ABA Announces Wi4 Keynote Speakers

The keynote event at the American Booksellers Association's Fourth Annual Winter Institute will be a discussion about the state of the book industry featuring Morgan Entrekin, president and publisher, Grove/Atlantic; Nan Graham, vice president, editor-in-chief, Scribner; and Robert S. Miller, president and publisher, HarperStudio. The panel will be moderated by Roxanne J. Coady, founder, president, and CEO of R.J. Julia Booksellers, in Madison, Connecticut.

"This year's keynote brings together some of the smartest minds in the book industry," said ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz. "We're very pleased to be able to offer this session to our members. The discussion is sure to be stimulating and informative."

The Wi4 keynote format takes its cue from a well-received panel at the New England Independent Booksellers Association fall show, moderated by Coady and featuring HarperStudio's Miller and Twelve publisher Jonathan Karp.

The keynote panel discussion will kick off the Winter Institute's first full day of education on Friday, January 30, at the Salt Marriott Downtown in Salt Lake City, Utah. The breakfast event, which is open to all Wi4 registrants, will be from 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. in the Marriott's Ballroom Grand Ballroom, located on the main floor of the hotel.

Registration for the Winter Institute, which is open exclusively to ABA bookstore and provisional members, is almost booked to capacity. Booksellers interested in attending are urged to register now, before space is gone. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Booksellers registering after Wi4's 500 spaces are filled will be placed on a waiting list in the order in which registrations are received.

Event registration and a complete schedule are on BookWeb.org. ABA has negotiated a special room rate of $122 per night at the Salt Lake Marriott Downtown for Wednesday, January 28, through Sunday, February 1. All hotel reservations must be made through the hotel (a link to the hotel's special Wi4 reservations web page is here and on BookWeb.org.)

Questions about the Winter Institute should be addressed to [email protected]. The event registration deadline is Friday, November 21. --Rosemary Hawkins.