Consortia Purchasing Conference

["Rollo Turner" <rollo.turner@onet.co.uk>]

Consortia Purchasing - The Next 10 Years?

An International Conference

The strategic implications of consortia purchasing for managers of
consortia, librarians, publishers, intermediaries and subscription agents.

Tuesday 29 February to Wednesday 1 March 2000
at
The Royal Overseas League,
Park Place, St Jame's St
London SW1A 1LR

Organised by the Association of Subscription Agents (ASA) and the 
National Group for Consortium Purchasing by Academic Libraries (NGCPAL)

This international, strategic conference takes place at a time when an
increasing proportion of library budgets are being spent by consortia, and
when all parties involved in the purchasing of serials seem to be facing
rapid technical and administrative change. Suggestions have been made
recently that publishers themselves may not survive, whilst other
arguments have been put forward that consortia too may not have a long
term future. Similarly commentators have long predicted the demise of the
subscription agent, but experience would indicate that few apocalyptic
predictions come true and indeed agents' roles look as secure (or as
precarious) as ever.

A major theme of this conference will be the trends beginning to emerge
that will define the market over the next decade. The presentations will
concentrate on how the market is developing, the strategic choices now
being faced by consortia, publishers and intermediaries and where this is
likely to lead. All involved seem to recognise that in this new electronic
market there are many more opportunities than threats and this conference
will help delegates identify the emerging challenges and benefits to their
own organisations.

The topics addressed will range from the impact of consortia on journal
packaging and pricing, the increasing scale of the operation and the main
players, the role of publishers both large and small, intermediaries and
agents in the future and what new roles need to be filled. Discussions
will take place on the opportunities and challenges of the current rash of
corporate integration, the new publishing models now under consideration
and whether purchasing consortia really can survive and flourish in such a
complex world.

The conference speakers are all experts in their own field, and also
influential decision makers whose thoughts radically affect each others
business. Because of the need to involve as many people as possible in
understanding the opportunities and challenges facing us all, considerable
time has been set aside for discussion. This conference promises to be a
highly interactive meeting where the questions raised will be at least as
interesting as the answers given.

Conference Programme Tuesday, February 29 Chair: P. Lawson , ASA

10.30 Registration and coffee
11.15 Welcome
Peter Lawson, Chairman, ASA and Karger Libri, Switzerland

11.30 Keynote Presentation - The Future of Consortia
Lars Bjornshauge, Director, DTV, Denmark

12.15 The View from the Middle
Rollo Turner, Secretary General, ASA

1.00 Lunch

Chair: Ian Middleton, Director, EBSCO UK

2.30 The European Perspective
John Gilbert, Chairman, UKB (Association of Dutch University Libraries), 
Netherlands

3.00 The Challenge of Success
Hannah Stevens, Boston Library Consortium, USA

3.30 Non-academic Consortia - An Expanding Presence
Caroline Moss Gibbons, Royal College of Physicians, UK

4,00 Tea
4.30 Publishing - The Strategic Imperatives
Jan Velterop, Director, Macmillan Magazines, UK

5.00 Discussion and identification of today's themes
5.30 Close
7.00 Conference Dinner at the Royal Overseas League

Wednesday, 1st March Chair: David Ball, NGCPAL

9.30 What About The Small Society Publisher?
Sue Thorn, Executive Director, Endocrinology Society, UK

10.00 Distribution and Future Alternatives: New Electronic Intermediary
Chris Beckett, Sales and Marketing Director, Catchword, UK

10.30 Coffee
11.00 The Impact of E-Commerce on Consortia Purchasing
Charles Germain, VP International Operations, Rowecom

11.30 How Does The Whole Edifice Fit Together?
Mark Bide, Mark Bide Associates, UK

12.00 Discussion of conference themes.

1.00 Buffet lunch and close of conference

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Booking form

Please complete a copy of this form for each delegate and return by fax
or post immediately.

Name 

Position 

Organisation

Address

Email 
Tel
Fax

Signed

____ Full delegate including accommodation =A3275 [ ] ASA and NGCPAL
members =A3260

____ Conference only (no accommodation) =A3160 [ ] ASA and NGCPAL members
=A3145=20

[ ] Cheque enclosed for =A3___________ (pay to Association of Subscription
Agents)

[ ] Please invoice (NB Your place will not be reserved nor accommodation 
arranged until payment is received).

Hotel accommodation

Delegates will be staying at either the Royal Overseas League or the Green
Park Hotel in central London five minutes walk from the conference venue.
Accommodation is based on a single room with continental breakfast for the
night of the 29th February only. The organisers reserve the right to use
other hotel accommodation.

Bookings and cancellations

No booking can be made until payment is received by the organisers. An
administration fee of =A350 will be charged for any cancellation after 1
February 2000. No refunds will be made for non attendance or cancellation
within the last three working days before the conference.

Payment

Regrettably credit cards cannot be accepted. An invoice will be sent on
request. Delegates wishing to pay by bankers draft may do so and the
relevant details are shown below. Please note cheques should be in pounds
sterling and drawn on a British bank. If not please add =A310 to cover
bank charges. Cheques should be made payable to The Association of
Subscription Agents. Bank details: HSBC Bank, 65 Cornmarket St, Oxford OX1
3HY, UK Sort code 40-35-34 Account name: Association of Subscription
Agents. Account number: 01726323

The Association of Subscription Agents
10 Lime Avenue
High Wycombe
Bucks HP11 1DP, UK
Web address www.subscription-agents.org
Email: rollo.turner@onet.co.uk
Tel and fax +44 (0)1494 534778