Winter Institute Program

9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Donna Paz Kaufman and Mark Kaufman of Paz & Associates Bookstore Training Group present a one-day seminar for prospective booksellers. Students receive a crash course in bookstore management and ownership. New owners and managers will gain an overview of some of the most critical aspects of a retail bookstore’s success.

The workshop fee is $100 per person, and is open to ABA Provisional members and employees of Regular member stores. (Limited to three booksellers per ABA member company.) Lunch will be provided.

Attendance at Winter Institute is not required, although workshop students are guaranteed a place on the roster if desired; the Wi10 conference fee will apply.

Click here to register for Introduction to Retail Bookselling.

Workshop students who wish to register for Winter Institute should contact [email protected].

10:00 am to 3:30 pm

ABA  arranged for custom tours of the Biltmore Estate, the remarkable 255-room chateau built in Asheville by George Vanderbilt in the late 1800s. Biltmore is the largest privately-owned residence in the United States, and exhibits an incredible display of furnishings, sculptures, paintings, books, and other treasures from around the world. The tour will be offered twice–Sunday, February 8 and Thursday, February 12.  (Tours will meet in the lobby of the Grove Park Inn's Vanderbilt Wing Atrium at 9:45 am.) The tour package includes round trip transportation with a professional guide; admission to the Biltmore house, gardens and winery; all inclusive lunch; and taxes. The cost is $109 per person.

To register, please submit this registration form by January 31, 2015. The form is an editable and printable PDF, and may be completed online and emailed, or printed and faxed. Further registration instructions are contained in the paragraph labeled "Important Information." For questions, please contact the tour operator, Accents on Asheville, directly. Enjoy!

12:00 pm to 11:30 pm

Shuttle buses between the Grove Park Inn and downtown Asheville (Renaissance Asheville Hotel, Thomas Wolfe Memorial Visitor Center, and The Venue) will begin at noon and run every 15 to 20 minutes.

The last shuttle from the Welcome Reception at The Venue will leave at 8:15 pm. Shuttle bus service will continue between the Grove Park Inn and the Renaissance Asheville Hotel, with the last shuttle leaving the Grove Park Inn at 11:30 pm.

12:00 pm to 6:30 pm

(Sammons Wing and Renaissance Downtown Lobby)  Stop by the ABA Welcome Desk and pick up your Wi10 welcome bag, supplied by Candlewick Press. Printed schedules, maps, and more will be available at the desk.

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm

ABA has arranged for Winter Institute attendees to experience exclusive Historic Asheville Trolley Tours through Gray Line Asheville.

PLEAE NOTE NEW SCHEDULE:

Sunday, February 8, 2015 – Tours leave at 3:00 and 4:30 pm.
Thursday, February 12, 2015 – Tours have been canceled.

The 35-passenger trolley leaves the Sammons Wing of the Grove Park Inn for a 90-minute historical tour of Asheville, which includes the diverse Montford Historic District; the stately Grove Park Historic District and Grove Park Inn; Art Deco-rich downtown; the artsy and edgy River Arts District; and the quaint and historic Biltmore Village. Sunday’s tour will drop guests off at The Venue downtown.

The price is $19 per person if purchased in advance, and $22 if purchased the day of the tour. Driver and/or guide’s gratuity is discretionary and not included in the price.

Note: The trolleys are open air, with thick plastic flaps. Please dress accordingly.

Purchase your tickets here.

3:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Downtown Asheville is known for its thriving culture of independently owned businesses and vibrant local economy. Join your colleagues for an indie crawl and visit some of these impressive businesses, meet the owners, and browse their unique offerings. From the Asheville Bee Charmer and ZaPow! Art Gallery to Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, you will experience the Asheville community at its best. Shuttle buses from the Grove Park Inn will begin at noon. and during the hours of the Indie Retail Crawl  will drop off guests near the downtown shops. Shuttles will run every 15 to 20 minutes, and the last shuttle of the evening will leave the Grove Park Inn at 11:30 pm.

The full list of stores and Google map will be availalbe at the Welcome Desk.  In addition it can be found here.

3:15 pm to 6:30 pm

ABA has made a donation to the Thomas Wolfe Memorial so that booksellers can tour the boarding house that inspired Look Homeward, Angel for free on Sunday, February 8. The 45-minute tour leaves from the memorial visitor center in downtown Asheville at 52 North Market Street. Tour times are 3:15 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 4:15 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 5:15 p.m., and 5:45 p.m.  Reservations are not required. Shuttle buses from the Grove Park Inn will begin at noon. and during the tour hours will drop off guests directly at the Memorial Visitor Center. The shuttle will run every 15 to 20 minutes, with the last shuttle leaving the Grove Park Inn at 11:30 pm.

5:30 pm to 6:15 pm

Three "meet and greets" will be held prior to the Institute Welcome Reception at downtown Asheville's The Venue: publisher sponsors and their scholarship recipients say hello and put a face with a name; mentors and their mentees make that important first connection; and bookseller volunteers pick up their T-shirts and assignments.  Shuttle buses leave from the Grove Park Inn beginning at noon and run every 15 to 20 minutes.

The last shuttle from the Welcome Reception at The Venue will leave at 8:15 pm. Shuttle bus service will continue between the Grove Park Inn and the Renaissance Asheville Hotel, with the last shuttle leaving the Grove Park Inn at 11:30 pm.

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Come one, come all, to downtown Asheville's charming The Venue at 21 North Market Street, for cocktails, snacks, and the company of your colleagues from across the country. The Welcome Reception is co-sponsored by industry newsletter Shelf Awareness, also marking its 10th anniversary in 2015. Shuttle service will be provided from the Grove Park Inn to downtown Asheville and The Venue. The first shuttle bus leaves the Grove Park Inn at noon; shuttles will run every 15 to 20 minutes.

The last shuttle from the Welcome Reception at The Venue will leave at 8:15 pm. Shuttle bus service will continue between the Grove Park Inn and the Renaissance Asheville Hotel, with the last shuttle leaving the Grove Park Inn at 11:30 pm.

9:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Meet at Elaine's Dueling Piano Bar for drink, song, and Southern fun, thanks to the Winter Institute North Carolinian publisher sponsors Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill; Duke University Press; John F. Blair Publishers; Lookout Books, University of North Carolina Wilmington; and University of North Carolina Press.

7:00 am to 8:30 pm

Shuttle bus service between the Renaissance and the Grove Park Inn begins at 7 am at the Renaissance, and runs every 15 to 20 minutes throughout the day. The last shuttle bus leaves the Grove Park Inn at 8:30 pm.

7:45 am to 5:00 pm

How can we help you? Winter Institute and membership inquiries welcomed. Ask Member Relationship Managers Nathan Halter and Catherine Cusick about how to purchase the Wi10 commemorative T-shirt.

8:15 am to 9:40 am

Steven Johnson is the founder of a variety of websites, and is host and co-creator of the new PBS and BBC series How We Got to Now. His newest book is How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World, published by Riverhead Books.

9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Take a load off. Have a drink. Put your feet up. Take a short nap. Drop by the SIBA Hospitality Suite for a little Southern TLC!

10:00 am to 11:15 am

Booksellers will meet in groups to talk with colleagues about industry issues inspired by morning plenary speaker Steven Johnson. Groups will meet in rooms throughout the hotel; assignments will be emailed prior to Wi10 and will be included on attendees' Wi10 badge.

11:35 am to 1:35 pm

Enjoy lunch with reps and learn about great upcoming titles from Winter Institute publisher sponsors. Seats are assigned, and booksellers will receive an email in mid-January with table numbers.

1:35 pm to 2:05 pm

The Galley Room and PartnerShip shipping desk will be open in the Vanderbilt Wing, and the Winter Institute's publisher sponsors provide ARCs for hundreds of upcoming titles. A limited supply of book bags will be on hand in the Galley Rooms. Additional hours will be posted in the Galley Rooms.

2:15 pm to 3:15 pm

3:35 pm to 4:45 pm

Selling gifts and other non-book merchandise is a proven way to increase margin. Ensuring that you continually have a large and diverse selection of popular items at the right time is not easy.  This session will feature gift buyers who have learned how to streamline the process of discovering and buying non-book merchandise to achieve a successful and well-stocked inventory.

  • Kelly Evert, Village Books (Bellingham, WA)
  • Danny Givens, Givens Books (Lynchburg, VA)
  • Elizabeth Jordan, BookPeople (Austin, TX)
  • Sarah Goddin, Quail Ridge Books & Music (Raleigh, NC) (Moderator)
     

There is more great literary content out there than ever—but it is scattered across the Internet. Literary Hub will bring it together in one place, a go-to daily site for all the news, ideas, and richness of contemporary literary life. Drawn from a cross-section of the best in literary publishing, Literary Hub will post original features from partners and contributors: essays, excerpts, interviews, bookstore profiles, and more.

Literary Hub’s founding partners Morgan Entrekin and Andy Hunter, along with editor Jonny Diamond, will introduce Literary Hub to ABA members and discuss the growing digital vitality of independent bookstores. There is a thriving literary conversation happening online right now—between readers, writers, and booksellers—and Literary Hub seeks to bring those voices to a wider, book-buying audience.

  • Morgan Entrekin, Founder of Literary Hub and Publisher and President of Grove/Atlantic
  • Andy Hunter, Co-Founder of Literary Hub, Founder of Electric Literature, and Publisher of Black Balloon Publishing
  • Jonny Diamond, Editor of Literary Hub and Founding Editor of The L Magazine and Brooklyn Magazine
  • John Evans, DIESEL, A Bookstore (Oakland, CA) (Moderator)
     

The recent ABACUS Study of independent bookstore operations showed that the average profitability of all independent bookstore respondents was -1.4%. Looking at the drivers of bookstore profitability and examining how these can be used can move your business to greater profitability. Moving from negative profitability to +2% is a long journey.  This seminar will help you start mapping a new course.

  • Nicole Magistro, The Bookworm of Edwards (Edwards, CO)
  • P.K. Sindwani, Towne Book Center & Café (Collegeville, PA)
  • Robert Sindelar, Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park, WA) (Moderator)
     

With the success of the first California Bookstore Day, the nine regional bookseller associations are working together, with ABA’s assistance, to collaboratively support a national Independent Bookstore Day to launch on Saturday, May 2, 2015. Samantha Schoech, Program Director of California Bookstore Day, will provide an update on the planning process and lead a discussion for booksellers to share ideas about how to make this national debut a success.

  • Christie Olson Day, Gallery Bookshop & Bookwinkle's Children's Books (Mendocino, CA)
  • Hut Landon, Executive Director, Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (San Francisco, CA)
  • Samantha Schoech, Producer, California Bookstore Day/Independent Bookstore Day (San Francisco, CA)
  • Ann Seaton, Hicklebee's Children's Books (San Jose, CA)
  • Pete Mulvihill, Green Apple Books (San Francisco, CA) (Moderator)
     

Cities nationwide have accepted the profitability myth of urban sprawl and big box retail, but Joe Minicozzi of Urban3, LLC (U3) will share data that debunks that myth. Highlighting land value economics, property tax analysis, and community design, Minicozzi will show how promoting smart growth can secure a community’s fiscal health and give it a strong, independent sense of place. Emoke B’Racz, the owner of Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, will join Minicozzi for a conversation about Asheville’s smart growth success.

  • Emoke B’Racz, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café (Asheville, NC)
  • Joe Minicozzi, AICP, Principal of Urban3 (Asheville, NC)
  • Oren Teicher, ABA Chief Executive Officer (Moderator)

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Your business strategy (what you do every day) and your business identity (how you define your organization’s purpose) are two areas that every business leader must address in order think creatively and strategically about the future of their store. This session for owners and managers will give you the opportunity to explore how successful leaders evaluate their business strategy and current business identity in a world of ever-changing technology and increased consumer expectations. Join Ryan Raffaelli, Harvard Business School Professor, for an interactive, case-based discussion that will help clarify—and maybe even redefine— your organization’s strategy and identity. (Group A; Pre-registration required.)

  • Ryan Raffaelli, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
  • Dan Cullen, ABA Senior Strategy Officer (Moderator)

Asheville is nationally known for its independent business community, but it wasn’t always that way. A big part of what makes downtown Asheville such a vibrant success is the Asheville Grown Business Alliance. Franzi Charen, director of the Asheville Grown Business Alliance, and Caroline Christopoulos, book and sidelines buyer for Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, will lead a discussion on starting and growing a downtown alliance in your own community. Learn from two people who have been involved in Asheville’s Shop Local First movement from the start.

  • Franzi Charen, Director of Asheville Grown Business Alliance and Owner of Hip Replacements Clothing (Asheville, NC)
  • Caroline Green Christopoulos, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café (Asheville, NC)
  • Betsy Burton, The King’s English Bookshop (Salt Lake City, UT) (Moderator)
     

Independent booksellers across the country share a concern about the lack of diversity in children’s books, so what steps can be taken in the ongoing campaign to reach out to new readers and promote diverse titles to all audiences? Whether your store serves a multicultural or homogeneous population, the strength of an indie bookstore is its ability to curate and experiment with title selection. Learn what resources are available for identifying non-majority stories, how to foster conversations among staff and customers about the need for diverse books, and how to ensure your displays represent all cultures and make everyone feel welcome.

  • Elizabeth Bluemle, The Flying Pig Bookstore (Shelburne, VT)
  • Cynthia Compton, 4 Kids Books & Toys (Zionsville, IN)
  • I.W. Gregorio, Author and Vice President of Development, We Need Diverse Books (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Sara Hines, Eight Cousins (Falmouth, MA) (Moderator)
     

If you manage store events, you won’t want to miss this informative roundtable discussion on topics such as author and authorless events, off-site events, publicity, tips, and best practices for using Edelweiss.

  • David Enyeart, Common Good Books (St. Paul, MN)
  • Suzanna Hermans, Oblong Books & Music (Rhinebeck, NY)
  • Rene Martin, Quail Ridge Books & Music (Raleigh, NC)
  • Alsace Walentine, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café (Asheville, NC)
  • Lynn Pellerito Riehl, Nicola’s Books (Ann Arbor, MI) (Moderator)
     
Building a strong, qualified social media network, engaging your network with relevant content, and tracking your results are keys to executing an effective social media marketing strategy. In this session, first explore how social media strategies are organized and executed by the experts. Next, learn the most important tracking tools available for businesses and how to evaluate the success of your social media efforts. 
 
  • Sarah Benoit, Director of Training at JB Media Group, LLC, and Lead Instructor for the JB Media Institute (Asheville, NC)
  • Suzanne Droppert, Liberty Bay Books (Poulsbo, WA) (Moderator)

9:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Drinks and dessert, featuring popcorn and a hot fudge sundae bar! Special guests—authors published by party sponsor Scholastic—will be on hand to sign books and say hello. The party will be held at The Century Room (above Pack’s Tavern), 20 S. Spruce St, Asheville. Shuttle buses will be provided to and from the Grove Park Inn.

Authors appearing:
*  Pam Munoz Ryan, author of Echo, to be published in February, 2015
*  Ally Carter, author of Embassy Row # 1: All Fall Down, to be published in January, 2015
*  Sarah Weeks, author of Glamourpuss, to be published in January, 2015
*  Dan Gemeinhart, author of The Honest Truth, to be published in January, 2015 and chosen for the Spring 2015 Indies Introduce program

Tuesday, February 10, 2015   Printer friendly version of full program

7:00 am to 8:30 pm

Shuttle bus service between the Renaissance and the Grove Park Inn begins at 7 am at the Renaissance, and runs every 15 to 20 minutes throughout the day. The last shuttle bus leaves the Grove Park Inn at 8:30 pm.

8:00 am to 6:00 pm

We're still here! Come and visit MRMs Nathan Halter and Catherine Cusick, ask them questions, pick up maps and schedules, and let ABA know how things are going.

8:30 am to 10:00 am

9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Take a load off. Have a drink. Put your feet up. Take a short nap. Drop by the SIBA Hospitality Suite for a little Southern TLC!

10:00 am to 4:00 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. Participants will be added as they are confirmed. Please check this webpage for updates. Please note: If you granted permission for the companies participating in the Consultation Station to contact you directly when you registered for Wi10, they may reach out to you via email before the event. You may also contact them in advance to schedule appointments.

10:20 am to 11:45 am

Dr. John Sherlock, Associate Professor, Department of Human Services, Western Carolina University, will lead a confidential discussion on best practices and offer practical information for managing HR concerns for small business.  The discussion will cover a variety of topics, including hiring; retaining, and dismissing staff; and an update on current HR issues that affect employee management.  (Pre-registration required)

  • Dr. John Sherlock, Associate Professor, Department of Human Services, Western Carolina University (Cullowhee, NC)
  • Meg Smith, ABA Membership and Marketing Officer (Moderator)
     

For owners and managers looking to take their store book fairs to the next level, this session will discuss the logistics of setting up a separate company to produce in-school book fairs. When is the right time to branch out? What are the advantages to having a separate company? This session considers what’s involved, including extra staffing, warehousing additional books, insurance needs, and securing offsite POS systems.

  • Becky Anderson, Anderson’s Bookshops (Naperville, IL)
  • Emily Scheinman, Bananaseed Book Fairs (Belmont, CA)
  • Anne Schmalfeld, Quail Ridge Books & Music (Raleigh, NC)
  • Linda McLoughlin Figel, pages: a bookstore (Manhattan Beach, CA) (Moderator)
     

Bookstores are frequently the target of protests sparked by the books they sell and the authors they host.  In this session, you will learn what you need to know to respond quickly and effectively to free speech emergencies and local controversies.  Panelists will describe how they have dealt with First Amendment challenges and share the important lesson they learned: that the overwhelming majority of customers value free expression and will support their local bookstore.

  • Jamie Fiocco, Flyleaf Books (Chapel Hill, NC)
  • Mitchell Kaplan, Books & Books (Coral Gables, FL)
  • Susan McAnelly, Browseabout Books (Rehoboth Beach, DE)
  • Chris Finan, President, American Booksellers for Free Expression (Moderator)
     
Asheville has a rich literary history.  Included among the authors with ties to the city  is one of the 20th century’s greatest novelists, F. Scott Fitzgerald.  (His wife, Zelda was treated at Asheville's Highland Hospital, a psychiatric facility.) Maureen Corrigan, author of So We Read On: How the Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures (Little, Brown) and Stewart O’Nan, author of West of Sunset (Viking, published January 2015), a novel of Fitzgerald’s last years in Hollywood, will share their insights and observations about the writer, his works, and his times. The conversation will be moderated by bestselling author Erik Larson, author of Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania (Crown, to be published in March 2015).

12:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Publisher reps continue their presentations, preparing booksellers for the coming selling season. Seating assignments are the same as for the Monday lunch; you're seated according to your preference for adult or children's titles.

2:30 pm to 3:30 pm

The Town Hall is an opportunity for open discussion about industry and association issues. ABA Board president Steve Bercu and vice president Betsy Burton will facilitate the meeting. The floor is open to questions and comments from all booksellers.

4:00 pm to 5:15 pm

A business plan is a document typically associated with launching a bookstore. However, any time you decide to make a change to your operations, it's critical to have a plan.  This session will include a review of the essentials for any business plan. Attendees will have a chance to have their own business plans reviewed post-Winter Institute by panelist Jodi Rhoden, Owner/Operator of Short Street Cakes and Teacher at Birds Eye Business Planning (Asheville, NC).

  • Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction (Greenville, SC)
  • Chris Morrow, Northshire Bookstore (Manchester Center, VT)
  • Jodi Rhoden, Owner/Operator of Short Street Cakes and Teacher at Birds Eye Business Planning (Asheville, NC)
  • Annie Philbrick, Bank Square Books (Mystic, CT) (Moderator)

Your business strategy (what you do every day) and your business identity (how you define your organization’s purpose) are two areas that every business leader must address in order think creatively and strategically about the future of their store. This session for owners and managers will give you the opportunity to explore how successful leaders evaluate their business strategy and current business identity in a world of ever-changing technology and increased consumer expectations. Join Ryan Raffaelli, Harvard Business School Professor, for an interactive, case-based discussion that will help clarify—and maybe even redefine— your organization’s strategy and identity. (Group B; Pre-registration required)

  • Ryan Raffaelli, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
  • Dan Cullen, ABA Senior Strategy Officer (Moderator)
     

The key to successful bookselling is mastering the art of the upsell, and that is no less true in children’s bookselling, where opportunities are myriad. Even literacy experts suggest that every book parents buy at grade level should be accompanied by a second book at least two grade levels ahead for reading aloud to their children. From pairing fiction with nonfiction to matching book characters to plush toys and adding on finger puppets, card games, and gift cards, learn how you can optimize your handselling efforts and displays to better suggest gift purchases and increase your units per sale.

  • Amie Mechler-Hickson, Boswell Book Company (Milwaukee, WI)
  • Lauren Savage, The Reading Bug (San Carlos, CA)
  • Janelle Smith, Auntie’s Bookstore (Spokane, WA)
  • Diane Capriola, Little Shop of Stories (Decatur, GA) (Moderator)
     

What does stellar customer service look like, and how can you achieve it? This session will present three successful customer service programs from booksellers who have created training programs to ensure consistent customer service. Learn strategies for achieving stellar customer service and share your own insights and experiences.

  • Linda Marie Barrett, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café (Asheville, NC)
  • Margaret Shaheen, Tatterd Cover Book Store (Denver, CO)
  • Tracy Taylor, The Elliott Bay Book Company (Seattle, WA)
  • Sarah Bagby, Watermark Books and Cafe (Wichita, KS) (Moderator)
     
IndieCommerce staff conducts an education session based upon the results of a recent survey of IndieCommerce users attending Wi10. Topics to be covered include content creation, shipping quotes, payment rules, and order processing on the new Drupal 7 platform.
  •  Presented by the ABA IndieCommerce Team

ABA Past Presidents Discuss Practical Applications From the Last 10 Years of Bookselling

The past 10 years have brought major changes both in and outside of the book industry. From the launch of e-commerce and the birth of the iPhone and a “screen” culture to the closing of major chain retailers and growing national awareness of the importance of localism and Main Street businesses, booksellers have had to be focused and innovative entrepreneurs to compete and remain relevant. This session will take you on a journey spanning the last 10 years of bookselling through the experiences of ABA past presidents. These accomplished booksellers are sure to inspire as well as deliver practical ideas for meeting emerging business challenges.

  • Becky Anderson, Anderson’s Bookshops (Naperville, IL)
  • Richard Howorth, Square Books (Oxford, MS)
  • Mitchell Kaplan, Books & Books (Coral Gables, FL)
  • Chuck Robinson, Village Books (Bellingam, WA)
  • Gayle Shanks, Changing Hands Bookstore (Tempe, AZ)
  • Michael Tucker, Books Inc. (San Francisco, CA)
  • Steve Bercu, BookPeople (Austin, TX) (Moderator)
     

6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Befitting its 10th anniversary, this Winter Institute’s signature Author Reception will be the largest ever. Thanks to the generosity of ABA’s publisher sponsors, more than 70 authors and illustrators will be on hand to chat with booksellers and to autograph new and forthcoming titles. To sweeten the occasion, ABFE will be hosting a silent auction of art from many beloved children’s illustrators in the Atrium across from the Grand Ballroom. ZaPow! Art gallery showcases "The Art of the Book," featuring pieces by local Asheville artists. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.

 

Wednesday, February 11, 2015   Printer friendly version of full program

7:00 am to 8:30 pm

Shuttle bus service between the Renaissance and the Grove Park Inn begins at 7 am at the Renaissance, and runs every 15 to 20 minutes throughout the day. The last shuttle bus leaves the Grove Park Inn at 8:30 pm.

8:00 am to 3:00 pm

Winter Institute and membership inquiries welcomed. Nathan and Catherine are happy to help!

8:30 am to 9:45 am

9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Take a load off. Have a drink. Put your feet up. Take a short nap. Drop by the SIBA Hospitality Suite for a little Southern TLC!

10:00 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 Wi10, they may reach out to you via email before the event. You may also contact them in advance to schedule appointments.

10:05 am to 12:05 pm

To encourage further interaction between booksellers and publishers, booksellers will have the opportunity to meet with Wi10 sponsoring publishers in small groups to discuss issues of common interest and mutual concern. Each bookseller will be assigned to a specific table for this session; publishers will move from table to table.

12:25 pm to 2:25 pm

Enjoy lunch and hear about great upcoming titles from Winter Institute's small and university press sponsors. Then, debut writers whose books have been selected as Indies Introduce titles will be introduced. Seats are assigned, and booksellers will receive an email in mid-January with table numbers.

2:25 pm to 2:55 pm

The Galley Room and PartnerShip shipping desk will be open in the Vanderbilt Wing. Winter Institute publisher sponsors will provide ARCs for hundreds of upcoming titles. A limited supply of book bags will be on hand in the Galley Rooms. Check on-site schedule for additional hours.

3:00 pm to 4:15 pm

Above the Treeline Analytics provides a wealth of information about the indie bookstore market and, more importantly, about the health of your store. This session will help booksellers get the most out of Treeline Analytics. Those who are not on Treeline will get a solid overview of how this unique tool can help them build and maintain a healthy and profitable inventory.

  • Joe Foster, Education and Outreach Coordinator, Above the Treeline (Ann Arbor, MI)
  • Jessilynn Norcross, McLean & Eakin Booksellers (Petoskey, MI)
  • Karen Hayes, Parnassus Books (Nashville, TN) (Moderator)
     

What are some options for broadening offerings to college-age students? You do not have to be a college bookstore to be in rental, buy back, or used textbook sales, and these programs can significantly impact your bottom line.

  • Amy Thomas, Pegasus Books (Berkeley, CA)
  • Janet Geddis, Avid Bookshop (Athens, GA)
  • Kristopher Lange, Director, Textbook Sales, Ingram Content Group (La Vergne, TN)
  • Jonathon Welch, Talking Leaves Books (Buffalo, NY) (Moderator)
     

If you are thinking about using crowdfunding to help finance a project in your store, this session will be invaluable. Howard Landers, Board Member, National Crowdfunding Association, Inc, will present an overview presentation of the state of the JOBS Act and what small businesses need to know about crowdfunding as a source of capital. Gayle Shanks, co-owner of Changing Hands Bookstore, will share tips for creating a successful campaign.

  • Howard Landers, Board Member, National Crowdfunding Association, Inc.
  • Gayle Shanks, Changing Hands Bookstore (Tempe, AZ)
     

In this session you will be divided into small groups to participate in a conversation about store finances with other store owners and/or managers. Bring your ABACUS-13 numbers and compare your financials and operations with others from stores with similar profiles. These ABACUS-based conversations will help booksellers analyze strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities, while sharing suggestions about how to more closely read the ABACUS report to begin an action plan for improved profitability. (Pre-registration required.)

The rules for leadership and teamwork have changed, and the skills that got professionals ahead a generation ago don’t work anymore. Actors and the head of communications for Second City Works—the world’s premier comedy theater and school of improvisation—share techniques that can help any organization develop innovators, encourage adaptable leaders, and build transformational businesses.

For more than 50 years, The Second City comedy theater in Chicago has been a training ground for some of the best comic minds in the industry -— including John Belushi, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Mike Myers, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, and Tina Fey. But it also provides one-of-a-kind leadership training to cutting-edge companies, nonprofits, and public sector organizations, all aimed at increasing creativity, collaboration, and teamwork.

  • Tom Yorton, CEO of  Second City Works and Author (Harper Business)
  • Mark Sutton,  Facilitator and Actor, Second City Works
  • Meagan Flanigan, Faciliator and Actor, Second City Works
  • Valerie Koehler, Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, TX) (Moderator)

4:30 pm to 5:45 pm

The challenges of successfully transitioning your business to a new owner are varied. Whether it's relinquishing control, ensuring profitability, managing staff, or simply balancing the books, there are always hurdles to overcome. This frank, closed-door discussion is for store owners and managers only. (Pre-registration required)

  • Cindy Clarke, Executive Director, UNC Asheville Family Business Forum (Asheville, NC)
  • Liz Murphy, The Learned Owl Book Shop (Hudson, OH)
  • David Sandberg, Porter Square Books (Cambridge, MA)
  • Kate Schlademan, The Learned Owl Book Shop (Hudson, OH)
  • Dale Szczeblowski, Porter Square Books (Cambridge, MA)
  • Bradley Graham, Politics and Prose (Washington, DC) (Moderator)
     

This panel will explore ways that university presses and independent booksellers can work together to form strong and mutually beneficial business relationships. Panelists from both university presses and ABA will have a lively and illuminating discussion on what they need from each other in order to move forward.

  • Emily Hamilton, Assistant Director for Book Publishing and Head of Marketing and Sales, University of Minnesota Press (Minneapolis, MN)
  • Gianna LaMorte, Sales Manager, University of Texas Press (Austin, TX)
  • Jonathon Welch, Talking Leaves Books (Buffalo, NY)
  • Richard Fugini, Field Sales Manager, Oxford University Press USA (New York, NY)
  • Steve Bercu, BookPeople (Austin, TX) (Moderator)
     

When you’re looking to create new revenue streams, prepaid book clubs and gift registries offer stores the opportunity to expand customer services with little or no cost beyond planning and organization. Booksellers already running profitable clubs and registries will discuss how to get started and what resources and tools are available to help. Learn how to price your book club, how to choose titles for a range of tastes while keeping an eye on margins, and how to effectively market to customers with nieces, nephews, and grandchildren living outside your community.

  • Leslie Hawkins, Spellbound Children’s Bookshop (Asheville, NC)
  • Kerri Poore, Politics and Prose (Washington, DC)
  • Jessica Stockton-Bagnulo, Greenlight Bookstore (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Holly Weinkauf, Red Balloon Bookshop (St. Paul, MN) (Moderator)
     

You have a business plan for expansion or another new project, and now you need the capital to make it happen. Working with a bank or credit union does not have to be difficult, but preparation is critical. This session will present tips to help you secure a small business loan.

  • Joe Battle, Co-Founder and Principal of Success 360i (Chapel Hill, NC)
  • Ezekiel Christopoulos, Personal Banker, SunTrust Bank (Asheville, NC)
  • Jane Hatley, Western North Carolina Regional Director, Self-Help Credit Union (Asheville, NC)
  • Matthew Norcross, McLean & Eakin Booksellers (Petoskey, MI) (Moderator)
     

Whether you are looking for a new POS system or just have a question about the functionality of your current system, you can find the answers here. Join your colleagues for roundtable discussions on the following POS systems: IBID, Booklog, Anthology, Basil, Computac and WordStock.

  • Daniel Goldin, Boswell Book Company (Milwaukee, WI) - IBID
  • Wendy Hudson, Nantucket Book Partners (Nantucket, MA) - Basil
  • Cathy Langer, Tattered Cover Book Store (Denver, CO) - Computac
  • Jill Miner, Saturn Booksellers (Gaylord, MI) - Anthology
  • Andy Perham, Books Inc. (San Francisco, CA) - WordStock
  • Shawn Wathen, Chapter One Book Store (Hamilton, MT) - Booklog
     

E-mail marketing is a great way to reach your customers, but what services are available and which is the best fit for your store? Are you making the most of what is available? This session will review three newsletter options—Shelf Awareness, Ingram Sendr, and Constant Contact—with an overview of each platform from a bookseller perspective. Company representatives will be present in the audience to address questions.

  • Aaron Wesley Means, Constant Contact Expert, Internet Marketing Specialist, and CEO of ACTIVATE Business Solutions (Asheville, NC)
  • Jenn Risko, Publisher and Co-Founder, Shelf Awareness (Seattle, WA)
  • Noah Sanders, Senior Manager of Marketing, Ingram Content Group (La Vergne, TN)
  • Jamie Layton, Duck’s Cottage (Duck, NC)
  • Carol Spurling, BookPeople of Moscow (Moscow, ID)
  • Tegan Tigani, Queen Anne Book Company (Seattle, WA) (Moderator)
     

6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Wi10 closes with one more party and lots more book signings! Enjoy a final drink and conversation with your colleagues, and meet more than a dozen authors published by the small and university press sponsors. Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served. Enjoy!

 

About ABA

The American Booksellers Association, a national not-for-profit trade organization, works with booksellers and industry partners to ensure the success and profitability of independently owned book retailers, and to assist in expanding the community of the book.

Independent bookstores act as community anchors; they serve a unique role in promoting the open exchange of ideas, enriching the cultural life of communities, and creating economically vibrant neighborhoods.

Contact

PRESS INQUIRIES: [email protected]

INDIECOMMERCE: [email protected]

ALL OTHER INQUIRIES: [email protected]

 

 

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