Adding Magazines to the Mix at Wi5

The American Booksellers Association's Fifth Winter Institute (Wi5), to be held from Wednesday through Friday, February 3 - 5, 2010, in San Jose, California, will focus squarely on helping booksellers boost their bottom line. The program includes 30-plus education sessions, including "Creating & Maintaining a Profitable Magazine Section" on Friday, February 5, from 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 p.m.

Dan Sheehan

With thousands of titles and types, magazines can be a unique attraction in the store. In "Creating & Maintaining a Profitable Magazine Section," Dan Sheehan, vice president of sales for Ingram Content Group, general manager of Ingram Periodicals, will break down the how-tos and benefits of magazines for booksellers at all levels of experience.

Sheehan will lead a panel featuring booksellers from Vroman's in Pasadena, California; Copperfield's Books in various locations in California; and Carmichael's Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky. Items up for discussion include "an overview of the magazine industry, how to get started, the benefits/advantages for retailers from selling magazines, the dos and don'ts from an operational/merchandise perspective, maximizing the bottom line, and satisfying the end consumer," Sheehan said. "The discussion will be for all attendees of the Winter Institute -- from the new to the experienced bookseller. Magazines are a fantastic complement to books and can assist the retailer in becoming a destination location... We hope to communicate the message of how and why."

Sheehan leads the field sales team of 16 reps focused on the independent market segment for Ingram Book Company, Ingram Publisher Services, and Ingram Periodicals. Prior to joining Ingram, he was a national accounts rep for a children's publisher.

Registration for the Winter Institute, which is open to exclusively to ABA regular and provisional members, is almost full. ABA is encouraging booksellers to register as soon as possible to avoid being shut out. There is a $50 nonrefundable meal fee this year to help offset some of the event's food costs. (Wi5 includes two breakfasts and three lunches, and host receptions each night.) A single-day pass for Wi5, with a meal fee of $25, is also available. (Booksellers will need to identify the day they are planning to attend when registering).

ABA has reserved a block of rooms at Wi5's host hotel, the Doubletree San Jose, for Tuesday, February 2, through Saturday, February 6, at a special room rate of $115/night. ABA bookseller and provisional members and participating publisher sponsors can reserve rooms at the special rate until Friday, January 8, or until the group block is sold out, whichever comes first. This year's hotel cancellation policy is different from previous years: To avoid being charged one night's room rate plus tax, cancellations must be made prior to Friday, January 8. Any cancellations after that date will be subject to a charge for one night plus tax. Registration is via the Doubletree's dedicated Wi5 reservations page. Questions regarding Wi5 hotel reservations should be addressed directly to the hotel at (408) 453-4000.

Full Wi5 program details, including session descriptions, are available on BookWeb's Wi5 Event pages. Questions about the education program and event registration may be addressed to [email protected]. --Karen Schechner