The New Asset Question: Licensing, Building and Defending Publisher Content in the AI Era

London Dinner —Impelsys × State of Digital Publishing

Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Hosted By

Three Decisions, One Table

Content has become a tradable asset, and underneath every academic, educational and trade publishing decision sits the same triangle: what to license, what to embed, what to defend. The question it all comes down to: how do publishers stay economically relevant in the AI value chain?

This private London dinner brings together a small group of senior leaders from across academic, educational and trade publishing for one evening of structured, off-the-record discussion working through exactly that, one prompt per course. From how publishers decide what to license, to metering content for AI consumption, to the new revenue models publishers can build on top of their content.

The format is high-trust and Chatham House throughout.

Featured Speaker: Meet Samantha Holman

Samantha Holman is President of the IFRRO and CEO of the Irish Copyright Licensing Agency, a position she has held since 2001.

With a background in applied linguistics, law, teacher training, and academic management, Samantha is an internationally recognised expert in copyright and collective rights management. She has played a leading role within IFRRO for more than two decades, serving in various governance and development positions before becoming President.

In Ireland, she is a founding director of IVARO and has served as a director of the Irish ALAI Group. A frequent speaker at international conferences, Samantha lectures widely on collective management, copyright policy, and copyright in education.

The Details

Date & Time

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 – 6:30 PM

Location

Cornus Restaurant

27c Eccleston Pl, London SW1W 9NF, United Kingdom

Invite includes

Dinner, drinks, post-evening discussions and strategic insignts not available for public.

Please note

The dinner is designed to be high-trust, collaborative, and off-the-record, with a focus on sharing what’s working and what’s not across markets.

Apply for a seat/invite

Agenda

6:30 PM

Arrival & Welcome Drinks

Guests are welcomed by the hosts on the Cornus roof terrace over drinks and informal conversation,
setting the tone for an open, collaborative evening.

7:00 PM – 7:20 PM

Settling In & Introductions

Guests move from the roof terrace to the dining room and take their seats across three tables. A brief
framing from the hosts, Impelsys and State of Digital Publishing, covering the theme, format and Chatham House Rule, then round-the-table introductions: name, role, organisation, and the area of publishing each guest leads.

7:20 PM – 8:00 PM

Featured Speaker & Impelsys Presentation Over Starters

The theme is The New Asset Question: Licensing, Building and Defending Publisher Content in the AI
Era. A featured speaker anchors the theme, followed by a presentation from the Impelsys leadership team, together framing how publishers stay economically relevant in the AI value chain.

8:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Guided Discussions Over Mains & Dessert

Prompt 1:Licensing the Asset: “How are publishers deciding what to license, what to litigate, and what to hold back?”

Prompt 2:Metering & Licensing: ‘Transforming content for AI consumption, and how to meter that consumption, enable pay-as-you-go models, and value content differentially. What does monetisation infrastructure purpose-built for publishers entering the AI economy look like?”

Prompt 3: Changing Revenues with AI: “One-time vs. ongoing licenses, and the new AI-driven revenue streams publishers can build on
top of their content.”

Tables rotate between courses, so each guest discusses with a fresh mix of peers.

9:30 PM – 9:45 PM