Energetic MPIBA Trade Show Enlightens and Invigorates

This year's Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association (MPIBA) Fall Trade Show, held from Thursday, September 14, through Sunday, September 17, at the Marriott Denver Tech Center in Denver, "was a fantastic show," said Catherine Weller, of Sam Weller's in Salt Lake City, Utah, and MPIBA president. "There was increased bookseller attendance, high quality seminars.... It was a high-energy show -- the trade show floor was humming." This year's show welcomed around 30 new member stores from Texas and Oklahoma (previously members of the disbanded Mid-South Independent Booksellers Association).

Neil Strandberg of Tattered Cover in Denver, and MPIBA vice president, reported, "The overwhelming response was that this was one of the best that [attendees] had ever been to -- such spirit and esprit among booksellers and publishers. During the first breakfast, Shannon [Hale, author of the new novel, River Secrets (Bloomsbury)] got people smiling, and they kept smiling until Sunday. The educational programs filled the room ... which is always great to see.... Each topic had its own conversation going on [afterwards]. I feel a lot of exhaustion and a lot of relief."

Weller noted the show featured "stronger children's programming -- we took advantage of our new members from Oklahoma and Texas," she said. "And every single author speaker we had this year was outstanding -- booksellers were jazzed to hear the authors and jazzed for the fall lists." She said the MPIBA Board works extremely hard to put on a well-received trade show and certainly "earned their kudos."

ABA raffle prizewinners at the MPIBA show were Joan Stephenson of Steve's Books & Magazines and Ann Lacefield of An Open Book (a bookstore that will open in Greeley, Colorado, in about five weeks).

ABA raffle prizewinner Joan Stephenson of Steve's Books & Magazines.

Stephenson won a four-night stay at Hotel ABA in Brooklyn for BookExpo America 2007, compliments of BEA. "I'm excited -- I'm ready to go," she said. "We were actually talking about the fact that this is the year to go to BEA -- we haven't been in a while." And Stephenson is also looking forward to her stay in Brooklyn, she told BTW. The last time she was in New York City "I just hit Manhattan," she said. "I'm excited about exploring Brooklyn's literary treasures."

Lacefield won the color inkjet printer raffled off at the ABA Booth -- which qualifies her to enter into the drawing to win airfare and a hotel stay at ABA's Second Annual Winter Institute in Portland, Oregon, February 1 - 2, 2007. "Getting the color printer was wonderful," said Lacefield, who is retiring as a teacher in two weeks. She added, "The last time I won something it was a Beatles 45 [rpm] record in Junior High -- that's how long ago it was."

ABA programming kicked off on Thursday with "Above The Treeline: An Introduction," which was presented by John Rubin, Above The Treeline's creator. At this introductory session, attendees were provided with a demonstration of the Above the Treeline product and basic information, including details of the special discount for ABA member booksellers.

Nicole Magistro of the Bookworm of Edwards said that her store currently uses Above the Treeline and has attended the Above the Treeline session three times, but each time comes away with new information. "It's amazing the energy he presents," she said of John Rubin and noted, "We've had [the software] for about six months, and we've barely scratched the surface [of what the product can do]."

Aubrey Davis of Arches Book Company in Moab, Utah, said that the Above the Treeline session was "really interesting. We're not currently using it, but it's on our list to get started. It was the first time I've seen a full demo. I'm absolutely convinced. We need to utilize this."

Also on Thursday was the "Constant Contact Demonstration," presented by Kristen Gilligan, associate director of programming. Here, Gilligan provided booksellers with an overview of Constant Contact, a service facilitating the creation, mailing, and tracking of e-mail marketing campaigns. Attendees were provided with a look at what the service offers, how to create an actual e-newsletter, how to manage subscriber lists, and how to check status reports, which show, among other features, how many people opened the e-mail.

"We use Constant Contact ... and have been using it for about six or seven months," said Arches' Davis. "I'm sold on it. In the past we were using an out-dated system. Constant Contact is something we swear by. It's a lot easier."

Though Bookworm has been using Constant Contact for "quite some time," Magistro, who attended the demonstration, said, "I got a lot out of it."

On Friday, Len Vlahos, BookSense.com director and education director, presented the session "Know Your Customer: Increase Sales." At this seminar, Vlahos discussed how individual contact, surveys, market research, and use of the store database could combine to form an effective strategy for communicating with customers. Also, he noted how effective communication will help a bookseller identify and achieve objectives that will grow the business and make the store more profitable.

"This gave me some good food for thought," Weller reported. "We came back with a lot of ideas to help serve our customers better."

"It was great," said Magistro. "This was the second time I saw the program. I took one of our employees. There were a lot of good ideas presented ... on how we can reach our customers better."

Additionally, on Thursday and Friday, the trade show registration area featured demonstrations of Above The Treeline and Constant Contact, as well as "Getting Started With a Website." Weller noted that booksellers "really loved the tech demos."

According to those booksellers who spoke to BTW, among the highlights of a very enjoyable show were Thursday's technology sessions. In the morning was "Essential Technologies: An Overview," moderated by MPIBA President Catherine Weller of Salt Lake City's Sam Weller's Zion Bookstore, and featuring panelists Carl Lennertz of HarperCollins and ABA's Vlahos. "This was designed to be an introductory panel for booksellers," said Weller. "It was a very beneficial discussion."

"I think it was good to have the Essential Technologies panel," Davis said. "It gave booksellers an opportunity to know what technologies are there." She said there was a talk regarding the question, "if you're a small store, what technologies would you approach if you didn't have a lot of capital?" Overall, the panel provided "very pertinent information for a lot of attendees."

On Thursday afternoon was "Digital Media Formats and the Independent Bookstore: How Can Bricks-and-Mortar Businesses Be Players in this New Field?," moderated by Tattered's Neil Strandberg. The panel discussion featured ABA's Vlahos, Bookworm's Magistro, as well as Matt Baldacci of St. Martin's; Carl Lennertz of HarperCollins; Kevin McCloud of Ingram; Madeline McIntosh of Random House Audio; and David Weich of Powells.com.

Strandberg said he hoped the session would "create concern and creativity around what can happen next" in the digital world. "I don't think it's a topic that the independent community has thought much about.... The language is alien to how most booksellers talk." He said it was enjoyable how each panelist's "voice complimented the other well." And overall, the session was a "good English-language description of what's happening next. There were a lot of positive responses [from attendees]."

Weller noted that the Author Reception, where MPIBA honored the retiring Margaret Maupin of the Tattered Cover, "tugged at the heart strings.... After she spoke it was hard to find a dry eye in the house." Also honored at the Reception were Arsen Kashkashian of Boulder Bookstore, who was named Bookseller of the Year, and Henry Hubert of Hubert Associates, who won the Gordon Saull Sales Rep of the Year Award.

Stephenson echoed Weller's sentiments. "That was fabulous. They did an outstanding job."

Overall, those who spoke with BTW said they were extremely pleased with this year's trade show. "I thought it was a great show," said Magistro. "I thought ... the programming was very strong and new. And there were a lot of great people from all over our expanded region." --David Grogan