Register Now for Special Events at Winter Institute

Booksellers should register now for special events taking place throughout the four days of programming at the American Booksellers Association’s 2018 Winter Institute, which will be held January 22–25, 2018, at the Sheraton Hotel and Memphis Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis, Tennessee.

Registration is underway for the following:

• IndieCommerce Institute, a two-part, interactive, classroom-style workshop for users of ABA’s IndieCommerce platform. Register now for the January 22 event; just five spots remain for the morning seminar, and one spot remains for the afternoon seminar. Once registration is full, a waitlist will begin.
• Principles of Bookstore Finance Seminar, which will cover the fundamentals of budgeting, cash flow, business financing, bookkeeping, and financial statements. Led by ABA Chief Financial Officer Robyn DesHotel and Books Inc. Director of Operations Andy Perham, the session will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on January 22. Seven spots remain for the Finance Seminar.
• Used Bookstore Forum, which will look at the art of selling used and rare books, from pricing, trade policies, and inventory acquisition to events, displays, sales, and more. Led by Shane Gottwals of Gottwals Books and the Walls of Books franchise, the session will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on January 22.
• Introduction to Retail Bookselling, a one-day crash course on the essentials of opening a new bookstore or buying an existing one. The workshop, to take place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on January 22, will be facilitated by Donna Paz Kaufman and Mark Kaufman of the Paz & Associates Bookstore Training Group.
• Advanced Education: Succession Planning, for store owners and managers who are thinking about exiting their business. To be led by Chuck Robinson, the former owner of Washington’s Village Books and current owner of business and nonprofit consulting firm Chuck Robinson Associates, along with another business professional who is experienced in succession planning. The session will be held on Wednesday, January 24, from 9:20 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. Registration is full for the Advanced Education Session Do Less, Then Obsess: Recognizing Your Store’s Strengths and Making the Most of Them with Morten Hansen.

The 13th annual Winter Institute is fully subscribed. Registrants whose plans have changed are asked to notify the American Booksellers Association as soon as possible so booksellers on the event waitlist can take their places. 

The institute is made possible by support from lead sponsor Ingram Content Group and from publishers large and small. Questions about Winter Institute can be addressed to [email protected].