News - Regional

The Great Lakes Booksellers Association (GLBA) will hold its 19th Annual Trade Show from Friday, October 3, through Sunday, October 5, at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, Michigan. The show offers education and author events throughout the weekend, including the GLBA Book Awards Luncheon and Moveable Feast. New this year are awards recognizing booksellers' work in their communities.

Among the highlights of the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) Trade Show, from Friday, October 3, through Sunday, October 5, at the Oakland Convention Center, Oakland Marriott City Center, are a full day of education, a new twist on the traditional Rep Picks sessions, and, of course, several very interesting author events.

The 2008 Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) Fall Trade Show will be held from Friday, September 26, through Sunday, September 28, at the Marriott Renaissance and the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center in Mobile, Alabama.

The New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) will hold its Fall Conference from Saturday, September 20, through Monday, September 22, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

The Midwest Booksellers Association (MBA) will hold its 28th Annual Trade Show from Thursday, September 25, through Saturday, September 27, at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium at RiverCentre, and at nearby venues in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. The show offers a full day of education on Thursday and lots of author events throughout the weekend, including the MBA Choice Awards.

This fall's Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association (MPIBA) Trade Show has a new venue -- the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Colorado Springs -- but its usual array of great educational offerings, special events, and vendor exhibits will still be there.

The New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA) will hold its 35th Annual Fall Trade Show from Thursday, September 18, through Saturday, September 20, at the Hynes Convention Center, in Boston.

The 2008 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) Fall Trade Show will be held from Monday, September 15, through Wednesday, September 17, in Portland, Oregon, at the Airport Holiday Inn. Among the show's highlights are Monday's many education sessions and the new Nightcapper Party, Tuesday's Feast of Authors, and Wednesday's Celebration of Authors.

This fall, the American Booksellers Association will be presenting education sessions at each of the nine regional booksellers association gatherings. At the top of the list at every show is IndieBound, the new ABA initiative that celebrates independents and supports localism. Other ABA sessions vary from show to show, but here's a first look at what's on the agenda at each. Updates and complete details, including times and presenters, will be provided in the coming weeks in BTW's fall regional trade show previews.

By Guinevere Platt

This year's fall regional trade show schedule begins in the Pacific Northwest on Monday, September 15, and ends on Saturday, October 18, in Southern California. In the month in between, there will be seven shows, and each will offer regional association members a great mix of education, author events, and news of upcoming titles.

Here's a look at the schedule. Further details can be found on the regional association websites.

Scholastic Offers Downloadable "Harry Potter Birthday Kit"

Scholastic has created a "Harry Potter Birthday Kit Event Planner" available for download for stores wishing to mark the event on July 31. The event planner includes a reproducible invitation and announcement; reproducible puzzles and word finds; suggestions for decorations, refreshments, and more.

Entrekin Named Recipient of NAIBA Legacy Award

Over the next several months, American Booksellers Association staff will be visiting locations around the country to answer questions, share ideas, and help position bookstores to take advantage of IndieBound and all that it has to offer.

In a significant victory for California's independent booksellers, the state's Board of Equalization (BOE) and Barnes & Noble have settled two cases regarding the collection of sales and use taxes on sales made by Barnesandnoble.com. On Thursday, May 29, the California BOE affirmed and approved a settlement that has B&N paying a settlement of approximately $9 million.

For the presidential primary season, New Hampshire is the starting line -- however, for this year's American Booksellers Association Booksellers Forum season, it was the finish line.