Booksellers Invited to ABA Programming at PNBA, NEIBA & Heartland Shows

Between September 26 and October 2, the American Booksellers Association will be at the trade shows of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA), the New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA), and the Heartland Fall Forum, a combined show of the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association (GLIBA) and the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association (MIBA). ABA will present new educational programming and will meet with booksellers on the trade show floor at each event.

Show attendees who stop by the ABA booth can learn about exciting fall programs and February’s 10th anniversary celebration of the Winter Institute. In addition, booksellers who leave a business card at the booth will earn an extra chance to win a scholarship to the Winter Institute and/or April’s ABC Children’s Institute.

ABA is also offering a show special for non-members at all of this fall’s regional events. Stores that have not been ABA members for the past two years can join at the shows and enjoy all the benefits of membership for free until February 15, 2015.

Here’s a look at ABA programming at each show:

The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Fall Conference
Friday, September 26 – Sunday, September 28, 2014
Hotel Murano, Tacoma, Washington

Attending the show will be ABA Chief Strategy Officer Dan Cullen and Member Relationship Manager Nathan Halter. Booksellers are encouraged to stop by Tables 11-12 on the trade show floor to learn about ABA’s upcoming educational events, fall programs, and more.

ABA will present two educational sessions at PNBA on Friday, September 26:

• Making the Most of Indies First on Small Business Saturday, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
  With the success of the 2013 Indies First campaign, Small Business Saturday has grown to become a celebration of all things indie. Learn how to make Small Business Saturday 2014 a win-win for customers, authors, and you! Join ABA’s Dan Cullen; Jason Lalak, vice president, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), Small Business Saturday Coalition; and booksellers Janis Segress of Queen Anne Book Company and Karen Maeda Allman of The Elliott Bay Book Company, both in Seattle, for a discussion of how best to leverage the retail power of the event and hear organizational tips and program suggestions that you can adapt and implement in your store.
   
• Nuts & Bolts of Bookstore Finance, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
  Join ABA Board member Robert Sindelar of Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, Washington, and David Hartz of Book ‘n’ Brush in Chehalis, Washington, as they discuss ways to increase independent bookstores’ profitability. This session will feature relevant data from ABA’s ABACUS financial survey, including such crucial benchmarks as turns and inventory, occupancy, payroll and compensation, and margin. With that basic foundation, if you are experiencing increasing sales but have decreasing cash on hand, you many need to reconsider how you manage cash flow and plan for expenses. This session will walk you through key steps when creating a system that will become your road map to positive cash flow.

For complete trade show details, visit the PNBA website.

The New England Independent Booksellers Association Fall Conference
Tuesday, September 30 – Thursday, October 2, 2014
Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, Rhode Island

Attending the show will be ABA CEO Oren Teicher, Senior Program Officer Joy Dallanegra-Sanger, and ABA Membership and Marketing Officer Meg Smith. Booksellers are encouraged to visit Booth D1: 3-4 on the trade show floor to learn about ABA’s upcoming educational events, fall programs, and more.

ABA will present two education sessions at NEIBA:

• Nuts & Bolts of Bookstore Finance: Tuesday, September 30, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
  Join Michael Herrmann of Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord, New Hampshire, and ABA Board member Annie Philbrick of Bank Square Books in Mystic, Connecticut, for a discussion about ways to increase independent bookstores’ profitability. This session will feature relevant data from ABA’s ABACUS financial survey and will cover such crucial benchmarks as turns and inventory, occupancy, payroll and compensation, and margin, as well as some best practices on valuing your business. Come with questions and leave with important data that will help your financial planning move forward. 

• Maximizing the Benefit of Indies First/Small Business Saturday: Thursday, October 2, from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  With the success of the 2013 Indies First campaign, Small Business Saturday has grown to become a celebration of all things indie. Learn how to make Small Business Saturday 2014 a win-win for customers, authors, and you! Join Elizabeth Putze, senior manager, Shop Small and Small Business Saturday at American Express OPEN, and booksellers Joan Grenier of Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and Kenny Brechner of Devaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers in Farmington, Maine, for a discussion of how best to leverage the retail power of the event and hear organizational tips and program suggestions that you can adapt and implement in your store.

For complete trade show details, visit the NEIBA website.

The Heartland Fall Forum
Tuesday, September 30 – Thursday, October 2, 2014
The Depot, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Attending the show will be ABA Chief Strategy Officer Dan Cullen and Member Relationship Manager Catherine Cusick. Booksellers are encouraged to visit Table 315 on the trade show floor to learn about ABA’s upcoming educational events, fall programs, and more.

ABA will present the education session:

• Nuts & Bolts of Bookstore Finance: Wednesday, October 1, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  Join ABA Board member Matt Norcross of McLean & Eakin Booksellers in Petoskey, Michigan, and a second bookseller to be announced for a discussion about ways to increase independent bookstores’ profitability. This session will feature relevant data from ABA’s ABACUS financial survey and will cover such crucial benchmarks as turns and inventory, occupancy, payroll and compensation, and margin, as well as some best practices on valuing your business. Come with questions and leave with important data that will help your financial planning move forward.

For complete trade show details, visit the Heartland Fall Forum website.