The American Booksellers Association is inviting members to attend any of the 11 Spring Forum programs, which are being held in conjunction with the regional booksellers associations, between Friday, March 15, and Wednesday, May 8, 2013.

As in the past, the programs will offer an ABA education session and an open forum discussion, which provides members with the opportunity to share ideas, examine industry issues, and receive updates on various association projects.

This season’s educational component will be “The Top 10 Things You Must Do Now!”  ABA will share 10 creative things that booksellers can do to make their stores more successful and profitable in 2013. Culled from a soon-to-be-released survey (look for it next week), these top 10 ideas will feature best practices that have been tried by your colleagues and have proven to be a great success, and will cover a broad range of categories including: marketing/promotion, finances, store operations, human resources, inventory, ambiance, customer service, and more. Forum attendees are invited to learn about their colleagues’ bright ideas and to engage in a productive conversation. 

Below is a look at the Booksellers Forum schedule to date. Watch for updates in upcoming editions of BTW and for invitations with complete details arriving via e-mail closer to the program in your area.

Questions about the schedule should be addressed to your ABA Member Relationship Manager, Nathan Halter [7]in the GLIBA, MIBA, MPIBA, PNBA, and SIBA regions, or Kaitlin Pitcher [8] in the NAIBA, NCIBA, NEIBA, and SCIBA regions.

• Friday, March 15: Atlanta, Georgia
  In conjunction with the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance [9]; at the Great American Bargain Book Show [10] at AmericasMart
   
• Tuesday, March 19: Washington, D.C.
  In conjunction with the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association [11]; at Politics & Prose Bookstore & Coffeehouse [12]
   
• Tuesday, April 2: Boulder, Colorado
  In conjunction the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association [13]; venue TBD
   
• Thursday, April 4: Seattle, Washington
  In conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association [14]; at The Elliott Bay Book Company [15]
   
• Sunday, April 7: San Francisco, California
  In conjunction with the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association [16]; at The Presidio [17]
   
• Tuesday, April 9: Southern California
  In conjunction with the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association; [18] location and venue TBD
   
• Friday, April 19: Ann Arbor, Michigan
  In conjunction with the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association [19]; venue TBD
   
• Saturday, April 20: Green Bay, Wisconsin
  In conjunction with the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association [20]; at The Reader’s Loft [21]
   
• Thursday, April 25: Cambridge, Massachusetts
  In conjunction with the New England Independent Booksellers Association [22]; at the First Parish Church, Harvard Square
   
• Tuesday, April 30: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
  In conjunction the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance [9] at Flyleaf Books [23]
   
• Wednesday, May 8: Maplewood, New Jersey
  In conjunction with the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association [11]; at [Words] [24]