Daniel Pink to Speak at ABA Winter Institute

Author Daniel Pink

Bestselling author Daniel Pink will be the Friday luncheon speaker at the American Booksellers Association's Fifth Winter Institute (Wi5), sponsored by Ingram Book Company/Ingram Publisher Services. Pink's new book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, coming in January from Riverhead, presents a new way of thinking about motivation, one not based on reward-and-punishment system, but rather an "innate need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world." Wi5 will be held from Wednesday through Friday, February 3 - 5, 2010, at the Doubletree San Jose in San Jose, California.

In 2006 at the second annual Winter Institute, Pink, who has written for the New York Times, Fast Company, and Wired, gave a plenary talk based on his book A Whole New Mind. During that session he wowed booksellers with his views on how the business world is shifting from the Information Age (where lawyers, programmers, and accountants ruled) to the Conceptual Age (where artists, inventors, and designers now reign). In Drive, Pink explores 30 years of scientific data that point to a source of motivation often overlooked, the inherent pleasure in problem solving.

"We are delighted to have Daniel Pink speak at this year's Winter Institute," said ABA CEO Oren Teicher. "His previous Winter Institute talk on the power of right-brain thinking captivated the interest of everyone in the room, and we believe his current focus will leave booksellers just as motivated."

Publisher partners for the Winter Institute are:

ABA member booksellers who have not registered for the Winter Institute are urged to do so. Registration is currently open and is being filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Event registration is capped at 500.

This year's event kicks off on Wednesday, February 3, with a full day devoted to technology education. But, tech talk is only the beginning. The Wi5 program includes 30-plus sessions on such topics as understanding how mobile technology is affecting bookselling; how booksellers are creating new business models to stay relevant and viable; how to handsell in the digital age; how to buy non-book items, and more. The institute will also feature special events, including a stellar author reception, rep picks sessions, a free galley room, and bookseller-publisher "cafes."

The Winter Institute is a member benefit open only to regular and provisional members. ABA has negotiated a hotel rate of $115/night at the Doubletree San Jose. The only additional cost is a $50 non-refundable meal fee to offset some of the 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). Participants in past Winter Institutes have found a great way to save travel expenses is to share hotel rooms. Booksellers interested in finding a roommate for the event are encouraged to post to ABA's Bookseller-to-Bookseller Forum on BookWeb.org.

Wi5 session descriptions and the complete education schedule are available on BookWeb's Wi5 Event pages. Questions may be addressed to [email protected].