ABA Announces Spring Forum Schedule

This spring, from March 5 to April 30, the American Booksellers Association will be traveling around the country to meet with booksellers at a series of forum programs held in conjunction with the regional bookseller associations. All indie booksellers — ABA members and non-members alike — are invited to attend any program to share ideas, discuss industry issues, and receive updates on various association projects. In addition to the open forum discussion, each program will also offer the ABA education session “Conversations That Work,” which will explore what to say and how to handle a variety of irksome situations in the bookstore, including showrooming, aggressive customers, and those who use store inventory to copy information.

Here is the 2014 ABA Spring Booksellers Forum schedule to date:
(Watch for updates in upcoming editions of BTW.)

Wednesday, March 5: Denver, Colorado
In conjunction with Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association, at El Jebel Event Center, 4625 West 50th Avenue, Denver

• ABA Presentation: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with lunch provided
• Author Reception: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at BookBar, 4280 Tennyson Street, Denver

Friday, March 7: Atlanta, Georgia
In conjunction with Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, at the Great American Bargain Book Show at AmericasMart, 240 Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta

• Education: 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
• Forum: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with lunch provided

Monday, March 10: Cleveland, Ohio
In conjunction with Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association, at the Rice Branch of the Cleveland Public Library, 11535 Shaker Boulevard, Cleveland

• Education: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Forum: 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., with lunch provided
• Reception: Loganberry Books, 13015 Larchmere Boulevard, Cleveland

Tuesday, March 11: St. Paul, Minnesota
In conjunction with Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, at the Music Building of Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul

• Education: 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Forum: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., with lunch provided

Wednesday, March 12: Iowa City, Iowa
In conjunction with Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, at Prairie Lights Bookstore, 15 South Dubuque Street, Iowa City

• Education: 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Forum: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., with lunch provided

Friday, March 14: Memphis, Tennessee
In conjunction with Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, at The Booksellers at Laurelwood’s Booksellers Bistro, 387 Perkins Road Extended, Memphis

• Education: 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Forum: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., with lunch provided

Wednesday, March 26: Portland, Oregon
In conjunction with Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, at The Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd Avenue, Portland

• Education: 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Forum: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., with lunch provided

Thursday, March 27: Redondo Beach, California
In conjunction with Southern California Independent Booksellers Association, at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, 2810 Artesia Boulevard, Redondo Beach

• Education: 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Forum: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., with lunch provided

Sunday, March 30: San Francisco, California
In conjunction with Northern California Independent Booksellers Association, at NCIBA’s offices at the Presidio, 1007 General Kennedy Avenue, San Francisco

• Forum: 8:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
• Education: Time to be determined

Tuesday, April 29: White Plains, New York
In conjunction with New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association, at the American Booksellers Association, 333 Westchester Avenue, White Plains

• Education: 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Forum: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., with lunch provided

Wednesday, April 30: Boston, Massachusetts
In conjunction with New England Independent Booksellers Association’s All About the Books!, at Bordy Theater at Emerson College, 216 Tremont Street, Boston

• ABA programming: 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
   

Watch for further details in upcoming editions of Bookselling This Week. as the forums get closer.