Important Reminders About the Winter Institute

With the February 3 - 5 Winter Institute in San Jose just weeks away, the American Booksellers Association sends some important reminders.

• What to do if your plans have changed
• Sessions that require an RSVP
• Laptops, handouts, wireless, and power
• Getting to the Doubletree San Jose

The Winter Institute is now sold out, and ABA has started a waiting list for both the event and the hotel. If your plans have changed and you or your staff are no longer attending, or if you no longer need your hotel room, contact ABA as soon as possible at [email protected]. Doing so will allow a bookseller on the waiting list to fill your space.

If you have registered for the event and do plan to attend, but have not yet booked your hotel room at the Doubletree San Jose, send a note to [email protected] as soon as possible to secure a place on the hotel waiting list.

On the Wi5 schedule (which reflects some minor changes), there are nine sessions that require booksellers to sign-up to attend. Spaces will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The sessions are:

Thursday, February 4

• 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
  Small and Mid-Size Store Roundtable
  Large Store Roundtable
  A veteran bookseller will moderate each of these roundtable discussions for owners and managers. Space is limited to 50 booksellers per session and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Those interested in attending should e-mail ABA's marketing coordinator, Sarah Rettger, with either "Small Store Roundtable" or "Large Store Roundtable" in the subject line.

• 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  Buyers Roundtable
  If you are a buyer, this is your chance to spend some uninterrupted time in conversation with other buyers. Come discover new tactics, share some of your own, and enjoy a conversation with your colleagues. Space is limited to 50 booksellers and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Those interested in attending should e-mail ABA's marketing coordinator, Sarah Rettger, with "Buyers Roundtable" in the subject line.

• 3:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
  Consultation Station
  This new Winter Institute feature will afford you the opportunity to schedule one-on-one conversations with a wide variety of service providers, including the American Specialty Toy Retailers Association (ASTRA), Ingram, IndieCommerce, LIBRIS (business insurance), National Association of College Stores (NACS), PartnerShip, Paz & Associates, Shelf Awareness, and the following POS Vendors -- Anthology, BookLog, Computac/iMerchant, and IBID. Watch your e-mail and Bookselling This Week for details on the Consultation Station.

• 4:45 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
  ABA's Gift Card Users Group: Preparing for the Transition
  The ABA Gift Card Program Users Group, led by ABA's director of member services, Jill Perlstein, will review the process for winding down the national program to a more cost-effective in-store program. Learn about the importance of reconciliation and other procedures for a smooth transition. Space is limited to 50 booksellers and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Perlstein via e-mail to reserve your space.

Friday, February 5

• 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
  IndieBound Design Workshop
  How do you tell your customers why shopping at locally owned, independent businesses is different?... And, specifically, your locally owned, independent business? IndieBound is tailor-made to communicate that message. Bring your questions, your problems -- and your laptop. Participants will brainstorm projects designed to promote your independence and will work with graphic design programs for hands-on experience customizing items from the Bookseller DIY. Space is limited to 50 attendees, and all attendees are required to bring a laptop. To RSVP, and for further details, send an e-mail to ABA's IndieBound outreach liaison, Paige Poe, with "IB Workshop" in the subject line.

• 1:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
  The Fundamentals of Security & Loss Control
  Linda James, president of Loss Prevention Resources, Inc., has over 38 years of law enforcement and loss prevention experience. Her career includes positions as deputy sheriff and as director of loss prevention and risk management for major corporations, including Nordstrom. James teaches loss prevention classes and seminars for Washington State Crime Prevention. Her professional experience will help you identify and control loss in order to keep your store profitable. This session is open to owners, managers, and their designated employees only. RSVP via e-mail to ABA's education coordinator, Lisa Winn.

• 1:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
  "It's a Wrap" Video Lab
  Small businesses are increasingly relying on video to communicate with their customers, and indie bookstores are no different. In this space-limited, hands-on lab, you'll learn how to shoot a short video, get that video from the camera to your computer, and get the clip from your computer to your blog, website, or Facebook page. This session is open to 20 booksellers only; all registrants must bring their own laptops. To register, e-mail ABA's IndieBound outreach liaison, Paige Poe. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. ABA staff will communicate with registrants prior to the event to discuss session requirements.

• 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
  Hicklebee's Store Tour
  Reprising his role as last year's merchandising tour guide extraordinaire, Book Inc.'s Calvin Crosby will lead a group of booksellers to the world-famous Hicklebee's children's bookstore in San Jose. The tour bus will leave the hotel at 3:30 p.m. and return by approximately 5:00 p.m. The tour is limited to 30 booksellers, and spaces will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve your spot, contact ABA's education coordinator, Lisa Winn.

Winter Institute session handouts will be provided to attendees when they arrive on a 2G USB memory stick. (This is a small device, which you plug into your computer, that functions as an external drive.) For this reason, if you have a laptop, ABA encourages you to bring it. ABA will also make handouts available online in advance of the event, but as sessions change, the most up-to-date handouts will be found on the memory stick, or online during and after the event.

While the Doubletree does offer free Internet access in the lobby (and paid access in guest rooms), there will be no access in the meeting rooms. Each meeting room will have small charging stations located at the back of the room. ABA is asking everyone to be mindful of needs of others, and to limit their charging time to only what is necessary.

The Winter Institute headquarters hotel, the Doubletree San Jose, is located close to the San Jose International Airport. While a wide variety of airlines serve San Jose, the airport is a Southwest hub. Southwest offers affordable flights from many markets, including fares as low as $59 from Burbank, $82 from Denver, and $99 from Baltimore. (All fares are one-way.) ABA encourages booksellers to shop carriers, and to book flights soon!

For those flying into San Jose, there is shuttle service from the airport to the hotel. Those who are driving should note that the Doubletree is located near the airport, just off Highway 101. Detailed directions are available on the Doubletree website. Discounted parking for attendees is $5/day.