Silverchair not only sponsored the mobile app and hosted a busy booth in the exhibit hall, we had members and chairs of SSP committees, members of the SSP Board of Directors, and speakers and moderators across four different sessions. We were also proud and honored to see Emilie Delquié recognized with the Distinguished Service Award and Stephanie Lovegrove Hansen honored with an Appreciation award.
We’ll be digesting our takeaways and following up on conversations over the coming weeks, but for now, here’s our team’s reflections on the conference:
Sam Green, Director, Product Marketing: “SSP is always a revitalizing - if exhausting - experience. This meeting generates so much energy, and I think this year more than any other it's up to each of us to make sure that energy gets put to use throughout the year. I had many conversations throughout the conference about the power and creativity in this community, often followed with the caveat that we ought to do more to work together and face the challenges of today. By the time I left on Friday I was full of ideas, and in the coming months I'm excited to see what Silverchair and others across the industry can do to turn ideas into solutions.”Sarah James, Senior Program Manager: “What stood out most at SSP 2025 was how much this industry runs on relationships. The real value came from the conversations between sessions, the people we (re)connected with, and the new connections that sparked ideas and discussions we wouldn’t have come up with alone.”
John Fairbanks, Senior Account Manager: “After eight years of building client relationships virtually—some weekly, some daily—I finally got in the room. And the difference? Immediate. What used to be surface-level clicked into gear fast. Hallway chats turned into breakthroughs. Shared meals turned into strategy. Every hour at SSP compounded. It wasn’t just a conference. It was a launchpad. If you’re still trying to move this industry forward behind a screen, it’s like flooring the gas with the parking brake on. Now that I’ve felt what it’s like to be there, I won’t miss it again.”Emilie Delquié, Chief Product & Customer Success Officer: “This year's SSP felt different - on many levels. The thought-provoking sessions, the energy in the room, the ‘it's so good to see you’ hugs, and the side business conversations were all still there. What stood out was the uncertainty and the determination to find new ways to make ‘it’ work. Whether ‘it’ was new policies, budget decisions pivots, responses to external pressures, uncertainty, embracing AI (or not), or shifting gears on adopting new ways of working. There were a whole lot of open questions this year and a strong sense that it was safe to open up, because others were going through the same chaos with the same steadfast determination to protect research, scientific advances and free speech.”
Audrey Grey, Senior Account Manager: “Collaboration is what it is all about - in a session on how society publishers can increase community engagement, they discussed the importance of collaboration between small journals to maximize efforts. Focusing on increased engagement of early career researchers will have the best outlook for long term ROI. Lots of discussion on how we discuss and present science, especially the need for meeting the general population where they're at and helping people understand the importance of scientific investigation, discovery, and application of results.”Hannah Heckner Swain, VP, Strategic Partnerships: “Attending SSP for a grand total of 30 hours was a true dive into the deep end following my return from maternity leave. It was so wonderful catching up with clients and partners, meeting some new co-workers for the first time, soaking up my final SSP meeting as a board member, and seeing Silverchair's debut on the conference circuit as a united company. While there were certainly lots of tales of forced pivots, tightened budgets, and halted projects due to market and geopolitical uncertainty, you could also see the resilience of our industry on display. I believe that this time of cutbacks will lead to collaboration creative solutions that will only make us stronger.”
Adrienne Fisher, Senior Product Manager: “It’s always amazing to reflect on SSP and realize just how incredible it is to spend three nonstop days meeting, connecting, sharing ideas and laughing with colleagues and contacts alike. These events are even more special in a remote-first world; everyone really brings their A-game and so many ideas and conversations are accelerated just by nature of occurring in person. I loved repping Silverchair this year and truly do believe that our work-hard-play-hard culture resonates very positively in our industry; I came away so proud to be a part of our organization and with a thousand new ideas to pursue with our product and our customers!”Nicole Brown, VP, Delivery: “This year’s SSP Annual Meeting hit differently. Heather Staines’ presidential address was powerful—honest, reflective, and deeply personal. She gave voice to the tension many of us are feeling right now: the pressure of working in scholarly publishing while witnessing attacks on science, equity, and truth. I found myself completely moved, and I wasn’t alone. The whole room felt it. It was a call to keep showing up, to stay rooted in our values, and to support one another through uncertainty.
There was also a real sense of momentum and energy throughout the conference. For Silverchair, it was exciting to see how much enthusiasm still surrounds our work—even six+ months after the ScholarOne acquisition. The number of folks who came by our booth just to grab 'Silverchair Fan Club' ribbons made us laugh—and also made it clear that people are watching what we're building. Adrienne and Josh absolutely nailed the ScholarOne roadmap and demo presentations. We had a lot of meaningful conversations afterward—people were genuinely excited about where the platform is heading and what we’re bringing to market next.
Overall, this year’s meeting was a reminder that we’re part of something bigger. It’s hard to be human right now, but spaces like this one help. They remind us why we care, and that we’re not in it alone.”
Emily Hazzard, Product Manager: “Four trends stood out to me this year:
- Science storytelling is having a moment. Publishers are invested in cracking the code on translating complex research into compelling narratives that resonate beyond academic circles. The tools and creativity I saw give me real optimism about rebuilding public trust in science.
- There are thoughtful AI implementations emerging that enhance rather than replace human expertise (it's not all just hype!). The companies and entities that get this right will see meaningful engagement improvements while maintaining ethical standards and responsibility.
- The industry's approach to research integrity is in the middle of an evolution from reactive detection to proactive verification systems, and the increasing sophistication of identity and trust infrastructure is proof. It's exciting to see the myriad digital identity solutions designed to improve trust in research.
- The industry is moving beyond old-school vanity metrics toward strategic, dynamic insights that drive better decisions and ‘ah-ha’ moments. In particular, understanding how both human and AI audiences engage with research will open up entirely new optimization and engagement strategies.”
Matt Abraham, Senior Account Manager: “As a first-time SSP attendee, I was struck by the amount of intrinsic value there is in simply gathering industry folks together in one place and time. In many ways our backs are against the wall right now, but we're together and united in that. The meeting also solidified for me that Zoom/Teams/Webex meetings are for transactions and tactics, while in-person meetings are for strategy.”Stephanie Lovegrove Hanse, VP, Marketing: “SSP always feels like a family reunion – in a good way. I think I hugged 100 people, some of whom I was meeting IRL for the very first time. Making those in-person connections strengthens the foundations of the work we do for the other 362 days of the year and generates endless new ideas, partnerships, and insights. There’s a real culture of trust and togetherness that makes conversations so much more productive and session discussions so much more productive. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the SSP staff and volunteers that made it all happen—their love and commitment to this industry, the people in it, and the work we do together is evident in every detail of the meeting. Already counting the days to #SSPChulaVista.”
We look forward to sharing further reflections, updates, and recaps in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for another chance to connect IRL, be sure to grab your seat at Silverchair’s Platform Strategies event, returning to Washington, DC on September 25th. Use code PS25-Early for $75 off before July 1.