Booksellers Forums Next Week in Naperville, Minneapolis & Boston

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American Booksellers Association members and non-members alike are invited to take part in Booksellers Forums to be held next week in Naperville, Illinois; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Boston, Massachusetts.

At each of the forums, ABA will be presenting the education session “Indie Bookstores and the New Localism: What You Can Do.” The program is a follow-up to the New Localism panel at Winter Institute 11 and the release of the Civic Economics study “Amazon & Empty Storefronts.” In conjunction with the education program, ABA has released the New Localism Toolkit to help booksellers educate customers, other indie businesses, and elected officials about the latest relevant data regarding the localism movement.

Here’s a look at the programs being offered at each of ABA’s 2016 Spring Forums:

  • Indie Bookstores and the New Localism: What You Can Do
    Data from a recent study, commissioned by ABA, suggests that the localism movement is now at a transition point and indie booksellers, indie retailers, and downtown community associations have an opportunity to refocus their efforts and bring about real change in public policy and perception. At this education session, ABA will report on the Civic Economics study “Amazon and Empty Storefronts: The Fiscal and Land Use Impact of Online Retail” and provide important resources and data to help all booksellers communicate the “new” localism message to colleagues, customers, community members, elected officials, and the media.
  • ABA Booksellers Forum Discussion
    ABA CEO Oren Teicher will lead an open discussion of industry issues. Attendees help guide the agenda of the forum, so all are encouraged to come with their questions, comments, and concerns.

Here’s the schedule for ABA programming at the three forums:

Monday, March 14, in Naperville, Illinois, in conjunction with the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association

ABA’s education session and open forum discussion will be held at the Downtown Naperville Alliance, 55 South Main Street, Naperville, IL 60540, at the following times:

  • 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Indie Bookstores and the New Localism: What You Can Do (Chamber Conference Room A)
  • 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.: ABA Booksellers Forum Over Lunch (Chamber Conference Room A)

GLIBA Presents: After the forum, the GLIBA Board of Directors will host a round-robin education session on a variety of topics, including Marketing and the Holiday Catalog, How to BEA, How the Binc Foundation Supports Booksellers, and What Can GLIBA Do for You?

GLIBA’s education will be followed by a 5:00 p.m. Author Reception at Anderson’s Bookshop (123 W. Jefferson Avenue, Naperville).

Booksellers who are planning to attend ABA’s programming are asked to RSVP to ABA Member Relationship Manager Catherine Cusick.

Wednesday, March 16, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in conjunction with the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association

In addition to the education session and open forum discussion, ABA will also be holding a special focus group for area booksellers to gather ideas for the 2017 Winter Institute, which will be held in Minneapolis.

Programming will be held at Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, 1300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403, at the following times:

  • 9:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.: Winter Institute 2017 Focus Group (Skyway Suite AB, Second Floor)
  • 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Indie Bookstores and the New Localism: What You Can Do (Mirage Room, Second Floor)
  • 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.: ABA Booksellers Forum Over Lunch (Mirage Room, Second Floor)

MIBA Presents: After the forum, MIBA will host an Author Social from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. with complimentary books, followed at 5:00 p.m. with Happy Hour at The Local (931 Nicollet Mall), a six-minute walk from the Hyatt.

Booksellers who are planning to attend ABA’s programming are asked to RSVP to ABA Member Relationship Manager Catherine Cusick.

Friday, March 18, in Boston, Massachusetts, in conjunction with the New England Independent Booksellers Association’s All About the Books

ABA’s programming will be held at First Parish Church, 3 Church Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA 02138, at the following times:

  • 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Indie Bookstores and the New Localism: What You Can Do, followed by the ABA Booksellers Forum Discussion (Barn Room, Second Floor)

NEIBA Presents: ABA programming will be preceded by NEIBA’s Author Talks and Readings, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, and a Boxed Lunch With Authors, from noon to 1:30 p.m. For more information and registration, visit the NEIBA website.

Booksellers who are planning to attend ABA’s programming are asked to RSVP to ABA Member Relationship Manager Catherine Cusick.