Wi3 Miscellany: Information to Help You Make the Most of Next Week's Event

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It's now just a week before ABA-member booksellers head to Louisville, Kentucky, for the Third Annual Winter Institute. With that in mind, Bookselling This Week presents a roundup of key details regarding the Sunday morning Booksellers Cafe, the Galley Room, the Emerging Leaders Reception, and the PartnerShip/FedEx Shipping Desk.

Sunday Morning Booksellers Cafe

All Winter Institute participants who don't have an early morning plane to catch are invited to the Sunday morning Booksellers Cafe to network and learn from colleagues at moderated discussions organized by job function. The roundtables, from 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, have been added to Wi3's offerings in response to input from last year's attendees who expressed the wish for more time to interact with fellow booksellers.

ABA will provide the coffee and muffins -- booksellers will provide the good ideas and discourse.

Discussion groups and meeting rooms are:

Owners/Managers: Bluegrass I & II Rooms
Buyers: Win Room
Events Coordinators: Place Room
Frontline Booksellers: Show Room
New/Prospective Booksellers: Skybox Room

Everyone is invited to participate in the group that suits them best; however, ABA asks that only owners and managers attend that particular session. Space is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Advance registration is not required.

Emerging Leaders Reception

ABA is sponsoring an Emerging Leaders Reception, which will be held on Friday night, in the Marriott's Bluegrass II Room, following the Winter Institute Author Reception. Wine, beer, and light refreshments will be served.

The Emerging Leaders Project (ELP) is a volunteer organization founded in 2006 by four booksellers who sought to identify and foster the development of the next generation of booksellers. ELP's current efforts are directed towards two groups: Emerging Leaders: Frontline (ELF), which is tailored, but not restricted, to booksellers ages 40 and under, who are determined to work in the industry and who demonstrate a passion for bookselling; Emerging Leaders: Owners, which is geared toward new bookstore owners or prospective owners, a group with unique issues and insights about the industry.

Wi3 participants are invited to the Emerging Leaders Reception to network and to converse with fellow booksellers who are concerned about the future of bookselling, leadership development, and industry education.

The Galley Room

The Winter Institute Galley Room, located in the Filly Room, will offer a wide variety of galleys, ARCs, and finished books generously provided by the institute's Publisher Partners. Booksellers are invited to visit the Galley Room during the following hours to view the selection of more than 75 different titles, and to take copies of titles of interest. Since supplies are limited, booksellers are asked to take one copy of a title per store.

Friday, January 25
7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
9:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
11:45 a.m. - noon
1:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
3:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
4:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 26
7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
10:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
1:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
2:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
4:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 27
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.



The PartnerShip/FedEx Shipping Desk

PartnerShip/FedEx will be providing on-site discount shipping at Wi3 for participants enrolled in the ABA Discount Shipping Program. The shipping desk will be open on Saturday from noon to 6:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the second floor of the Louisville Marriott. Shipping services will be available to all Wi3 participants; however, only those enrolled in the ABA Discount Shipping Program will receive discounted rates.

ABA Discount Shipping Program participants need only bring the items they wish to ship, along with their FedEx account number, to the desk, which will be manned by representatives from FedEx and PartnerShip. FedEx Express boxes will be available free of charge, and FedEx Ground boxes will be available for $3.50 per box. FedEx is waiving its service/handling fee. All other charges will be applied to the customer's next bill.

On FedEx Ground shipments to businesses, ABA members enrolled in the Discount Shipping Program can save up to 30 percent; on FedEx Ground shipments to residences, savings can be up to 10 percent; on Express Shipments, savings can be up to 26 percent.

ABA members who are not already signed up with PartnerShip/FedEx will be able to sign up on site.

Wi3 attendees who do not participate in the ABA Discount Shipping Program will be able to use the FedEx service, but they won't receive a discount, and they will need to bring a valid MasterCard, Visa, or AMEX card for payment.

Questions about anything related to the Winter Institute may be addressed to ABA Chief Program Officer Len Vlahos at [email protected] or (800) 637-0037, ext. 6650.