BEA 2002 ABA Programming Schedule

8:15 - 11:30 a.m. Room 1E04
ABA Bookstore Finances Session
Bookshops, like any other business, are best operated within a system of financial controls that allow the owner/manager to predict performance and then measure outcomes against those predictions. Most importantly, close control over cash flow is essential to the successful operation of any business. This seminar will present you with a series of Excel worksheets that will allow you to integrate such a system into your operations. Attendees will take away a computer disk with complete instructions on how to implement this easy-to-use, yet sophisticated tool.

Moderator: Avin Mark Domnitz, ABA Chief Executive Officer
Admission: Part of full-day ABA package. Open to all BEA attendees.

8:15 - 11:30 a.m. Room 1E13
ABA Marketing Strategy Session

Providing major marketing insights and recommendations, as well as the latest consumer trends in book purchasing, this workshop can be adapted by independent bookstores of any size. Two leading business consultants and authors, Doug Hall and Robert Spector, will share their insights and suggestions on how independent bookstores can effectively compete in a world of corporate superstores and Internet booksellers. Also, two independent booksellers will discuss how they have successfully positioned their bookstores and how they have adapted some practical and proven marketing strategies to their businesses. Q&A to follow.

Moderator: Michael Hoynes, ABA Marketing Officer
Panelists: Doug Hall, founder of the Eureka Ranch for Business Consulting and author of Jump Start Your Brain (Warner Books) and Jump Start Your Business Brain (F&W Publications); Robert Spector, consultant and author of Anytime Anywhere (Perseus Books Group) and The Nordstrom Way (John Wiley & Sons)
Admission: Part of full-day ABA package. Open to all BEA attendees.

8:15 - 11:30 a.m. Room 1E12
ABA Inventory Management Session
How does inventory turnover affect your cash flow? How does buying affect inventory levels? How can you use your computer system to effectively control inventory? How can you make successful decisions on returns? What are the specific concerns for inventory control in specialty stores? Find out here in our discussion! Special attention will be given to children's booksellers.
(Please forward your agenda ideas and suggestions to [email protected].)

Moderators: Carole Horne of Harvard Bookstore, Cambridge, MA, and John Bennett of Bennett Books, Wyckoff, NJ
Admission: Part of full-day ABA package. Open to all BEA attendees.

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Room 1E17
ABA Publisher Sessions
Calling all publishers -- especially those in marketing, sales, and publicity! You’re invited to come meet ABA staff for an update and Q&A on all ABA and Book Sense programs. Key items include: Book Sense Bestseller lists and the Book Sense 76 program, BookSense.com, the Local Marketing Intelligence program, and the online ABA Book Buyer’s Handbook.
Admission: Open to all BEA exhibiting publishers.

• GENERAL ABA MARKETING AND SERVICES
  Moderator: Intro by Neal Coonerty, ABA President and owner of Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
  
• BOOK SENSE
  Moderators: Carl Lennertz, Senior Marketing Consultant, ABA, and Mark Nichols, Book Sense Publisher Partner Manager, ABA
  
• BOOKSENSE.COM
  Moderator: Meg Smith, Business Development Manager, BookSense.com
  
• ONLINE BOOK BUYER’S HANDBOOK
  Moderator: Dan Cullen, BTW Editorial Director, ABA

11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Room 1E13
ABA Bright Prospects Business Panel
The future role of small business in the economy
Bright prospects for small businesses … three leading business consultants and authors hold a panel conversation. The panel -- Tom Ehrenfeld, Doug Hall, and Robert Spector -- will answer questions posed by Connie Brod, C-SPAN moderator and executive producer of BookTV, as well as questions from booksellers.

Fee: Ticket required (part of full-day ABA package). Open to all BEA attendees.

2:00 - 3:00 p.m. and 3:15 - 4:15 p.m.
ABA "Best Ideas" Sessions
Key marketing tools for independent booksellers … share tips, ideas, and best practices
(All sessions will be repeated to allow attendees to attend two of their choice.)

Admission: Part of full-day ABA package. Open to all ABA members.

• MERCHANDISING Room 2D04/2D05
  Unique and humorous ideas for in-store displays and promotions. Add a bit of serendipity and surprise to your customers' shopping experience.
  Moderator: Carl Lennertz, Senior Marketing Consultant, ABA
  
• DATABASE DEVELOPMENT Room 2D06/2D07
  You need to know who your customers are. … All you need is a comprehensive consumer database of customers and prospects. Learn how to develop and manage a consumer database to enhance your bookstore's marketing effectiveness.
  Moderator: Michael Hoynes, ABA Marketing Officer
  
• CO-OP OPPORTUNITIES Room 2D10/2D11
  How can your Web site, your print newsletter, your online newsletter, and even your table and window displays earn you money? To many booksellers, co-op advertising funds are a mystery wrapped in a riddle. Join us as we demystify the process of identifying co-op opportunities and claiming co-op funds.
  Moderator: Mark Nichols, Book Sense Publisher Partner Manager, ABA
  
• NEWSLETTERS Room 1D05
  Join us for a discussion on how bookstore newsletters can work for you, how to get started, and how to make your existing one more effective-both electronically and in print.
  Moderator: Dan Cullen, BTW Editorial Director, ABA
  
• STAFF DEVELOPMENT Room 2D10/2D11
  A competent, motivated, and enthusiastic staff can be a store owner's or manager's most important asset in a competitive marketplace. Learn the ins and outs of hiring, training, and maintaining your employees, and how to maximize their performance to build customer satisfaction.
  Moderator: Len Vlahos, BookSense.com Director

2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Room 1E11
Find Comfort in Books - An Afternoon Dedicated to Children's Bookselling
Co-sponsored by American Booksellers Association (ABA), Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC), and Children's Book Council (CBC).

Fee: Ticket required (part of full-day ABA package). Open to all BEA attendees.

• 2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
  Keynote Presentation by Russell Freedman
  Russell Freedman, author of In the Days of the Vaqueros: America's First True Cowboys (Clarion Books), is the winner of the 1998 Newbery Medal for Lincoln: A Photobiography (Clarion Books) and author of 1994 Newbery Honor Book Eleanor Roosevelt (Clarion Books).
  
• 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
  Find Comfort in Books--The Right Book for the Right Time
  Learn about available resources that you can turn to when confronted with unfamiliar or uncomfortable issues. A variety of topics will be covered in this program designed to help you react quickly when faced with questions about: Toddler Transitions; Divorce; Puberty and Sexuality; Cultural Diversity; Peer Pressure, Bullying and Cliques; War; and School Violence. Booksellers will work in groups to discuss specific books so that the customer will have the right book for the right time. A complete list of topics will be available at www.BookWeb.org.
  Moderators: Sheilah Egan of A Likely Story, Alexandria, VA, and Dara La Porte of Politics and Prose, Washington, DC
  
• 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
  A Presentation by Mark Teague
  Mark Teague, illustrator of Dear Mrs. Larue (Scholastic) and winner of the Christopher Medal for How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? (Scholastic), will speak about his experiences in creating "the right book for the right time."

2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Room 1E12
Large-Store Roundtable
Meet with colleagues to discuss large-store issues.
(Please foward your agenda ideas and suggestion to [email protected].)

Moderators: Bob Sommer and Gayle Shanks of Changing Hands in Tempe, AZ; Nancy Olson of Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC; and Carla Cohen of Politics and Prose in Washington, DC
Admission: Part of full-day ABA package. Open to all large-store booksellers.

8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Special Events Hall
Children's Book & Author Breakfast
Presented in cooperation with the American Booksellers Association - Children's Book Council Joint Committee
Speakers: Maurice Sendak and Tony Kushner, creators of Brundibar (Hyperion Books for Children); Kate DiCamillo, author of Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tiger Rising (Candlewick Press); and John Lithgow, author of Micawber's Museum of Art and The Remarkable Farkle McBride (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers).

Fee: $25

ABA Strategic Planning Sessions
We need your input! We are seeking ABA member input in the development of ABA's new strategic plan and would like to give as many booksellers as possible the opportunity to have input as we begin to fashion a new set of priorities for ABA. Open to all ABA member bookstores!

Admission: Free. Open to all ABA members.

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., Room 1E12

9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m., Room 1E13

11:00 a.m.-Noon, Room 1E13

As a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, the freedom of speech is under greater pressure today than at any time in recent memory. Newspapers editors have been fired for expressing criticism of the Bush administration. College and university officials have condemned--and in some cases disciplined -- professors for saying American foreign policy contributed to the growth of terrorism. Meanwhile, the federal government dramatically expanded its power when Congress approved the USA Patriot Act, giving the FBI widened authority to demand business records, including those of bookstores. Join bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver and a panel of First Amendment experts in assessing the state of free speech in the United States eight months after 9/11.

Admission: Open to all BEA attendees.

Noon - 2:00 p.m. Special Events Hall
Book Sense 76 Author & Bookseller Luncheon
Sponsored by The New Yorker magazine.
One of the highlights of last year's BEA, this luncheon is your chance to meet dozens of authors whose books you've helped make past or present Book Sense 76 Picks!

(RSVP to [email protected]. Limit two per bookstore. Please bring confirmation e-mail from Carl to the lunch.)

Admission: Open to all stores with Book Sense. Free of charge - by RSVP only.

3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Room 1E12
ABA Town Hall Meeting
The opportunity for ABA booksellers to voice their opinions and share their ideas with ABA Board members and staff in a less formal setting than at the ABA Annual Membership meeting, which follows. Ask questions/make suggestions regarding Book Sense, the sales tax issue, or anything else on your mind!

Admission: Free. Open to all ABA members.

4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Room 1E12
ABA Annual Membership Meeting
ABA's official annual meeting will update membership on the past year and look ahead to future association projects. Voting cards will be available outside the meeting room two hours prior to the meeting. The meeting agenda is as follows:
Call to Order, Report on the Election of Board Members and Officers, Report of the President, Report of the Chief Executive Officer, Old Business, and New Business.

Admission: Free. Open to all ABA members.

5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Special Events Hall
ABA Celebration of Bookselling
Co-sponsored by The Atlantic Monthly and Smithsonian magazines.
An annual tradition, ALL show attendees are invited to mingle, rest, snack, and hear the announcements of the Book Sense Book of the Year Awards in five categories: Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Children's Illustrated, Children's Literature, and--new this year--Rediscovery. 2002 BSBY Awards to be announced by previous award winners. Also, bid for original illustrations and other literary gems at the Secret Garden Silent Auction to benefit the Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC). Doors open at 5:00 p.m. for bidding. Winners announced at end of the Celebration of Bookselling. It gets better every year-don't miss it!

Admission: Free. Open to all BEA attendees.

10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Room 1E04
ABA Succession Planning Session
How much is my business worth now? How can I make it worth more? What are my alternatives if I want to exit the business? When should I begin working on my exit strategy? Who should I be selling to if I choose to sell? How do I negotiate successfully? How do I minimize the government's share of the proceeds? These questions-and more-will be addressed by professionals with experience in valuing and selling businesses, including insights from booksellers and industry professionals who have been involved in the process of exiting various-sized businesses.

Moderated by: Ivan Barkhorn, formerly a partner at McKinsey & Company and a consultant to ABA on strategic matters; Frank Kerrigan, CFO of Ingram Book Company, Nashville, TN; and Ned Densmore, former owner of Village Book Store in Littleton, NH

Admission: Free. Open to all ABA member bookstores.

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
ABA Specialty Bookseller-to-Bookseller Roundtables
Roundtables are designed for booksellers who are predominantly engaged in selling books in these specialty areas and are not designed for general stores with specialty sections. Suggest agenda items for these roundtable discussions in advance of BEA. (Please forward your agenda ideas and suggestions to [email protected].)

Admission: Free. Open to all specialty booksellers.

• TRAVEL - Moderator: Room 2D04/2D05
• GAY AND LESBIAN - Moderator: Philip Rafshoon of Outwrite Bookstore, Atlanta, GA Room 2D06/2D07
• AFRICAN-AMERICAN - Moderator: Robin Green-Cary of Sibanye, Inc. in Baltimore, MD Room 2D10/2D11
• FEMINIST - Moderators: Sandra Torkildson of A Room of One's Own in Madison, WI, and Mary Ellen Kavanaugh of My Sister's Words in Syracuse, NY Room 2D08
• MYSTERY - Moderator: Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy Books in San Diego, CA Room 2D09
• CHILDREN'S - Moderators: Dennis Ronberg of Linden Tree Children's Books in Los Altos, CA; Collette Morgan of Wild Rumpus in Minneapolis, MN; and Ellen Davis of Dragonwings Bookstore in Waupaca, WI Room 1E0

11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
More ABA Specialty Bookseller-to-Bookseller Roundtables

Admission: Free. Open to all specialty booksellers.

• SCIENCE FICTION - Moderator: Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy Books in San Diego, CA Room 2D09
• MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT - Moderators: Howard and Gayle Mandel of Transitions Bookplace in Chicago, IL Room 2D06/2D07
• SCHOLARLY - Moderator: Karl Pohrt of Shaman Drum Bookshop in Ann Arbor, MI Room 2D10/2D11
• COLLEGE - Moderator: Suzanne Staubach of U-CONN Co-op in Storrs, CT, and ABA Board member Room 2D08
• RURAL SMALL TOWN - Moderator: Russ Lawrence of Chapter One Book Store in Hamilton, MT Room 2D04/2D05
• BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL - Moderators: TBD Room 1E12
• CHILDREN'S: From Handselling to Community Outreach - Moderators: Dennis Ronberg of Linden Tree Children's Books in Los Altos, CA; Collette Morgan of Wild Rumpus in Minneapolis, MN; and Ellen Davis of Dragonwings Bookstore in Waupaca, WI Room 1E13

2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Room 1E12
ABA Session on Main Street/Alliances/ Political Advocacy
Booksellers are an integral and respected part of their community.... Come hear how to become more involved in political advocacy and in forming alliances and coalitions with like-minded retailers. Updates on current public policy issues involving the bookselling community will be provided.

Moderator: Oren J. Teicher, COO, ABA
Admission: Free. Open to all BEA attendees.

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
BOOK SENSE Bookseller-to-Bookseller Roundtables
The first steps! Learn how to get the full benefit from Book Sense and BookSense.com, especially for increased sales, and for stores looking to sign-up for the first time.

Admission: Free. Open to all ABA members.

• BOOK SENSE - Getting Started (General stores) Room 2D08
• BOOK SENSE - Getting Started (Specialty stores) Room 2D09
• BOOKSENSE.COM - Getting Started Room 2D06

3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Book Sense Bookseller-to-Bookseller Roundtables
Now that you're using Book Sense and/or BookSense.com, hear how some of your colleagues are using both the marketing campaign and online product to increase foot traffic, brand awareness, and sales.
Admission: Free. Open to all ABA members.

• BOOK SENSE - The Next Level (ALL stores) Room 2D04
• BOOKSENSE.COM - The Next Level Room 2D05

4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Room 1E12
Book Sense Reading Room
End your day listening to outstanding writers sharing their work at the Book Sense Reading Room. Four authors who have been selected for the Book Sense 76 will read from their books. Come be part of a wonderful ABA Convention tradition!

Admission: Free. Open to all BEA attendees.

5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Room TBD
BookSense.com Kentucky Derby Party
BookSense.com invites you for Mint Juleps, snacks, and friendly wagers as we celebrate the most exciting two minutes in sports! All convention attendees are invited to watch the 2002 running of the Kentucky Derby—live from Churchill Downs.
(First come, first served!)

Admission: Free. Open to all BEA attendees.

9:00 - 11:00 p.m.
Return of the Rock Bottom Remainders
Webster Hall; 125 E. 11th St., between Third and Fourth avenues, New York City

Following last year's sold-out benefit starring Wynton Marsalis, the Book Industry Foundation will host the return of the book industry's favorite band, the Rock Bottom Remainders, whose stars include Mitch Albom, Dave Barry, Roy Blount Jr., Kathi Goldmark, Greg Iles, Barbara Kingsolver, James McBride, Ridley Pearson, Amy Tan, and Scott Turow. Standing-room-only crowds danced to the music of the Remainders at ABA conventions in Los Angeles, Miami, and Anaheim back in the '90s! This year, the Remainders will rock historic Webster Hall in Greenwich Village. Built in 1886, Webster Hall was the scene of the famous costumed balls that raised money for progressive causes advocated by Emma Goldman, Marcel Duchamp, and Margaret Sanger. Eugene O'Neill described it as "the jewel of the village." All proceeds will benefit the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression and the Association of American Publishers' Get Caught Reading literacy campaign.

Fee: Tickets required. $25 per person; $45 for two (bring a date!); $100 for five (entertain your friends!)