2004 Fall Regional Trade Show Season

Kicking off the 2004 fall trade show season, the Mid-South Booksellers Association will hold its show September 9 - 12 in New Orleans, the Southeast Booksellers Association will hold its show September 10 - 12 in Atlanta, and the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association will hold its show September 10 - 12 in Portland, Oregon. Throughout September, October, and November, ABA's participation in each of the 10 regional bookseller associations' trade shows and events will include educational programming, as well as an exhibit on the trade show floor. This year's exhibit will focus on "Book Sense Gift Cards: One Year Later," featuring live demonstrations. Association staffers will also be on hand seeking member input on ABA education initiatives, as well as providing general ABA information.

The Book Sense Gift Card Program, just completing its first year of operation, has already helped more than 200 bookstores dramatically increase their sales. The ABA exhibit at the various trade shows will give booksellers the opportunity to see first hand how the gift card program works. As an incentive to try the gift card, ABA will waive the one-time $25 set-up fee for booksellers signing up at each trade show. (If you plan to sign up at the show, please bring your checking account info with you. For more details on the program, please visit: http://www.bookweb.org/read/6303.)

The number-one goal in ABA’s strategic plan states: Provide independent professional booksellers with access to the education, information, and business services they need to succeed in a changing world. With this in mind, ABA staffers will be on hand at all 10 trade shows seeking bookseller input on how best to construct the Association’s educational offerings moving forward. An "ABA Education 2005 Survey" will be distributed at each trade show as well as by e-mail and on BookWeb. Watch BTW in the coming weeks for more information about how you can be involved in this process.

Bookselling This Week will provide complete pre- and post-show coverage for all of the events. Look for BTW's pre-show coverage to begin in the coming weeks.

Here is a list of the fall shows, including ABA educational programming scheduled for each event:

• Mid-South Independent Booksellers Association: September 9 - 12, New Orleans, Louisiana.

ABA Educational Programming:

Thursday, September 9: The 2% Solution (1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.).

Friday, September 10: BookSense.com session/Book Sense Gift Card session (2:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.)

For further information, call (214) 557-5620, fax 281-361-6977, e-mail [email protected]; http://www.msiba.org/.

• Southeast Booksellers Association: September 10 - 12, 2004; Atlanta, Georgia.

ABA Educational Programming:

Friday, September, 10: Focused Small Store Issues (10:30 a.m. - Noon; Room: Galleria); 2% Solution (2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.; Room: Fulton).

Saturday, September 11: Book Sense Gift Card Users Group (2:00 - 3:00 p.m.; Room: Andover).

For further information, call (803) 252-7755, fax (803) 252-8589, e-mail [email protected]; http://www.sebaweb.org/.

• Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association: September 10 - 12, 2004; Portland, Oregon.

ABA Educational Programming:

Friday, September 10: Exit Strategies/Succession Planning (10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.); Forming Local Business Alliances (1:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.).

Saturday, September 11: Book Sense Gift Card Users Group (3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.); BookSense.com Users Group (4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.).

For further information, call (541) 683-4363, fax (541) 683-3910, e-mail [email protected]; http://www.pnba.org/.

• Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association: September 16 - 19, Denver, Colorado.

ABA Educational Programming:

Friday, September 17: Identify Competition (10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.); 2% Solution (2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.); Book Sense Gift Card Users Group; Time: TBD

For further information, call (970) 484-5856, fax (970) 407-1479, e-mail [email protected]; http://www.mountainsplains.org/.

• Northern California Independent Booksellers Association: October 1 - 3, Oakland, California.

ABA Educational Programming:

Friday, October 1: 2% Solution; Time: TBD; Marketing with Jay Conrad Levinson; Time: TBD.

Saturday, October 2: Book Sense Gift Card Users Group (1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.); BookSense.com Users Group (2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.).

For further information, call (415) 561-7686, fax (415) 561-7685, e-mail [email protected]; http://www.nciba.com/.

• Upper Midwest Booksellers Association: October 1 - 3, St Paul, Minnesota.

ABA Educational Programming:

Saturday, October 2: Book Sense Gift Card Users Group (12 Noon - 1:00 p.m.; on the trade show floor).

For further information, call (800) 784-7522 or (612) 926-5868, fax (612) 926-6657, e-mail [email protected]; http://www.abookaday.com/.

• New England Booksellers Association: October 8 - 10, Boston, Massachusetts.

ABA Educational Programming:

Saturday, October 9: BookSense.com Users Group (1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.; Book Sense Gift Card Users Group (2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.).

Sunday, October 10: 2% Solution (10:00 a.m. - Noon).

For further information, call (800) 466-8711 or (617) 576-3070, fax (617) 576-3091, e-mail [email protected]; http://www.newenglandbooks.org/.

• Great Lakes Booksellers Association: October 8 - 10, Dearborn, Michigan.

ABA Educational Programming (tentative):
Forming Local Business Alliances; Book Sense Gift Card Users Group; Date and Time: TBD

For further information, call (800) 745-2460 or (616) 847-2460, fax (616) 842-0051, e-mail [email protected]; http://www.books-glba.org/.

• New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association: October 24 - 25, 2004: Atlantic City, New Jersey.

ABA Educational Programming:

Sunday, October 24: 2% Solution (2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.).

Monday, October 25: Book Sense Gift Card Users Group; Time: TBD; BookSense.com Users Group; Time: TBD.

For further information, call (516) 333-0681, fax (516) 333-0689, e-mail [email protected]; http://www.naiba.com/.

• Southern California Booksellers Association: November 5 - 6, Long Beach, California.

ABA Educational Programming (tentative):

Friday, November 5: 2% Solution; Time: TBD.

For further information, call (626) 791-9455, fax (626) 791-6255, e-mail [email protected].