PNBA Goes to Washington for the 2007 Fall Trade Show

The 2007 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) Fall Trade Show will be held from Wednesday, September 19, through Friday, September 21, in Bellevue, Washington, at the Meydenbauer Center. Among the show's many highlights are PNBA's Feast of Authors, Book & Author Breakfasts, and Wednesday's full day of educational programming, which includes three sessions presented by the American Booksellers Association: "Building and Rewarding Customer Loyalty," "Bookstore Self Audit," and "Staff Development: An Overview."

New this year is the trade show's Bellevue location, said Thom Chambliss, PNBA executive director, (previous fall shows had been in Portland). In addition, there will be an Emerging Leaders party at Ravenna Third Place Books in Seattle, Washington. Chambliss is especially excited by the authors attending this year's show. "We have a wonderful group of authors at the feast and at the breakfasts," he said, and added, "Probably the best we've had."

ABA board members and staff attending the PNBA show include ABA President Russ Lawrence of Chapter One Bookstore in Hamilton, Montana; ABA COO Oren Teicher; and ABA Director of Education and BookSense.com Len Vlahos.

At the ABA booth on the trade show floor, 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 Louisville, Kentucky, on January 24 - 27, 2008, the Book Sense marketing program, and much more.

In addition, non-ABA members are invited to come and mingle with ABA staff and ABA Board President Lawrence at a lunch reception on Thursday, September 20, from noon - 1:00 p.m. in Room 407. ABA membership provides tremendous value, so non-members are encouraged to stop by and find out what ABA has to offer. Those interested in attending should RSVP to [email protected], and please note the store name, full address, and regional affiliation.

Along with ABA programming, Wednesday programming includes a First-Timers Orientation, Above the Treeline workshops, and numerous education sessions, as well as a keynote address by author Michael Hoeye on the "State of the Industry." For a full look at PNBA's convention programming, go to http://www.pnba.org/images/F07Schedule.pdf.

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

• Building and Rewarding Customer Loyalty, 9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
  Presented by Len Vlahos, ABA Director of Education and of BookSense.com
  Books are sold everywhere, so how do booksellers keep customers coming back to their store? This session will explore what customers really want, and how booksellers can foster loyalty by responding to consumer needs. An in-depth discussion of the pros and cons of implementing and marketing a customer loyalty program will be featured.
  
  
• Bookstore Self Audit, 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
  Presented by Oren Teicher, ABA COO
  Following on the success of the "What to Do When the Competition Comes to Town" session presented at BookExpo America, ABA staff and a panel of booksellers will walk participants through a store "self audit." Here, attendees will learn how to evaluate their store from the perspective of their customers -- focusing on ambiance, convenience, financial health, inventory and selection, and marketing and service. Booksellers will learn how to use the audit to identify where to focus your resources to make your business more customer-friendly.
  
  
• Staff Development: An Overview, 1:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
  Presented by Chuck and Dee Robinson of Village Books in Bellingham, Washington
  This session takes a high-altitude view of how hiring, training, and managing staff is as much art as it is science. Topics will include hiring people who will add strength to the store, recognizing and building upon an employee's unique abilities, and creating a work environment that motivates staff.

Registration materials, including ticket information and a full schedule of events are available on the PNBA website, http://www.pnba.org/show.htm. 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]. --David Grogan