October PNBA Show: Later Than Usual and Better Than Ever

The 2006 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) Fall Trade Show will be held from Thursday, October 12, through Saturday, October 14, in Portland, Oregon, at the Oregon Convention Center. Among the show's many highlights are PNBA's Feast of Authors and Thursday's full day of educational programming, which includes four sessions presented by the American Booksellers Association: "Shop Local: Forming Business Alliances in Your Community," "Improving Efficiency to Achieve Success," "Creating Killer Events," and "Above the Treeline, An Introduction."

Thom Chambliss, PNBA executive director, said, "I'm hoping that a lot of people go to the education sessions, especially [the one on] Above The Treeline. I think it's one of the most important tools for booksellers to get a better handle on inventory control." Chambliss also highlighted the Chuck Palahniuk Lunch on Thursday. "Chuck Palahuniuk's always a huge draw.... You never know what he's going to do. He's always a lot of fun."

Different for this year, said Chambliss, is that PNBA is holding the trade show in mid-October rather than early to mid-September. "That's a sea change for us," he said. "We hope that by holding it a little later, booksellers will be ready to reorder for the holiday catalog and be prepared to do business with the reps."

In addition to educational sessions on Thursday, at its booth on the trade show floor, ABA will provide demonstrations of Above The Treeline, Constant Contact, and BookSense.com. Booksellers will also have the opportunity to meet with ABA staff and to learn about the association's other products and services. Information will be available about the Winter Institute, to be held in Portland, Oregon, on February 1 - 2, 2007, the Book Sense marketing program, and much more.

ABA member booksellers who stop by the booth and drop off a business card will be eligible to win prizes. In a random drawing, ABA will award a color inkjet printer. The printer winner will then be entered into a grand prize drawing with the eight printer winners from the other fall trade shows. The grand prize winner will be awarded airfare to, and up to a three-night hotel stay at, the association's 2007 Winter Institute.

ABA members will also have a chance to win up to a four-night stay at Hotel ABA in Brooklyn for BookExpo America 2007 in New York City, compliments of BEA. Booksellers can enter the drawing for the BEA prize at the ABA booth.

ABA is asking all member booksellers at this year's shows to participate in the formulation of the association's next Five-Year Strategic Plan by filling out a strategic planning survey. Surveys will be available in the ABA booth.

PNBA's Thursday programming includes a First-Timers Orientation and education sessions that will run concurrently to provide a range of educational opportunities. The scheduled sessions include "Putting Passion to Paper: Writing Great Blurbs," "Taking the Mystery Out of Bargain Book Sales," "Promoting the Holiday Catalog," and "B2B: Working With Other Businesses to Sell Books."

ABA programming, featured on Thursday's daylong focus on education, will be:

• Shop Local: Forming Business Alliances in Your Community, 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
  Moderated by ABA COO Oren Teicher
  Not only do locally owned businesses have far greater economic impact on their communities than do national chains, there is growing evidence that by working with other independently owned businesses in your town or city, stores can become more profitable. Hear success stories -- and see a special slide presentation about one of the most successful efforts in the country -- from Sustainable Connections in Bellingham, Washington, and learn about the important role that bookstores can play in the creation of independent business alliances and in convincing more and more consumers to shop locally.
  
  
• Improving Efficiency to Achieve Success, 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
  Presented by Len Vlahos, Director, BookSense.com, and Education Director, ABA
  This seminar will show booksellers how to use their time more effectively, make their staff more productive, and implement efficiencies throughout the store. Intended for owners and senior staff of bookstores of all sizes, the session will focus on how booksellers can streamline routine functions so that more time and energy can be devoted to achieving the goals they have set for their store.
  
  
• Creating Killer Events, 1:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
  Moderated by Oren Teicher, Panelist: Rick Simonson of Seattle's Elliott Bay
  With books sold in more and more outlets each year, independent booksellers are finding new and innovative ways to distinguish themselves from the competition. One of the most effective tools that can help set them apart is offering a schedule of compelling events. In this session, attendees will review an event prep checklist and hear experienced booksellers describe what makes a killer event.
  
  
• Above The Treeline: An Introduction, 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
  Presented by Len Vlahos
  Above the Treeline is an online software product designed to help bookstores improve finances by optimizing inventory selection. This introductory session will feature a demonstration of the product and information about the special discount available to ABA bookseller subscribers. This session is designed for booksellers who are not current Above The Treeline users.

After Thursday's educational programming, the day will be capped by the Celebration of Authors, featuring John Keeble (Nocturnal America, University of Nebraska Press); Carlene Cross (Fleeing Fundamentalism, Algonquin); and Willa Schneberg (Storytelling in Cambodia, Calyx), and more. Also that night will be an Emerging Leaders Dinner and a Dessert & Autographing Party with authors from that evening's Celebration of Authors.

Friday's events begin with the Book & Author Breakfast with Vikram Chandra (Sacred Games, HarperCollins); Jim LaMarche (Up, Chronicle); and Amy Stewart (Flowers Confidential, Algonquin). In addition to the Breakfast will be Author Autographing and the PNBA's General Membership Meeting. In the evening, PNBA will hold its annual Author Feast -- this year's participants are Lewis Buzbee (The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop, Graywolf); Alison Clement (Twenty Questions, Atria); Tess Gallagher (Dear Ghosts, Graywolf); Janet Fitch (Paint It Black, Little Brown); and many, many more.

The Saturday morning Book & Author Breakfast will feature Laura Kalpakian (American Cookery, St. Martin's); Linda Zucherman and Jon J Muth (I Will Hold You 'Til You Sleep, Scholastic); and Andy Borowitz (The Republican Playbook, Hyperion).

The exhibit hall will be open on Friday, October 13, from 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., and again on Saturday, October 14, from 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Registration materials, including ticket information and a full schedule of events with times and locations, as well as full lists of participating authors, are available on the PNBA website, http://www.pnba.org. Questions about PNBA programming should be addressed to [email protected]. Questions and requests for information about ABA's participation at PNBA's trade show may be directed to ABA's Kristen Gilligan, associate director of programming and constituent groups liaison, at [email protected]. --Karen Schechner