Booksellers Invited to Forums in Cleveland, Minneapolis, and Iowa City

This week, the American Booksellers Association sent e-mails inviting booksellers and prospective booksellers in the Great Lakes and Midwest regions to its spring Booksellers Forums. The programs in Cleveland, Ohio; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Iowa City, Iowa, are designed to provide attendees with an opportunity to share ideas, discuss industry issues, and receive updates on various association projects in an open forum. In addition, this year’s program will feature the ABA Education session “Conversations That Work,” focusing on what to say and how to handle a variety of irksome situations in the store, including showrooming, aggressive customers, and those who use store inventory to copy information.

ABA programming is free and open to all booksellers — ABA members and non-members alike.

Over the years, the forums have become invaluable opportunities for members to share best practices with their colleagues and with ABA, and for ABA to garner meaningful feedback on a wide range of topics.

Here’s a look at the schedules for Cleveland, Minneapolis, and Iowa City, as well as contact information to RSVP.

Monday, March 10: Cleveland, Ohio

Join ABA CEO Oren Teicher and Senior Program Officer Joy Dallanegra-Sanger for a Booksellers Forum program in conjunction with Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association (GLIBA), at the Harold Rice Branch of the Cleveland Public Library, 11535 Shaker Boulevard, Cleveland

• 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Conversations That Work
• 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: Booksellers Forum discussion. Lunch will be provided.

GLIBA will be hosting an author reception following the forum at Loganberry Books, located at 13015 Larchmere Boulevard, just down the street from the meeting location.

Booksellers who are planning to attend are asked to RSVP via e-mail to Catherine Cusick, ABA/GLIBA region member relationship manager, no later than Monday, March 3, with “GLIBA Spring Forum RSVP” in the subject line.

Tuesday, March 11: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Join ABA CEO Oren Teicher and Senior Program Officer Joy Dallanegra-Sanger for a Booksellers Forum program in conjunction with Midwest Independent Booksellers Association (MIBA) at a new location: the Coffman Memorial Union (Mississippi Room), University of Minnesota, 300 Washington Avenue S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455

• 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Conversations That Work
• 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Booksellers Forum discussion. Lunch will be provided.

MIBA will also be hosting an author reception featuring several authors with newly released or forthcoming books (includes complimentary galleys) directly after lunch. For more information, visit MIBA’s dedicated webpage for the event.

Booksellers who are planning to attend ABA’s Forum program are asked to RSVP via e-mail to Catherine Cusick, ABA/MIBA region member relationship manager, no later than Tuesday, March 4, with “MIBA Spring Forum RSVP” in the subject line.

Wednesday, March 12: Iowa City, Iowa

Join ABA CEO Oren Teicher and Senior Program Officer Joy Dallanegra-Sanger for a Booksellers Forum program in conjunction with Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, at Prairie Lights Bookstore, 15 South Dubuque Street, Iowa City

• 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Conversations That Work
• 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Booksellers Forum discussion. Lunch will be provided.

MIBA will also be hosting an author reception featuring several authors with newly released or forthcoming books (includes complimentary galleys) directly after lunch. For more information, visit MIBA’s dedicated webpage for the event.

Booksellers who are planning to attend ABA’s Forum program are asked to RSVP via e-mail to Catherine Cusick, ABA/MIBA region member relationship manager, no later than Tuesday, March 4, with “MIBA Spring Forum RSVP” in the subject line.

The complete list of 2014 Spring Forums is available on BookWeb.