to all the individuals and organizations that submitted sessions, previews, and posters for this year’s meeting. You never make our job easy when it comes to selection, but you always provide us with wonderful content that showcases what makes scholarly publishing and the SSP Annual Meeting so very worthwhile.

Greg Fagan: I’m looking forward to seeing old and valued friends and colleagues, as well as meeting lots of new people and forming new connections. In addition to being a co-chair, I’ve previously served as an SSP mentor, so I’ll be on the lookout for new members and first-time attendees, because I want them to feel welcome. I’m also eager to see the year-long work that the fabulous and indefatigable Annual Meeting Program Committee has put into the planning and execution of this year’s meeting pay off into a smashing success. (And I have every confidence that it will!) And finally, we’ll be repeating the Annual Meeting Highlights webinar, which we launched last year, on June 17th. We’ve streamlined the format, and we’re anticipating a terrific event!

Marianne Calilhanna: As the rookie co-chair for this year’s meeting, I’m looking forward to seeing how the minutia from spreadsheets, calls, and planning transforms into in-person conversations, educational presentations, and real impact.

In terms of the educational sessions, there are a number that I simply do not want to miss, and that number is 23…which is all of them. The value of this meeting is not just in one plenary or one popular educational session, but rather the collective intelligence of all the sessions. Good luck to attendees figuring out their schedules because you will have some tough decisions to make (which is also why you should take advantage of the Highlights meeting that takes place in June after the annual meeting!).

Of course, there will be AI conversations, posters, and presentations, and I’m interested to see how the sessions in which AI is the focus will cut through the hype and present conversations around AI technologies that are meaningful and real. When our keynote speaker, Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo, takes the stage to discuss AI, she will do so through the lens of epistemic pluralism (the belief that many perspectives together reveal more than any one alone). It’s a fitting lens, and one that mirrors a core value of the Society of Scholarly Publishing itself.

But what I’m really looking forward to are the unscripted moments that happen. Walking into the exhibit hall and seeing old friends is always a joyful moment. No matter how carefully we plan the program, so many valuable insights come from hallway conversations, unexpected questions, and honest exchanges.

Watching our annual meeting come to life is a beautiful reminder that everyone who takes part in SSP is not just participating; rather, they are this society, and I look forward to how our society comes together to listen, observe, and respectfully converse with one another.

We hope you’re looking forward to the 2026 Annual Meeting, and don’t forget to register today! Early Bird registration closes next Friday, 17 April!