Raising Your Professional Profile

The Raising Your Professional Profile seminar is an upcoming professional development event organised by the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP). Taking place on 28 September 2026 at 47 Bastwick Street, London, the event is designed for professionals working across scholarly and professional publishing who want to strengthen their visibility, influence and career prospects. ALPSP describes the event as an opportunity to build a values-driven professional profile while developing practical approaches to networking, LinkedIn, committee participation and speaking opportunities.

Unlike a large-scale industry conference, this seminar focuses specifically on personal and professional development. It provides attendees with an opportunity to consider how they present their expertise, establish meaningful professional relationships and communicate their achievements more effectively.

Building a Stronger Professional Identity

A strong professional profile can be an important asset for anyone working in scholarly publishing. Publishing professionals often develop specialist knowledge through editorial work, research communication, project management, marketing, technology or publishing operations, but communicating that expertise effectively can be challenging.

The ALPSP seminar addresses this challenge by focusing on practical ways professionals can increase their visibility and influence.

The objective is not simply to promote oneself. Instead, the programme encourages participants to develop an authentic professional identity based on their knowledge, experience, interests and values.

This approach can be particularly useful for people who have developed substantial expertise but have not yet found effective ways to communicate it within their professional communities.

Why Professional Visibility Matters

Professional visibility can help people establish stronger relationships with colleagues, industry peers and potential collaborators.

In scholarly publishing, professional networks can extend across publishers, learned societies, universities, libraries, research organisations, technology companies and professional associations. Building connections across these groups can create opportunities for knowledge sharing and collaboration.

The seminar provides an opportunity to think about how professionals can become more visible within these networks without relying on overly promotional approaches.

Participants can explore ways to communicate their experience, contribute to industry discussions and demonstrate expertise through meaningful professional activity.

Making LinkedIn Work More Effectively

One of the practical areas highlighted by ALPSP is the use of LinkedIn and online platforms.

For publishing professionals, LinkedIn can be more than an online CV. It can serve as a platform for sharing professional insights, discussing industry developments, celebrating achievements and connecting with colleagues.

A well-developed profile can also help people communicate their professional interests to organisations and individuals outside their immediate network.

The seminar provides an opportunity to consider how professionals can use online platforms more strategically and authentically.

This may include improving profile information, communicating areas of expertise, sharing useful industry content and engaging with relevant professional conversations.

Networking as Relationship Building

Networking is another important element of the seminar.

Rather than viewing networking simply as collecting contacts, the event encourages a more meaningful approach based on genuine relationship building. This is particularly relevant in scholarly publishing, where long-term professional relationships can support collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Attendees can meet people working in different parts of the publishing ecosystem and gain perspectives from professionals with varied experiences.

The seminar also includes opportunities to network with other attendees, allowing participants to continue conversations outside formal sessions.

Committee Roles and Professional Contribution

The programme also highlights committee roles as one avenue for increasing professional visibility.

Professional associations, learned societies and industry organisations frequently rely on committees and volunteer groups to support their activities. Participating in these groups can give professionals opportunities to contribute to industry initiatives while developing new skills.

Committee involvement can also expose participants to different areas of the publishing sector and introduce them to professionals they may not otherwise encounter.

For people looking to broaden their experience, contributing to an industry committee can therefore be a useful part of a longer-term professional development strategy.

Developing Speaking Opportunities

Public speaking is another area addressed by the seminar.

Speaking at conferences, seminars, webinars and professional events can help specialists share their knowledge while establishing credibility within their field.

However, many professionals may hesitate to put themselves forward for speaking opportunities because they are unsure about how to identify suitable topics or communicate their expertise effectively.

The ALPSP seminar provides guidance around making the most of speaking opportunities as part of a wider professional profile.

Developing the ability to communicate ideas clearly can benefit professionals in many areas, including editorial management, publishing technology, marketing, research communication and leadership.

A Values-Driven Approach

One of the distinctive elements of the event is its emphasis on building a values-driven professional profile.

Professional visibility does not necessarily require aggressive self-promotion. A values-driven approach focuses on communicating expertise while remaining authentic and useful to others.

For professionals in scholarly publishing, this can be particularly relevant because the sector places considerable importance on research quality, integrity, collaboration and knowledge sharing.

A professional profile built around these principles can help individuals communicate not only what they do, but also why their work matters.

Practical Career Development

The seminar is designed around practical strategies rather than purely theoretical career advice.

Participants can consider how to communicate their professional achievements, identify areas where they want greater visibility and build relationships that support future development.

Career development can be especially important in a rapidly changing publishing environment. New technologies, artificial intelligence, open-access models and changing research communication practices are creating new roles and responsibilities.

Professionals who can clearly communicate their expertise and adapt their professional identity may be better positioned to take advantage of emerging opportunities.

Supporting Early and Mid-Career Professionals

The event can be particularly valuable for early and mid-career professionals who want to establish themselves within scholarly publishing.

Someone who is relatively new to the sector may have strong technical or editorial skills but limited professional visibility. Developing relationships and participating in industry conversations can help bridge that gap.

Similarly, professionals moving into management or specialist roles may need to communicate their expertise to a wider audience.

The seminar provides a structured setting for thinking about these challenges and identifying practical next steps.

Learning From Industry Peers

One advantage of attending an ALPSP event is the opportunity to interact with people who understand the specific characteristics of scholarly and professional publishing.

The sector has its own terminology, workflows, professional networks and challenges. Advice from people working within this environment can therefore be more immediately relevant than generic career-development guidance.

Participants can compare experiences, discuss challenges and learn how others have approached professional visibility.

These peer interactions can continue beyond the event and potentially develop into long-term professional relationships.

Networking Reception and Informal Discussion

The event ticket includes catering and a drinks reception, providing additional time for informal discussion and networking.

These informal periods can be particularly useful because they allow attendees to continue conversations started during the formal programme.

Participants can discuss shared interests, exchange ideas and learn more about other people's professional experiences.

For people who find traditional networking difficult, having structured opportunities around an event programme can make professional relationship building more natural.

Why Attend the ALPSP Seminar?

There are several reasons why professionals involved in scholarly publishing may find the seminar valuable.

First, it provides practical ideas for improving professional visibility. Second, it addresses online professional presence, including LinkedIn. Third, it explores networking as a genuine relationship-building activity. Fourth, it highlights committee participation and speaking opportunities as ways to contribute to the sector.

Most importantly, the seminar encourages attendees to think strategically about how their professional identity develops over time.

Rather than treating career development as a one-time activity, the event presents professional profile building as an ongoing process.

Ideal Participants

The seminar is suitable for professionals across the scholarly and professional publishing ecosystem.

Publishing professionals can use the event to increase their industry visibility and communicate their expertise.

Editors and editorial managers can explore ways to share knowledge and become more active within professional communities.

Marketing and communications specialists can gain ideas for developing a stronger professional presence.

Early-career professionals can learn practical networking and career-development approaches.

Managers and experienced professionals can consider how to strengthen their leadership profile and expand their influence.

The event is also suitable for ALPSP members and non-members, making it accessible to a broad professional audience.

London as the Event Location

The seminar takes place at 47 Bastwick Street in London, providing a central UK setting for a professional publishing event.

London has a particularly strong connection with publishing, professional associations, universities, research organisations and media businesses. This makes it a natural location for an event focused on professional development within scholarly publishing.

Attendees travelling from other parts of the UK can also use London's extensive transport network to reach the venue.

Wrapping Up

The Raising Your Professional Profile seminar offers a focused professional-development opportunity for people working in scholarly and professional publishing. Scheduled for 28 September 2026, the in-person event combines practical career guidance, professional networking and strategies for improving visibility and influence.

Its focus on LinkedIn, online platforms, committee roles, speaking opportunities and relationship-building makes it particularly relevant for professionals looking to take a more strategic approach to career development.

For anyone seeking to strengthen their professional identity while remaining authentic and values-driven, this ALPSP seminar provides a useful opportunity to learn, connect and develop new ideas.