VIRTUAL ECPA MEETINGS AND EVENTS WELL ATTENDED
Despite the restrictions placed on in-person gatherings, ECPA was able to convene a trio of virtual industry meetings and one event last week. In every case, the attendance topped anything experienced in previous years.
The ECPA board responds to posed questions at the ECPA Member Meeting and Town Hall webcast on May 6.
On Monday, May 4, the ECPA board and its five standing committees met via Zoom to consider matters crucial to the ongoing effectiveness of Christian publishing. Following the election by voting members conducted by electronic response, two new board members were acknowledged by the ECPA board: Tina Constable, WaterBrook/Multnomah Publishing Group; and Tammy Gaines, Abingdon Press/UMPH. Additionally, two outgoing board members were thanked for their service to ECPA: Byron Williamson, Worthy Publishing, past chair; and Tim Murphy, Urban Ministries Inc., past treasurer.
The following board officers were approved by the board: Jeff Crosby, InterVarsity Press, chair; Dan Kok, Crossway, vice-chair; Dan Baker, Baker Publishing Group, treasurer; Barb Sherrill, Harvest House Publishers, secretary; and Mary Burns, Barbour Publishers, director-at-large.
On Tuesday, May 5, the Christian Book Award® winners webcast was streamed via Microsoft Teams, powered by The knk Group. Besides announcing the winners in 12 categories, host Stan Jantz revealed the ECPA Book of the Year. Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop, published by Crossway, took home the honors.
“It was a total ECPA team effort to conceive, plan, and then execute of this important virtual event,” said ECPA president Stan Jantz. “Julia Borden and Cindy Carter in particular ramped up quickly in their knowledge of what it takes to produce a quality online event, and we were grateful to the experts at knk for helping us deliver something of value to the industry.”
Nearly 350 people watched the Christian Book Award webcast, more than twice the number that typically attends the event in person. Although this award program is for the benefit of ECPA publishers, several authors whose books were finalists were able to watch as well.
On Wednesday, May 6, ECPA held its first ever virtual Member Meeting and Town Hall, moderated by ECPA board chair Jeff Crosby. The business of the annual member meeting is to officially approve the election of board members and also to recognize those companies and individuals who have joined ECPA over the past year. Two voting members, six small press publishers, nine industry affiliates, three international associates, and one individual affiliate were welcomed to ECPA.
Immediately following the member meeting, the ECPA board participated in a virtual Town Hall. Again, the number of attendees to both the member meeting and the Town Hall far exceeded the attendance at any such meetings in the past. Registered participants were able to submit questions in advance, and viewers watching the live Town Hall could ask questions by using the Q&A feature on Zoom. Nearly every ECPA board member fielded or commented on a question.
A recording of the Christian Book Award® winners webcast is available here.
The ECPA Member Meeting and Town Hall recording is available to ECPA members and affiliates by request.
