• This session will be moderated by Len Vlahos of ABA. Panelists include Annie Philbrick of Bank Square Books (Mystic, CT), Jane Streeter of The Bookcase (Nottinghamshire, UK), and Nancy Simpson, Founder and Consultant of Book Vault (Oskaloosa, IA).
  

How To Create New Business Models Through Strategic Thinking
From selling children’s clothes and creating stores within stores to offering local delivery, indie booksellers are using their ingenuity and their roots in the community to create new and interesting ways to sustain their book sales. The process involves recognizing opportunity and using strategic thinking. This session will walk you through the strategic thinking process and leave you with the tools to plan new ventures.

• This session will be moderated by Len Vlahos (ABA).  Panelists include Casey Coonerty Protti of Bookshop Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA) and Roxanne Coady of R. J. Julia Booksellers (Madison, CT). 
  

Large-store Roundtable (Salon G/F)
This roundtable discussion is for owners and managers of large stores. Space is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.

• This roundtable will be moderated by Becky Anderson of Anderson's Bookshop (Naperville, IL).
  

Buyers Roundtable
If you are a buyer, this is your chance to spend some uninterrupted time with other buyers. Come discover new tactics, share some of your own, and enjoy a conversation with your colleagues.

• This roundtable will be moderated by Mark LaFramboise of Politics & Prose (Washington, D.C.)

SALON 1

Saving Time And Money With Edelweiss:  Power Users Explain How
Edelweiss interactive publisher catalogs have changed how many buyers approach their jobs.  Learn from a panel of bookseller power users who employ Edelweiss daily.  They will answer your questions and demonstrate how this tool has helped them create a more efficient business operation. 

• This session will be moderated by Robert Sindelar of Thrid Place Books (Lake Forest Park, WA).  Panelists include Suzanna Hermans of Oblong Books and Music (Rhinebeck, NY) and Megan Sullivan of Harvard Book Store (Cambridge, MA ).
  

New Adventures In Book Buying: Working With Reps Near And Far
Buying is no longer only about reviewing catalogs and meeting with a sales rep every season. Whether you are seeing reps less frequently or using tools like Edelweiss interactive publisher catalogs, this session will teach you how to cultivate relationships with publishers.

• This session will be moderated by Cathy Langer of Tattered Cover (Denver, CO).  Panelists include Judy Crosby of Island Books (Middletown, RI),  Anne DeCourcey of HarperCollins, Pam Kaufman of Random House and Emily Crowe of The Odyssey Bookshop (S. Hadley, MA).
  

E-Commerce Roundtable
Come join a discussion about e-commerce.  Whether you use it or not, you will find this discussion a learning experience.  

• This roundtable will be moderated by Matt Norcross of McLean & Eakin Booksellers (Petoskey, MI).

SALON 2

Creating Killer Events
One of the most effective tools to set your bookstore apart from the competition is to offer a schedule of compelling events. In this session, you’ll review an event preparation checklist and hear experienced booksellers describe what makes a killer event. This session will focus on events for small and medium-size stores.

• This session will be moderated by Kelly Justice of Fountain Bookstore (Richmond, VA).  Panelists include Nikki Furrer of Pudd'nhead Books (Webstser Groves, MO), Fiona Stager of Avid Reader (Brisbane, AU), and Vivien Jennings of Rainy Day Books (Fairway, KS).
  

Adding A Cafe To Your Bookstore
What does it take to create an in-store cafe, a wine bar, a snack stand, or other food and/or beverage options?  Hear a panel of knowledgeable booksellers explain the strategic planning process, as well as the benefits, costs, and reasonable expectations for the first year.

• This session will be moderated by Karen Schechner (ABA).  Panelist include Sarah Bagby of Watermark Books (Wichita, KS), Mary Beth Nebel of I Know You Like A Book (Peoria Heights, IL), and Melinda Powers of Capitola Book Cafe (Capitola, CA). 

Event Planners Roundtable
If you are an event planner, this roundtable is where you want to be!  Come join your colleagues in a discussion that will cover many aspects of planning events.

• This roundtable will be moderated by Susan Weis-Bohlen of breathe books (Baltimore, MD)

Indie Store Tour
Join us for a merchandising tour like you’ve never experienced. This tour will be on Thursday, January 20, from 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. We will start with a session on the future of retail and what to look for during the tour, then we will visit Revolution Cycles in D.C. where Mike Hamannwright, Revolution’s CEO, will lead the tour and talk about his merchandising concepts.  After the tour we will meet in the store event space for a debrief and a discussion of practical applications for bookstores. 

• This tour will be led by Mike Hamanwright, CEO Revolution Cycles (Washington, D.C.).  Post tour roundtables will be facilitated by Calvin Crosby of Books Inc. (San Francisco, CA).
  

• This session will be presented by Len Vlahos (ABA). 
  

How To Buy Your Way To Success
Your gross margin is the lifeblood of your store. Every dollar you spend on wages, rent, or advertising comes from your gross margin. This session will explore how to grow your gross margin by controlling your cost of goods sold. Hear a panel of experts describe inventory management and buying best practices that will add money to your bookstore’s bottom line.

• This session will be moderated by Len Vlahos (ABA) and will include Elizabeth Jordan of BookPeople (Austin, TX), and Peter Makin of Brilliant Books (Suttons Bay, MI).
  

How To Spend Your Way To Success
You’ve pared your inventory to the perfect level to serve your customers and control your inventory costs; you’ve taken advantage of every reasonable stock offer; you’ve even experimented with consignment; and your gross margin is as high as it’s probably ever going to be. Now you need to review how to spend your dollars carefully, with maximum impact. A panel of experts will discuss best practices for controlling your operational expenses, from claiming co-op efficiently to managing your staff schedules rationally.

• This session will be moderated by Len Vlahos (ABA).  Panelists include Peter Schertz of Maria's Bookshop (Durango, CO) and Andrea Avantaggio of Maria's Bookshop (Durango, CO).
  

SALON 1

The Indie City Index:  A Report From Civic Economics
The Indie City Index, produced by Civic Economics and the American Booksellers Association, provides the first nationwide look at which communities enjoy the most vibrant independent retail sectors.  Hear the newest data on correlations between independent retail strength and various measures of economic health, livability, and quality of life.

• This session will be presented by Dan Houston of Civic Economics (Chicago, IL and Autsin, TX)
  

Making Nonfiction Sexy
Is your store as popular among the gardening clubs, the history buffs, and science wonks as it is with literary connoisseurs? Hear a panel discuss how you can curate and merchandise nonfiction titles to increase sales and provide a unique in-store experience for your customers.

• Moderator and panelist information to come.
  

Buying, Selling, And Merchandising Used Books
Can you improve your margins with used books? Yes! This 101-level session on buying, merchandising, and selling used books will provide basic start-up information for adding used books to your inventory.

• This session will be moderated by Kevin Hunsanger of Green Apple Books (San Francisco, CA).  Panelists include Suzanne DeGaetano of Mac's Backs - Books on Coventry (Cleveland Heights, OH), and Doug Robinson of Eagle Eye Book Shop (Decatur, GA).
  

SALON 2

Exploring New Partnerships Between Indie Booksellers And Authors
The book industry has long recognized the special relationship between authors -- especially first-time authors -- and independent booksellers.  By discovering and championing great manuscripts, indie booksellers have helped launch and sustain many great writers' careers.  In this session, you will hear from two booksellers who have marshaled these curatorial skills to help publish authors (especially debut authors), and, in doing so, have created a new business model that both helps authors find their audience and helps the bookstore thrive.  You won't want to miss this lively discussion that takes "hand-selling" into new editorial and retail dimensions.

• This session will be moderated by Oren Teicher (ABA).  Panelists include Susan Novotny co-owner of Staff Picks Press (Troy, NY) and owner of The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza (Albany, NY), and Mitchell Kaplan of Books and Books (Locations in Florida and Grand Cayman).

Consultation Station
Consult with various vendors and learn more about both their services and ABA programs. For a list of participating vendors, contact information, and to schedule an appointment, please click here.

• Please contact lisa@bookweb.org with questions or comments about this schedule.
• Sessions subject to change. Follow Wi6 updates in Bookselling This Week and on BookWeb.org for details on sessions, panelists, and moderators.