Booksellers should be ready on Tuesday, October 29, to register for a range of special events and programming taking place at the American Booksellers Association’s 15th annual Winter Institute [7] in Baltimore.

Registration for Winter Institute is full, but booksellers can visit BookWeb.org to be added to the waitlist or to register for the new $75 Day Pass option [8], which grants access to the institute on Friday, January 24, plus the Author Reception on Thursday, January 23, at 5:15 p.m.

Registration opens on October 29 for the following:

• Antitrust Symposium in Washington, D.C. [9] (Tuesday, January 21, 7:45 am to 4:00 pm, $25): Be part of a special symposium on growing monopoly power in the retailing and tech sector, with a focus on the extraordinary market dominance of Amazon.
• Tours of Penguin Random House’s Westminster Warehouse [10] (Tuesday, January 21, time to come): Sign up for a half-day tour of PRH’s warehouse an hour away from Baltimore.
• Paz & Associates Workshop: Introduction to Retail Bookselling [11] (Tuesday, January 21, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, $129): This is a one-day crash course on the essentials of opening a new bookstore or buying an existing one. Attendance at Winter Institute is optional but admission is guaranteed; a separate registration fee applies.
• IndieCommerce Institute [12] (Tuesday, January 21, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, $59): Separate interactive, classroom-style workshops will be offered for users of ABA e-commerce platforms IndieCommerce and IndieLite. Each seminar will include step-by-step instructions for the topics covered, and participants will be assigned their own test site to use and follow along with. (Wi15 registration not required to attend.)
• Publishers by Appointment [13] (Tuesday, January 21, 9:30 am to 4:15 pm): This new programming initiative will allow booksellers to sign up for 15-minute slots to meet with participating publishers of their choice.
• Baltimore-Area Bookstore Tour for International Guests [14] (Tuesday, January 21, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, $30): This tour for international guests offers a chance to experience U.S. independent bookstores in and around the city of Baltimore. (Bookstore tours for U.S. booksellers are scheduled for Friday, January 24.)
• Used Books Seminar [15] (Tuesday, January 21, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm): Discuss the art of selling used and rare books with fellow booksellers. Topics will include merchandising policies, inventory acquisition, events, displays, remainders, online sales, store layout, and more.
• Advanced: A Workplace Divided: Understanding the Climate for LGBTQ+ Workers Nationwide [16] (Wednesday, January 22, 10:40 am to 11:40 am): An educator from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation will present data on how to make your business a more inclusive place and provide an environment for reflection and discussion on how to make positive changes in your workplace culture.
• Advanced: Work-Life Balance for Managers and Owners [17] (Friday, January 24, 9:30 am to 10:30 am): In 2019, the World Health Organization included burnout in the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases. A professional in the field will lead a session to help all attendees identify workplace stressors in their environments and consider possible solutions.
• Bookselling Bootcamp [18] (Friday, January 24, 1:45 pm to 5:00 pm): This in-depth, interactive seminar for frontline booksellers will cover blurb writing, personal finance, hand-selling strategies, and career management. 
• Employee Manual Workshop [19] (Friday, January 24, 1:45 pm to 5:00 pm): This workshop will cover a number of sections critical to an employee manual, including workplace culture, general employment information, benefits, code of conduct, disciplinary procedures, and more. 
• Bookstore Tours [20] (Friday, January 24, 2:00 pm to 4:45 pm, $30): Visit Baltimore-area indie bookstores Atomic Books [21] and Red Emma’s Bookstore [22] as well as Black Classic Press [23].

Winter institute will take place January 21–24, 2020, at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland. Visit the Winter Institute page on BookWeb [7] to learn more about the event. Questions about Winter Institute can be directed to [email protected] [24].