ABA Education Program Goes Global at Frankfurt Book Fair

ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz will be presenting two of the association's education seminars at the 57th Frankfurt Book Fair, which began on Wednesday, October 19, and runs through Sunday, October 23. The sessions, which were developed as part of ABA's program at this year's BookExpo America, are being offered by the Frankfurt Book Fair, in conjunction with the European Booksellers Federation (EBF) and the International Bookseller Federation (IBF). This year marks the first time the three groups are partnering to offer professional seminars at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Twice at the fair, Domnitz will present the seminar "Identify & Evaluate Competition: A Method to Conduct the Analysis." This session offers a way to identify the possible competitors in a bookseller's trade area, as well as to evaluate their impact on the business. Among the questions explored in the presentation are: Why does a consumer buy books at any place and at any time? What are the factors that enter into these decisions, which are at the core of all consumer conduct? How does your store measure up?

In addition, Domnitz will present "The 2% Solution -- An Introduction to Profitability." Based on the new ABACUS Study of independent bookstore operations in the U.S., this seminar offers specific suggestions about how to work on sales, gross margin, total compensation, and occupancy expenses to increase profits. Before leaving for Frankfurt, Domnitz told Bookselling This Week, "Although designed to help independent booksellers in the U.S., we believe the suggestions and recommendations offered in this seminar have relevance for booksellers around the world."

ABA member booksellers will have an opportunity to attend these sessions and other ABA education programming from BEA 2005, as well as two new seminars, at the association's inaugural Winter Institute to be held in Long Beach, California, on January 26 and 27, 2006. For details, go to www.bookweb.org/education/institute/.