Panelists Added to ABA's BEA Education Program

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Since March, when the American Booksellers Association unveiled its education program for this month’s BookExpo America, more presenters and event details have been added. Here is a look at the updated schedule of session descriptions and presenters, with the new additions highlighted in green.

The ABA education program begins on Wednesday, May 29, and runs through Friday, May 31, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Content is aimed toward ABA bookstore and provisional members but is free and open to all BEA attendees. Full details about ABA’s programs and special events and about BEA’s Wednesday afternoon keynote and Adult and Children’s Buzz sessions are on ABA’s special BEA webpages.

BOOKSELLING TODAY & ABA EDUCATION

Wednesday, May 29

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: ABA Plenary: “Publishing, Bookselling, and the Whole Damn Thing: A Conversation With John Sargent” (1E14/1E15/1E16)
Begin BEA with a stimulating discussion between Macmillan CEO John Sargent and ABA President Becky Anderson about the book industry, the challenges it faces, recent key events, and what the future may hold.

11:15 a.m.  12:30 p.m.: How to Plan for a Second Location (1E02/1E03)
Have you considered opening a second location? Whether your current location has been in business for 12 years or two, there are a number of key variables that will play a critical role in your analysis of whether or not the new venture will succeed. Join a panel of booksellers and other skilled professionals who will share their insights, experiences, and best practices on this issue. Terry Gilman, Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore (San Diego, CA); Alzada Knickerbocker, Avid Reader Active (Davis, CA); Christine Onorati, WORD (Brooklyn, NY); and Michael Tucker, Books Inc. (San Francisco, CA)

11:15 a.m.  12:30 p.m.: Evaluate Your Remainder Buying (1E07)
Remainders can help keep your store profitable if you know where and when to buy them. This is an advanced buying session that will cover everything from best practices for buying online to the benefits of visiting warehouses and hotel showrooms, as well as strategies for in-store display. Discuss and share important keys to profitability with remainders. Gayle Shanks, Changing Hands Bookstore (Tempe, AZ), and an additional bookseller to come.

11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Edelweiss Update (1E08)
Keeping track of drop-in titles has been an ongoing headache for both booksellers and sales reps. Edelweiss is implementing a new feature that will help solve this problem by showing booksellers a customized view of newly added titles, as well as showing sales reps which titles their accounts have not yet seen. This session will explore the functionality of this new feature and will include time for booksellers and publishers to discuss best practices. Joe Foster, Edelweiss

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: ABA/Kobo eBook and eReader Introduction (1E08)
This session will cover all the basics about Kobo eBooks and eReaders, and it is aimed at stores interested in learning more before making the decision to sign up for the ABA/Kobo program. There will be a question-and-answer period at the end. Neil Strandberg, ABA Member Technology Director; Dave Morris, Kobo Account Manager; Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, Greenlight Books (Brooklyn, NY)

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Being Social:  Reaching Your Customers and Community (1E07)
Using social media to market your store may seem at times to be hit-and-miss. But businesses of all types have successfully implemented effective social media marketing strategies. Hear tips from experts in Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, and learn how to make social media work for you. Amy Cox Williams, Director, Product Marketing, Ingram Content Group; Lynette Young, Owner, Purple Stripe Productions; Andrew Fitzgerald, Senior Partner Manager, Twitter; Amy Stephenson, The Booksmith (San Francisco, CA); and moderator Kristen Hess, R.J. Julia Booksellers (Madison, CT)

Friday, May 31

9:30 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.: Common Core: Insights From Industry Touchpoints (1E11)
Professionals from every part of the book industry will offer insights into how to present the material we offer for most effective use in schools and libraries to achieve these standards. This session will dispel some myths; explain how material is used in different ways; and look at how publishers are responding and what we can all improve to respond to this new golden age of reading and writing.

The panel, moderated by Richard Buthod, National Sales Manager, Turtleback Books, will feature Cheryl Dickemper, Director of Purchasing and Collection Development, The Booksource; Melissa Jacobs-Israel, Coordinator in the Office of Library Services, NYC Dept. of Education; Victoria Stapleton, Director of School and Library Marketing, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Kenny Brechner, Owner, DDG Booksellers (Farmington, ME); Becky Anderson, Anderson’s Bookshops (Naperville, IL); and Phoebe Yeh, Editorial Director, HarperCollins

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: IndieCommerce User’s Group (1E04) – just added
Presented by Neil Strandberg, ABA Director of Member Technology, and the IndieCommerce team.

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Kobo 201: Best Practices (1E08) – new time
ABA Member Technology Director Neil Strandberg, Kobo Account Manager Dave Morris, and Matthew Norcross, McLean & Eakin Booksellers (Petoskey, MI), will lead a discussion with bookseller users on “best practices” for featuring Kobo eReaders and selling eBooks, and getting customers to affiliate their Kobo account with your bookstore. Come prepared to share your own experiences.

For more information on ABA happenings at BEA, including special events for children’s booksellers and the bookseller/publisher focus groups, visit ABA’s BookExpo America page.