About the conference
VCON25 was held online September 17–19, 2025. It brought together editors, communication professionals, and language experts from around the globe who share a common goal: to improve the quality of the written word and the working lives of editors.
The program offered three dozen breakout sessions led by nearly 60 presenters, across a wide range of topics and skill levels. All sessions were presented live and included a Q&A with the presenter.
Each day included time for community engagement in SpatialChat, sponsored by PerfectIt. The conference also featured the Pun Slam, which ran from the opening session to the finals on the last day.
On September 19, ACES announced the winners of the Headline Contest and the Holden Diversity Fellowships.
Keynote speaker
Amanda Jones gave the keynote at the VCON25 opening session on September 17.
Jones is a school librarian of 25 years and a grassroots organizer in Louisiana who fights censorship in libraries. She is the author of That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America and is featured in the documentary The Librarians, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2025.
Her honors include the American Association of School Librarians Intellectual Freedom Award, the John Phillip Immroth Award, and the Paul Howard Award for Courage. School Library Journal named her 2021 Librarian of the Year.
She is cofounder of Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship and serves as the Louisiana Chapter Councilor to the American Library Association.
Sessions
Featured sessions
- AP Stylebook: Meet the New Editor — Anna Jo Bratton
- A Toor to Obzerv and Proov the Reezons for New Spellings in Skools: Noah Webster and the Journey to American English — Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster
Tracks
Breakout sessions were grouped into four topic areas, each offered at introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels.
- Core editing skills
- Words and language
- Business of editing
- Panels