Registration for the American Booksellers Association’s 12th Annual Winter Institute (Wi12), to be held from Friday, January 27, through Monday, January 30, 2017, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will open in mid-September. However, booksellers who are already thinking about their travel plans should be aware that before the event officially kicks off with an opening reception on Friday evening, there will be much happening earlier in the day.

Highlights of the Friday, January 27, pre-Wi12 kickoff include:

• Minneapolis Bookstore and Publisher Tours: Both full- and half-day tours of Twin City bookstores and publishers are planned. Tours will depart from Wi12’s host hotel, the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, and will end at Open Book, where the Winter Institute Opening Reception will be held.
   
• Paz Workshop: Introduction to Retail Bookselling (Requires a separate registration fee): Donna Paz Kaufman and Mark Kaufman of the Paz & Associates Bookstore Training Group will present a one-day seminar for prospective booksellers. Students will receive a a valuable overview of the business of bookselling and the essentials of opening a new bookstore or buying an existing store. The workshop is open to ABA Provisional members and employees of Regular member stores.
   
• Leadership Workshop for Owners and Managers (Requires a separate registration fee): This workshop will introduce principles and competencies for developing leadership skills in yourself and others. The full-day program will help participants better understand the challenges facing their businesses and identify ways to make progress on these tough issues. This workshop will be presented by the Kansas Leadership Council team, which led a shorter session at last year’s Winter Institute and facilitated the event’s first-time debrief.
   
• IndieCommerce Institute (Requires separate registration fee): This one-day, interactive learning experience in a classroom-style setting will go beyond basic training to provide actionable information for new and experienced IndieCommerce users.

The Winter Institute Opening Welcome Reception, co-sponsored by Shelf Awareness, will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday at Minneapolis’ acclaimed Open Book [6], which is home to The Loft Literary Center, Milkweed Editions, and Minnesota Center for Book Arts. Following the reception, buses will bring attendees back to the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis for the Backlist Book Swap Party. All Wi12 attendees are invited to bring a copy of their favorite “under-read” book to share at the party and to leave with someone else’s favorite. A networking Afterparty for Young Professionals in Bookselling will provide an opportunity for booksellers from across the country to make new friends and share fun and engaging conversations about bookselling, Winter Institute 12, and the industry as a whole.

Watch for further details on all of these events when Winter Institute registration opens in mid-September.