ABA Hotel, Celebration Luncheon, Kids’ Tea & Speed Dating Filling Fast

With BookExpo America and ABA’s Day of Education only a month away, the hotel exclusively for ABA member booksellers, the Holiday Inn at 57^th Street, and several special events, including the Celebration of Bookselling Author Awards Luncheon, the Tea With Children’s Authors, and Speed Dating With Children’s Authors and Illustrators, are now almost booked to capacity.

Booksellers who want to take advantage of the special member rate at the Holiday Inn at 57^th Street should act as soon as possible. The member rates of $175 for one or two beds, single or double occupancy; $190 for triple occupancy; and $205 for a quad are good until May 3; however, the room block is now almost booked to capacity.

The Holiday Inn, which is at 440 West 57th Street (between 9th and 10th), provides easy access to BEA via shuttle, taxi, bus or subway, making it easy to get to the Javits Convention Center. The hotel offers a rooftop pool overlooking the city skyline, a concierge desk/business center, fitness center, and gift shop. It will also be the site of evening receptions on Sunday, May 22, hosted by Random House Publishing Group, and on Monday, May 23, hosted by independent presses.

Learn more about the hotel and obtain the ABA member booking code here; other hotel options are available via the BEA website.

Reservations for the very popular Celebration of Bookselling Author Awards Luncheon are free and open exclusively to booksellers at ABA member stores. Since space is limited, reservations are being accepted from two booksellers at each member store on a first-come, first-served basis.

Each bookseller who would like to attend the Celebration Luncheon, on Tuesday, May 24, at the Javits Center, should complete the electronic reservation form on Bookweb.org as soon as possible. Questions regarding the luncheon should be sent via e-mail to Mark Nichols, ABA industry relations officer.

Don’t miss out on this highlight of BEA, which will feature the presentation of the 2011 Indies Choice Book Awards and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards.

Booksellers and librarians can sign up now for Speed Dating With Children’s Authors and Illustrators,  to be held on May 24, just prior to the Celebration luncheon.

This free 90-minute speed dating session, sponsored by the ABC Children’s Group at ABA and the Children’s Book Council, will give participants the opportunity to chat with up-and-coming authors and illustrators of children’s books, as they make their way around the room. Space at the event is limited. To register, send an e-mail to [email protected] with the attendee’s name, business name, street address, city, state, zip, and e-mail address.

Also filling up is the Tea With Children’s Authors, co-sponsored by the ABC Children’s Group at ABA and the Children’s Book Council. The tea, which will be held on Wednesday afternoon, May 25, at BEA, is open to booksellers and librarians. Tickets are $15 each. Space is limited. Reserve your tickets today.

For more about BEA registration and special events reservations, here’s a Reservations Checklist.