ABA Forum Program Heads to Atlanta's Spring Book Show

On Friday, February 25, the American Booksellers Association will hold a Booksellers Forum and Education Program in conjunction with the Southeast Booksellers Association (SEBA) and Bargain Books News' Spring Book Show in Atlanta. ABA/SEBA programming will be held in the Da Vinci Room of The Renaissance Concourse Hotel. All SEBA and ABA member booksellers are invited to attend the events, which run from 8:30 a.m. - noon. ABA encourages bookstore owners to bring staff members, as the program provides much valuable information and offers a broad perspective on how individual stores fit into the larger industry.

The day begins with a continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Following the breakfast, ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz will present "The 2% Solution," from 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. This seminar looks at the drivers of a bookstore's profitability and examines how they can be reworked to move a business to greater profitability. Sales, gross margin, total compensation, and occupancy expenses will all be examined. The ABACUS Study of independent bookshop operations showed that the average profitability of all respondents was a negative 1.4 percent. While moving from negative profitability to a positive two percent is a long journey, this seminar will help start drawing the road map.

The ABA/SEBA Booksellers Forum will be held from 10:45 - noon. Booksellers will be given an update on ABA programs and initiatives and will have the opportunity to ask questions and express opinions. Domnitz will be joined by ABA COO Oren Teicher, Bookseller Advisory Council members Kelly Justice of Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia, and Philip Rafshoon of Outwrite Books & Coffeehouse in Atlanta, and SEBA Executive Director Wanda Jewell.

In addition to ABA's programming, on Saturday morning from 8:00 am - 10:00 a.m., SEBA will host a Resource Roundtable Discussion and Breakfast, where booksellers will be able to question experts from various segments of the industry. There will be five presenters: Michael Fraser of Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Cincinnati will present "Book Clubs Making Bookstores Profitable"; Steve Slack of SAS Christian Discount Bookstores in Knoxville, Tennessee, will present "Inspired Profits"; Kelly Justice will present "Hosting Successful Events"; Synde Waller of Georgia's Chapter 11 Neighborhood Bookstores will facilitate "The Art of Buying to Sell"; and Ben Archer of Book County Clearing House in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will talk about "How to Make Bargain Books a Part of Your Store's Profits."

The Spring Book Show, which is billed as the South's largest bargain book show, will take place at the Georgia International Convention Center. Exhibits will be open from noon - 6:00 p.m. on Friday; from 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. on Saturday; and from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.

To help ABA plan for the breakfast, forum, and "The 2% Solution," booksellers are asked to RSVP to ABA's Kristen Gilligan at [email protected]. For more information about SEBA's participation in the Spring Book Show, visit www.sebaweb.org, or contact Jewell at (803) 779-0118 or [email protected].

For more about The Spring Book Show, visit www.springbookshow.com.