Reflections from the 2025 BMI Annual Conference: Resilience, Recognition & Renewed Purpose
2025 Book Manufacturers Institute Annual Conference, St Augustine, FL
Reflections from the 2025 BMI Annual Conference: Resilience, Recognition & Renewed Purpose
From November 1–3, book manufacturing professionals gathered in St. Augustine, Florida for the 2025 Book Manufacturers’ Institute (BMI) Annual Conference. Held at the historic Casa Monica Resort & Spa, the conference brought together printers, binders, suppliers, and technology partners for a weekend of insight, collaboration, and celebration. For our team at Bridgeport National Bindery (BNB), this year felt especially meaningful. We returned humbled by the conversations we had, proud of how far our industry has come, and inspired by its direction.
A Weekend of Insight and Optimism
The conference agenda offered a clear look at the opportunities and pressures shaping book manufacturing today. Sessions dove into:
Regulatory and trade updates in “What’s Happening on the Hill”
Education publishing trends and how classroom needs are shifting book formats and timelines
The State of Paper, featuring candid discussion from mills on raw-material availability and forecasting
A Printer & Manufacturer Panel, highlighting operational realities, automation, and where plants are investing
While challenges such as labor shortages, supply-chain variability, and evolving demand remain, the overall tone was optimistic. Speakers emphasized that print isn’t simply holding steady; it’s adapting intelligently. Short-run and print-on-demand models continue to grow. Publishers are leaning more heavily on agile manufacturing. And collaboration across the supply chain is becoming a powerful differentiator. For BNB, these themes aligned closely with how we operate today: with flexibility, transparency, and a commitment to service that goes far beyond the transactional.
Community, Collaboration, and Candid Conversations
One of the best parts of BMI each year is the access it provides to the entire ecosystem. The informal conversations over breakfast, between sessions, or at the evening receptions were filled with shared experiences and practical ideas. Manufacturers talked openly about what’s working, what’s changing, and what’s needed next. Paper suppliers offered direct insight into trends we’re all feeling. And binders, printers, and service partners exchanged strategies for improving efficiency, communication, and turnaround times. That sense of community is one of the industry’s greatest strengths. It reminds us that while each company has its own focus, we’re all working toward the same goal: delivering quality, consistency, and reliability in every book we produce.
A Proud Moment for BNB
A highlight for our team came during the BMI Awards Dinner, where Bruce Jacobsen was honored with the 2025 BMI Signature Award. This award recognizes a member who has made a significant and positive impact on both the Institute and the broader book manufacturing industry. For those of us who know Bruce’s leadership and integrity firsthand, the recognition felt incredibly well-deserved. His dedication to quality, partnership, and service is evident in everything he does and seeing that acknowledged by the industry was a proud moment for all of us. Beyond celebrating Bruce as an individual, the award reinforces the credibility and trust BNB brings to our clients and partners every day.
Key Themes We’re Bringing Home
BMI 2025 reinforced several themes that will continue shaping the year ahead:
1. Partnership is critical.
Publishers are looking for manufacturers who proactively collaborate, communicate, and problem-solve especially in short-run and POD environments.
2. Agility wins.
Manufacturers who can pivot quickly, manage smaller batches, and maintain quality at scale will be best positioned for shifting demand.
3. People still power print.
Automation is growing, but craftsmanship, attention to detail, and customer service continue to define great manufacturing.
4. Sustainability matters.
Local production, waste reduction, and efficient workflows are becoming shared priorities across the supply chain.
5. Industry leadership matters.
Bruce’s award is a reminder that mentorship and involvement strengthen not just individual companies, but the entire industry.
Looking Ahead
We left St. Augustine feeling energized and aligned. The BMI Annual Conference was a powerful reminder of why our work matters and how much opportunity lies ahead for those who stay adaptable, communicative, and quality-driven. A sincere thank-you to BMI for another exceptional event and congratulations again to Bruce Jacobsen on his well-earned Signature Award.
Here’s to the future and to shaping it together as an industry committed to craft, innovation, and partnership.
BNB, Proud BMI Member | Partner to Publishers Everywhere