Winter Institute Education Schedule Set

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This week, the American Booksellers Association unveils the schedule for the education program on Friday and Saturday, January 25 - 26, at the Third Annual Winter Institute (Wi3). Twenty-four education sessions covering everything from "Developing a Business Plan" to "Succession Planning," as well as four Reps' Picks presentations, are being offered free of charge to ABA member booksellers registered for this year's event in Louisville, Kentucky.

New this year, the Winter Institute will feature three Technology Labs, each focusing on a different topic: General Technology, BookSense.com, and Social Networking. Reservations are required for the Tech Lab sessions, which are limited to 20 participants each. Reservations are being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis for the Tech Labs, and each has a $25 equipment fee. To register for the Labs, booksellers should send an e-mail listing each session they wish to attend to Education Program Assistant Margaret Nafz at [email protected]. Nafz will contact each attendee to confirm attendance and to get a credit card number for payment. Payment will be due at the time of registration, and there will be no refunds.

To help booksellers maximize their experience at Wi3, the education program offers four suggested tracks for those with different interests, responsibilities, or skill levels -- for owners and managers; for frontline booksellers; for new and prospective booksellers; and for those particularly interested in the latest technological developments. The tracks are intended to offer guidance regarding the appropriateness of sessions for booksellers at different levels of experience. Any ABA member bookseller may participate in any session.

In addition to Friday and Saturday programming, Wi3 will feature an opening reception on Thursday evening, January 24, at the Muhammad Ali Center, and a "Bookseller Cafe" on Sunday morning will provide an additional opportunity for open-ended, moderated discussions among booksellers. (Watch for more on the Bookseller Cafe in an upcoming edition of BTW.)

Since Wi3 and the host hotel, the Louisville Marriott Downtown, are currently booked to capacity, ABA is asking registered booksellers who are no longer planning to attend the Winter Institute to contact Nafz as soon as possible to cancel both their event and hotel reservations, so that waiting booksellers can fill their places. Although hotel reservations were made directly with the Louisville Marriott Downtown, ABA is requesting booksellers notify the association of their desire to cancel so their rooms will remain in the Wi3 block and can be assigned to another bookseller.

Booksellers registered for the education program who have not yet reserved a room at the Louisville Marriott Downtown should contact Nafz to have their names put on a waiting list. In the meantime, ABA suggests booking a room at another hotel as a backup. If rooms at the event hotel become available, ABA will notify booksellers in order of their position on the list. A number of hotels are within blocks of the Louisville Marriott Downtown. (ABA reminds booksellers to read the hotel's cancellation policy carefully before booking a room. No special rates have been negotiated with these hotels.)


Winter Institute Education Program Schedule

Download a printable pdf of the schedule.

Friday

         

8:00 - 9:00

BREAKFAST

       

9:00 - 9:45

KEYNOTE

       

9:45 - 10:00

B - R - E - A - K

10:00 - 11:45

 

The 2% Solution

Independent Retailing

What a Great Bookstore: Inspiring Store Designs

Growing Your Business

11:45 - Noon

B - R - E - A - K

Noon - 1:15

LUNCH

       

1:15 - 1:30

B - R - E - A - K

1:30 - 3:00

 

Cost of Goods Sold

Digital Revolution

Handselling: Customer Service With Results

Succession Planning: Valuing Your Business

3:00 - 3:15

B - R - E - A - K

3:15 - 4:45

 

New Booksellers: What I Learned in Year One

Print on Demand: An Opportunity

Authorless Events: Enhancing Experiential Shopping

Loss Control: How to Stop Your Profits From Running Out the Front (and Back) Door

4:45 - 5:00

B - R - E - A - K

5:00 - 6:30

 

REP PICKS

REP PICKS

REP PICKS

REP PICKS

6:30 - 8:30

AUTHOR RECEPTION

       

 

Saturday

             

8:00 - 9:00

BREAKFAST

         

9:00 - 10:15

 

Understanding the Business of Publishing

RFID: What the Heck Is It, Anyway?

Green Retailing

Inventory Management: Key Drivers of Success

Tech Lab - General Technology

10:15 - 10:30

B - R - E - A - K

10:30 - Noon

 

REP PICKS

REP PICKS

REP PICKS

REP PICKS

 

Noon - 1:15

LUNCH

         

1:15 - 1:30

B - R - E - A - K

1:30 - 2:45

 

Developing a Business Plan

Getting More Out of Your Children's Section

Consumer Behavior Revealed: The Dating Game

Bookstore Self Audit: A Critical Look at Your Own Operations

Tech Lab - BookSense.com

2:45 - 3:00

B - R - E - A - K

3:00 - 4:30

 

REP PICKS

REP PICKS

REP PICKS

REP PICKS

 

4:30 - 4:45

B - R - E - A - K

4:45 - 6:15

 

Getting the Most Out of ABA

Getting the Most Out of Your Website

Designed to Sell: Professional Merchandising & Signage to Boost Sales

Improving Efficiency to Achieve Success

Tech Lab - Social Networking

6:15 - 7:30

CLOSING RECEPTION