ABA to Offer “Nuts & Bolts of Finance” & More at NAIBA, SIBA Shows

The 2014 fall trade show season kicks off on Friday, September 19, with events in the New Atlantic and Southern regions, and the American Booksellers Association will be at both to present new educational programming and to meet booksellers on the trade show floor. Booksellers who stop by ABA’s booth at the shows can learn about ABA’s exciting fall programs and February’s 10th anniversary celebration of the Winter Institute in Asheville, North Carolina. In addition, booksellers who leave a business card at the ABA booth will earn an extra chance to win a scholarship to the Winter Institute or April’s ABC Children’s Institute.

ABA is also offering a show special for non-members at all of this fall’s regional events. Stores that have not been ABA members for the past two years can join at the shows and enjoy all the benefits of membership for free until February 15, 2015.

Here’s a look at ABA programming at each show:

The New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association Fall Conference
Friday, September 19 – Sunday, September 21, 2014
Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia

Attending the show will be ABA CEO Oren Teicher, Senior Program Officer Joy Dallanegra-Sanger, and Member Relationship Manager Catherine Cusick. Booksellers are encouraged to stop by Table F14-15 on the trade show floor to learn about ABA’s upcoming educational events, fall programs, and more.

ABA will present the following education session at NAIBA:

• Bookstore Finance: Sunday, September 21, from 11:00 a.m. to noon in Washington A.
  Join ABA Board member Jonathon Welch of Talking Leaves...Books in Buffalo, New York, and PK Sindwani of Towne Book Center & Cafe in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, as they discuss ways to increase independent bookstores’ profitability. This session will feature relevant data from ABA’s ABACUS financial survey, including such crucial benchmarks as turns and inventory, occupancy, payroll and compensation, and margin. With that basic foundation, if you are experiencing increasing sales but have decreasing cash on hand, you many need to reconsider how you manage cash flow and plan for expenses. This session will walk you through key steps when creating a system that will become your road map to positive cash flow.

For complete trade show details, visit the NAIBA website.

The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Discovery Show
Friday, September 19 – Sunday, September 21, 2014
Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel, Norfolk, Virginia

Attending the show will be ABA CEO Oren Teicher, Senior Program Officer Joy Dallanegra-Sanger, ABA Membership and Marketing Officer Meg Smith, and Member Relationship Manager Nathan Halter. Booksellers are encouraged to visit Table 42 on the trade show floor to learn about ABA’s upcoming educational events, fall programs, and more.

ABA will present two education sessions at SIBA:

• Nuts & Bolts of Bookstore Finance: Friday, September 19, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. in the Riverview Room
  Join SIBA board member Jill Hendrix of Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina, and ABA Board member Jamie Fiocco of Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for a discussion about ways to increase independent bookstores’ profitability. This session will feature relevant data from ABA’s ABACUS financial survey and will cover such crucial benchmarks as turns and inventory, occupancy, payroll and compensation, and margin, as well as some best practices on valuing your business. Come with questions and leave with important data that will help your financial planning move forward. 

• Maximizing the Benefit of Indies First/Small Business Saturday: Friday, September 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. in the Riverview Room
  With the success of the 2013 Indies First campaign, Small Business Saturday has grown to become a celebration of all things indie. Learn how to make Small Business Saturday 2014 a win-win for customers, authors, and you! Join Kimberly Daniels of The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina, and Linda Marie Barrett of Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café in Asheville, North Carolina, for a discussion of how best to leverage the retail power of the event and hear organizational tips and program suggestions that you can adapt and implement in your store.

On Saturday at the SIBA show, ABA Membership and Marketing Officer Meg Smith will be hosting an informal conversation with new ABA members. The ABA New Member Conversation will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the show’s Bookseller Lounge at Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel. New ABA members who are planning to attend this event are asked to RSVP to Smith by Monday, September 1. As an added incentive, SIBA is offering booksellers who sign up for the show by September 1 and go to the ABA New Member Conversation a free ticket to the James Patterson lunch and entry into a drawing for a refund of ​two Sheraton Norfolk Waterside hotel nights.

For complete trade show details, visit the SIBA website.