Winter Institute Registration to Open September 9

Event registration and hotel reservations for the American Booksellers Association’s 2016 Winter Institute are scheduled to open on Wednesday, September 9, 2015. The 11th annual education event (Wi11) will be held at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel in Denver, Colorado, from Saturday evening, January 23, through Tuesday, January 26, 2016.

The Winter Institute is open exclusively to Regular and Provisional ABA members and is limited to three booksellers per member-company. The conference fee is $99 per bookseller. Because past Winter Institutes have sold out quickly, in order to avoid a long waiting list, ABA will grow the 2016 registration limit to a small degree beyond the usual 500-bookseller maximum.

In addition, a greater number of Winter Institute scholarships will be available than ever before. These include a record-breaking number of publisher-sponsored scholarships, scholarships in memory of former ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz, and scholarships to foster diversity.

Beginning August 19, booksellers at ABA member stores that did not receive a scholarship in 2014 or 2015 will be able to increase their chances of winning a scholarship by completing an application form on BookWeb.org. Booksellers who drop off a business card at the ABA booth at one of this fall’s trade regional shows will also have an extra chance of winning a scholarship.

The 11th Winter Institute, sponsored by the Ingram Content Group, will feature a packed education schedule, author receptions, bookseller-publisher networking opportunities, an ABA Town Hall meeting, the Consultation Station, the Galley Room, and more.

For booksellers who plan to arrive in Denver early, ABA is offering full- and half-day tours to area bookstores on January 23, before the institute’s Opening Reception. Signup for the tours will begin in October.

For booksellers who are interested in hitting the slopes around Denver, ABA has planned a post-Winter Institute ski trip for January 27 to the Copper Mountain resort. Reservations for the ski trip will open on September 9.

While registration for Winter Institute 11 is growing, the event is still expected to sell out; booksellers who are planning to attend should register as soon as possible.

Watch for more information and updates in upcoming editions of BTW.