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Winter Institute Program
Schedule subject to change
9:00 am to 6:00 pm
All tours are filled. ABA is offering a total of four tours to Seattle-area bookstores. The two full-day tours will start from the lobby of the Westin Seattle at 9:00 am and will return to the hotel between 6:00 pm and 6:15 pm. Both half-day tours will start from the hotel lobby at 1:00 pm and will return to the hotel between 5:15 pm and 5:20 pm. Stores on the tours include Third Place Books, Queen Anne Book Company, Eagle Harbor Book Co., Island Books, and more. The full schedule and details are here; sign up when you register for Wi9. (For booksellers only.)
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Donna Paz Kaufman and Mark Kaufman of Paz & Associates Bookstore Training Group are offering a one-day seminar for prospective booksellers. This seminar will take place on Tuesday, January 21, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and is open to ABA provisional members and employees of regular member stores. Find more details and registration here. (Limited to two booksellers per ABA member company.)
1:00 pm to 5:30 pm
ABA is offering a total of four tours to Seattle-area bookstores. The two full-day tours will start from the lobby of the Westin Seattle at 9:00 am and will return to the hotel between 6:00 pm and 6:15 pm. Both half-day tours will start from the hotel lobby at 1:00 pm and will return to the hotel between 5:15 pm and 5:20 pm. Stores on the tours include Third Place Books, Queen Anne Book Company, Eagle Harbor Book Co., Island Books, and more. The full schedule and details are here; sign up when you register for Wi9. (For booksellers only.)
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Start the Institute off right with cocktails, snacks, and the company of your colleagues from across the country (and world!) at the Opening Reception, sponsored by industry newsletter Shelf Awareness. This year we will be celebrating at The Elliott Bay Book Company on 10th Avenue. Shuttle service will be provided from the hotel to the store and back. The first shuttle leaves the hotel at 6:45 pm. The reception begins at 7:00 pm.
7:00 am to 8:00 am
Susan Weis-Bohlen, owner of breathe books in Baltimore, Maryland, and Winter Institute's unofficial yogi, will lead this early morning class.
7:30 am to 8:00 am
Winter Institute publisher sponsors and their scholarship recipients are invited to gather for an informal reception prior to the Institute Opening Plenary. Put a face with a name and share congratulations and gratitude.
8:30 am to 10:00 am
Author Dan Heath will open Winter Institute 2014 with a plenary talk about how we make decisions, and why so many of them are flawed. Decisive (Crown Business)—the latest bestselling title co-authored by Dan and his brother, Chip—offers insightful strategies and practical tools that enable individuals and businesses to make better choices. In his talk, Heath will address such critical questions as how we can stop the cycle of agonizing over our decisions; how we can make group decisions without disruptive politics; and how we can ensure that we don't overlook key opportunities to evaluate important information and change course. Making the right decisions is the key to a successful business, and Dan Heath's talk will answer the question of how we can do better.
10:15 am to 11:30 am
Join your bookselling colleagues for a discussion inspired by the morning plenary. Groups will be led by an ABA Board Member; group assignments will be noted on the Winter Institute badge. (For ABA Member booksellers only.)
11:45 am to 1:45 pm
This session for international guests will be presented over lunch, and will provide a look into the state of bookselling in the United States. The panel, comprised of booksellers from ABA member stores, will address both large and small concepts that are important to international and national booksellers alike.
Enjoy lunch and learn about great upcoming titles at the Rep Picks Speed Dating luncheon. Seats are assigned, and registrants will receive an email in early January with table numbers.
2:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Due to the generous materials sent by Wi9 publisher sponsors, the Galley Room is a hit every year. Additional access hours will be posted near the Galley Room at the start of Winter Institute.
2:30 pm to 3:45 pm
Offering non-book or gift items in your store can improve cash flow, broaden your customer base, and even reinvigorate your staff. This 101 session will provide an overview of buying, selling, and merchandising non-book items.
This basic course for new booksellers and those interested in a refresher will provide best practices for handselling in the era of showrooming. A panel of experienced booksellers will explore not only placing the right book in a customer’s hands but also about how to close the sale. The session will conclude with the opportunity to see expert handsellers in action.
Booksellers attending Managing the Changing Work Environment will participate in a discussion about how to manage employees in a world that reflects a new economic reality, and how the rise in non-traditional work expectations calls for a new strategy and attitude for employees, business owners, and communities alike. This will be an opportunity to discuss challenging employment issues with bookseller colleagues and a professional in a confidential and productive environment. Attendance will be limited. Participant booksellers must be owners and managers with 12 full-time equivalent employees or more. Indicate your interest for this Advanced Learning Session during the registration process; it will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Booksellers will be notified about placement in December.
If you are experiencing increasing sales but decreasing cash on hand, you many need to reconsider how you manage cash flow. To understand cash flow you need a comprehensive system to manage and plan for expenses. This session will walk you through key steps you need to consider when creating the system that will become your road map to positive cash flow.
Events can bring people into your store, increase sales, and build your customer base. But planning and executing a professional level event, whether it is for 20 or 200 attendees, takes staff time. At this session, you’ll learn from booksellers who have created and managed superstar events with limited staff.
4:00 pm to 5:15 pm
If you already sell an array of non-book items, you may need to take a look at reinvigorating your product mix to increase sales. From high-ticket items to catchy, impulse buys, the right mix can make a difference. Come prepared to discover some new items and to share ideas that have been a success for you.
The young adult genre has exploded over the past five years, and YA dares to explore the same sad and dark subject matter as many adult titles. How do you market, recommend, talk about, and sell these types of books to your young customers and their parents? A panel of booksellers will explore how to sell this potentially delicate genre.
This follow-up session from Managing Cash Flow, Part I: Learning the System will help you look at more of the nitty-gritty items that are important to a stable cash flow. Hopefully you now have some thoughts for a system you can use to to help you monitor and project expenses and keep your cash flow under control. So much goes into understanding cash flow, but the big three topics that you must learn to navigate include payroll, inventory, and occupancy. In this session, you will participate in roundtable discussions on all three of these topics. Conversations will be led by a bookseller expert in each topic. Ask questions, hear your colleagues' thoughts, and learn more about cash flow.
You have spent the time, booked the author or guest, organized your space, brought in supplies, and staffed for success, but how do you get the word out to bring in customers? From social media and word of mouth to newspapers, newsletters, and more, this session will present you with actionable steps to ensure your next event is packed.
9:00 pm to 11:45 pm
Drinks & dessert, featuring book toasts by Lucy Christopher, Sara Larson, Natalie Lloyd & Jon J Muth, and sponsored by Scholastic.
7:00 am to 8:00 am
Susan Weis-Bohlen, owner of breathe books in Baltimore, Maryland, and Winter Institute's unofficial yogi, will lead this early morning class.
9:00 am to 10:15 am
Enjoy breakfast and a lively discussion with The Seattle 7 Writers—a nonprofit collective of Pacific Northwest authors whose mission is to foster and support a passion for the written word—as they discuss the creation of the group and how it works with the local independent business community.
10:15 am to 4:15 pm
The Consultation Station offers booksellers the opportunity to meet with representatives of ABA’s affiliated business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers. The list of Consultation Station participants and contact information is here. Please note: If you granted permission for the companies participating in the Consultation Station to contact you directly when you registered for Wi9, they may reach out to you via email before the event. You may also contact them in advance to schedule appointments.
10:30 am to 11:45 am
Have you considered business-to-business sales to increase revenue and bring in new customers? Learn from a panel of book industry experts about how to successfully develop relationships and to market and sell to hospitals, medical offices, large corporations, educational institutions, religious organizations, governmental agencies, local businesses, and more.
Need great ideas on how to better run your store's children's section? Look no further than your customers. If you want to start a tween or teen advisory board, this session will detail how best to go about implementing and sustaining one.
Geno Church, Word of Mouth Pathfinder from Brains on Fire, will lead an interactive workshop created to help booksellers spark and sustain word of mouth marketing. Learn how to make people fall passionately and madly in love with your store, and how loving your customers can result in not just building a thriving community, but also drive meaningful conversations and, ultimately, the financial success of your business. This session will also be offered on Friday from 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. This is an interactive workshop. Attendance will be limited to the first 50 booksellers who sign up. Look for details on how and when to sign up in your email and in Bookselling This Week.
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of requirements designed to ensure that all companies that process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. What does this mean for your business? What are the costs and/or fees involved? What could happen to your business if you are not PCI compliant? Learn about these and similar issues from an expert on PCI compliance for small businesses.
Using social media to market your store may seem at times to be hit-or-miss. But businesses of all types have successfully implemented effective social media marketing strategies. Hear tips from experts both inside and outside of the book industry, and learn how to make these marketing tools work for you.
12:00 pm to 2:00 pm
International bookseller attendees will meet over lunch.
Enjoy lunch and learn about great upcoming titles at the Rep Picks Speed Dating luncheon. Seats are assigned, and registrants will receive an email in early January with table numbers.
2:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Please refer to signage for additional Galley Room access times.
2:30 pm to 3:45 pm
To encourage further interaction among booksellers and publishers, booksellers will have the opportunity to meet with Wi9 sponsoring publishers in small groups to discuss issues of common interest and mutual concern. Each Wi9 bookseller attendee will be assigned to a specific publisher for this session. Assignment information and room locations will be provided at check-in at the Wi9 Welcome Desk.
4:00 pm to 5:15 pm
In today’s world of weather extremes, it is more important than ever to be prepared for an emergency. What steps do you need to take to make sure you have a plan to protect your employees, to lessen the financial impact of disasters, and to be able to reopen your business quickly? Come to this session to find out. Presented by a panel that includes an outside expert in disaster planning for small business.
Like the American reality TV show, Shark Tank, which features a panel of potential investors, called "sharks," who consider pitches from entrepreneurs seeking investments for their business or product, this session will provide booksellers with the opportunity to pitch their idea for a new bookstore initiative and get feedback. The session will begin with a short presentation by a panel of booksellers who have demonstrated the ability to create successful and innovative programs in their stores. After the presentation, some participants will have the opportunity to present their idea to the group for feedback and discussion.
To participate in this Advanced Learning Session, booksellers must be owners, managers, or senior staff who regularly make decisions regarding store programing. Attendance will be limited. Indicate your interest for this Advanced Learning session during the registration process; the session will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees will be contacted prior to the Winter Institute with instructions on submitting their business proposals. Booksellers will be notified about placement in December.
Whether you hire someone to manage your books or you do it yourself, you still need to have an understanding of the basic elements and principles that are part of every accounting system. This session will review standard accounting principles and will provide tips for those looking to hire the right professional.
Seattle is known for many, many, wonderful independent retail businesses. In this session, several of these successful entrepreneurs will share their best practices for facing the daily challenges of running a thriving business in a world of constant competition.
5:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Len Vlahos, former ABA staffer and friend of indie bookselling, will be celebrating the debut of his book, The Scar Boys (Egmont USA), with a multimedia presentation, featuring video, music, and a reading, immediately preceding the Author Reception. All institute attendees and guests are invited to attend. Vlahos will be signing books during the reception immediately following the multimedia presentation.
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
The Winter Institute’s signature Author Reception will be held in the Westin Seattle’s Grand Ballroom. Through the generosity of ABA’s Wi9 Publisher Sponsors, more than 50 authors and illustrators will be on hand to chat with booksellers and to autograph their new and forthcoming titles. The American Booksellers Foundation For Free Expression (ABFFE) will also be hosting a silent auction of art from many beloved children’s illustrators. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.
7:00 am to 8:00 am
Susan Weis-Bohlen, Winter Institute's unofficial yogi, will lead this early morning class.
9:00 am to 10:15 am
10:15 am to 1:00 pm
The Consultation Station offers booksellers the opportunity to meet with representatives of ABA’s affiliated business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers. The list of Consultation Station participants and contact information is here. Please note: If you granted permission for the companies participating in the Consultation Station to contact you directly when you registered for Wi9, they may reach out to you via e-mail before the event. You may also contact them in advance to schedule appointments.
10:30 am to 11:45 am
You may have a Frequent Buyer Program that has worked well for you for years. But how long has it been since you took a critical look at whether your program is garnering customer satisfaction and benefiting your business? Do you need to make small changes to your program, or perhaps create something that works better? Learn from a panel of booksellers who have had success with programs that benefit both customers and the bookstore’s bottom line.
Come to this session to hear how the effects of such factors as competition, innovation, and changing consumer tastes look from an international perspective. This informative and interesting discussion featuring representatives from the global bookselling community will help you to think creatively about your business as you see it through an international lens.
Negotiation is an important business skill that can help you to lower occupancy costs, achieve better terms with vendors, and even improve customer relationships. Negotiation does not have to be adversarial or intimidating! Come to this session to learn how to be better prepared for every business conversation.
Geno Church, Word of Mouth Pathfinder with branding and identity firm Brains on Fire, will lead an interactive workshop created to help booksellers spark and sustain word of mouth marketing. Learn how to make people fall passionately and madly in love with your store, and how loving your customers can result in not just building a thriving community, but also drivie meaningful conversations and, ultimately, the financial success of your business. (This session will cover the same material as the Wednesday "Passion Conversation" session, and it will also be conducted as an interactive workshop, with attendance limited to the first 50 booksellers who sign up. Prior to Winter Institute, bookseller registrants will receive an email with details about signing up for this workshop.)
Creating eye-catching displays that sell books is not always as easy as it seems. With so many day-to-day tasks begging for your attention, it’s easy to let displays become dated and stale. Come to this session to hear about (and see) some creative and easy ways to display products that can not only make customers stop and look, but also buy.
Many IndieCommerce stores are continuing to see online sales growth. And while this is fantastic news, this success brings a new set of administrative duties to your already overloaded work day. But you can save time and work smarter. Come to this session to hear how your colleagues describe their store's support for their websites, inclusive of full time equivalent employees, job descriptions, work flow and more!
12:00 pm to 1:15 pm
Finding and showcasing the best of debut fiction and nonfiction is both the passion and mission of independent booksellers — and through ABA's new "Indies Introduce" program independent booksellers identify a stellar selection of upcoming titles. At this lunch, bookseller panelists will talk about the exciting forthcoming debut books that have been chosen for the "Indies Introduce Debut Authors" promotion. They will also explain how ABA members can participate in this innovative, on-going promotion.
1:30 pm to 2:45 pm
To encourage further interaction among booksellers and publishers, booksellers will have the opportunity to meet with Wi9 sponsoring publishers in small groups to discuss issues of common interest and mutual concern. Each Wi9 bookseller attendee will be assigned to a specific publisher for this session. Assignment information and room locations will be provided at check-in at the Wi9 Welcome Desk.
3:00 pm to 4:30 pm
The Common Core State Standards were developed to provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, and booksellers can help by sharing their knowledge about complex, informational texts with parents and educators. This session will detail how booksellers can use their title knowledge and the new ABC Group Backlist Database to become a local Common Core resource.
Whether you need business capital for a store redesign, expansion, or to open a second location, this session will help you to think about non-traditional options to acquire the capital you need. From social media campaigns to community involvement, there are a growing number of new options beyond the bank loan.
Running a bookstore takes more than an understanding of literature, sales, and financials. To run a business successfully, you also need to understand leadership. What does it mean to be a good leader, and how can leadership impact the profitability of your business? This session, presented by a professional in business management from Seattle Pacific University, is one not to miss.
Cultivating your store brand involves more than just choosing a logo. In fact, an effective and persuasive brand can inspire a successful retail environment by helping you communicate your store's uniqueness in myriad ways. In this session you will gain greater insight into the concept of branding, hear from a store that successfully developed and integrated its brand, and participate in an exercise to help you maximize your brand.
Come to this session for an interactive user's group about Kobo devices and eBooks.
4:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Congratulations for making it through the event-packed Winter Institute! Wind down, enjoy one more drink with your colleagues, and meet authors from Wi9’s small and independent press sponsors. Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served. Check this website and upcoming editions of Bookselling This Week for a list of the authors scheduled to attend.