Be Ready to Register on October 29 for Special Events at Winter Institute

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Winter Institute 15 logo

Booksellers should be ready on Tuesday, October 29, to register for a range of special events and programming taking place at the American Booksellers Association’s 15th annual Winter Institute in Baltimore.

Registration for Winter Institute is full, but booksellers can visit BookWeb.org to be added to the waitlist or to register for the new $75 Day Pass option, which grants access to the institute on Friday, January 24, plus the Author Reception on Thursday, January 23, at 5:15 p.m.

Registration opens on October 29 for the following:

  • Antitrust Symposium in Washington, D.C. (Tuesday, January 21, 7:45 am to 4:00 pm, $25): Be part of a special symposium on growing monopoly power in the retailing and tech sector, with a focus on the extraordinary market dominance of Amazon.
  • Tours of Penguin Random House’s Westminster Warehouse (Tuesday, January 21, time to come): Sign up for a half-day tour of PRH’s warehouse an hour away from Baltimore.
  • Paz & Associates Workshop: Introduction to Retail Bookselling (Tuesday, January 21, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, $129): This is a one-day crash course on the essentials of opening a new bookstore or buying an existing one. Attendance at Winter Institute is optional but admission is guaranteed; a separate registration fee applies.
  • IndieCommerce Institute (Tuesday, January 21, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, $59): Separate interactive, classroom-style workshops will be offered for users of ABA e-commerce platforms IndieCommerce and IndieLite. Each seminar will include step-by-step instructions for the topics covered, and participants will be assigned their own test site to use and follow along with. (Wi15 registration not required to attend.)
  • Publishers by Appointment (Tuesday, January 21, 9:30 am to 4:15 pm): This new programming initiative will allow booksellers to sign up for 15-minute slots to meet with participating publishers of their choice.
  • Baltimore-Area Bookstore Tour for International Guests (Tuesday, January 21, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, $30): This tour for international guests offers a chance to experience U.S. independent bookstores in and around the city of Baltimore. (Bookstore tours for U.S. booksellers are scheduled for Friday, January 24.)
  • Used Books Seminar (Tuesday, January 21, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm): Discuss the art of selling used and rare books with fellow booksellers. Topics will include merchandising policies, inventory acquisition, events, displays, remainders, online sales, store layout, and more.
  • Advanced: A Workplace Divided: Understanding the Climate for LGBTQ+ Workers Nationwide (Wednesday, January 22, 10:40 am to 11:40 am): An educator from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation will present data on how to make your business a more inclusive place and provide an environment for reflection and discussion on how to make positive changes in your workplace culture.
  • Advanced: Work-Life Balance for Managers and Owners (Friday, January 24, 9:30 am to 10:30 am): In 2019, the World Health Organization included burnout in the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases. A professional in the field will lead a session to help all attendees identify workplace stressors in their environments and consider possible solutions.
  • Bookselling Bootcamp (Friday, January 24, 1:45 pm to 5:00 pm): This in-depth, interactive seminar for frontline booksellers will cover blurb writing, personal finance, hand-selling strategies, and career management. 
  • Employee Manual Workshop (Friday, January 24, 1:45 pm to 5:00 pm): This workshop will cover a number of sections critical to an employee manual, including workplace culture, general employment information, benefits, code of conduct, disciplinary procedures, and more. 
  • Bookstore Tours (Friday, January 24, 2:00 pm to 4:45 pm, $30): Visit Baltimore-area indie bookstores Atomic Books and Red Emma’s Bookstore as well as Black Classic Press.

Winter institute will take place January 21–24, 2020, at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland. Visit the Winter Institute page on BookWeb to learn more about the event. Questions about Winter Institute can be directed to [email protected].