A unique feature of this month’s Winter Institute will be a field trip for booksellers to the National Association of College Stores’ (NACS) 2013 CAMEX trade show [5] on Sunday, February 24. “CAMEX welcomes Wi8 to the 90th Campus Market Expo,” said Hugh Easley, vice president, meetings and expositions for NACS. “More than 700 exhibitors will be showcasing products that will help booksellers engage customers and increase sales. We encourage attendees to visit camex.org/showspecials [6] and camex.org/directoryfloorplan [7] for details on exhibitor show specials and locations on the show floor.” 

In addition, as part of the ABA/NACS cooperation, booksellers who take the trip to CAMEX during Wi8, or visit the show on their own following the institute, and place an order of any size from an exhibiting vendor while they’re there will receive a $100 rebate per store. (See details. [8])

[5]Wi8 bookseller registrants will receive a free badge for admittance to the trade show at the Winter Institute Welcome Desk. Buses will take them from the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center to the CAMEX show at the Kansas City Convention Center and back on Sunday following a noon-time lunch and a CAMEX briefing presented by Wendy Holliday, vice president, marketing and member services for NACS. Holliday will share tips and hints aimed directly at helping indie booksellers get the most out of the show. Wi8 CAMEX attendees will also receive a special ABA CAMEX map, as well as a welcome swag bag at the entrance to the show. General tips on working the show floor can be found at camex.org/About/ConferenceTips [9].

The Winter Institute ends on Monday evening, February 25, but booksellers who remain in Kansas City on Tuesday are invited to return to CAMEX on their own. “CAMEX welcomes back all Wi8 attendees on Tuesday, February 26, for more shopping on the trade show floor,” said Easley. “All Wi8 attendees returning on Tuesday will receive a $15 lunch certificate at the CAMEX registration desk. We look forward to seeing you later this month.”

ABA President Becky Anderson, who attended last year’s CAMEX trade show and returned with great ideas and gift items for Anderson’s Bookshops [10] in Naperville, Illinois, said, “I can’t encourage booksellers enough to check out the vendors on the CAMEX show floor to get ideas on how to create unique gift items for their stores and their communities…. I encourage you to make the most of the opportunity to spend time at the show and to take advantage of the special $100 rebate offer [11] for placing an order of any size from an exhibiting vendor while you’re there.”

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