Winter Institute 2023

Pre-registration required; space is limited and lunch is provided.
This is a one-day seminar for anyone interested in opening a bookstore or buying an existing store. The workshop is open to all booksellers but is limited to three booksellers per ABA member store. Admission to Winter Institute is optional but guaranteed; the Wi2023 registration fee applies. Registrants interested in purchasing a copy of Owning a Bookstore: The Essential Planning Guide may do so at the discounted rate of $149 plus shipping and handling (reg. $189). The workshop will be facilitated by Donna Paz Kaufman and Mark Kaufman of Paz & Associates Bookstore Training Group and co-owners of Story & Song Bookstore Bistro (Amelia Island, FL). Register here

What better way to spend the evening than with your bookseller colleagues over food and books! Place a store bookmark or note in the pages of your favorite book, wrap it, add an intriguing review on the wrapped cover, and bring it to this reception. Dinner options will be available. Current publisher sponsors for this event include, Arcadia Publishing, Catapult, Counterpoint Press, Europa Editions, Haymarket Books, Nimbus Publishing, Rare Bird, Soft Skull Press, Steerforth Press, University of Toronto Press, Verso, and World Editions.

Check out gift vendors, ABA business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers at the expanded Vendor Showcase (formerly the Consultation Station). Check the Wi2023 site on BookWeb.org often for the full list of participating vendors and to make appointments.

Meet with small and mid-size publishers for informal conversations. These publishers, many of which are first-time ABA event sponsors, will have sample copies of their books, and some will have additional copies for giveaways.

Batch for Books is an electronic invoicing system created for booksellers and publishers in the U.S. The software-assisted service helps initiate payments between vendors and bookstore retailers at no cost to bookstores. Register for a one-on-one appointment here: Slot 1 or Slot 2 or drop by our table at the Vendor Showcase.

IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are ABA’s fully transactional, content-rich e-commerce platforms designed specifically for independent bookstore websites. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are invited to schedule one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome. Booksellers will be able to sign up for appointments starting Wednesday, January 18 here

Check your badge to find your room assignment!

Winter Institute book sales reps will share great upcoming titles from publisher sponsors. Seats are assigned; table numbers are printed on bookseller badges. Booksellers are expected to attend. Coffee will be served.

Please check your badge for your room assignment. Join your colleagues and members of the ABA Board in conversation about issues raised by the Breakfast Keynote. Group and room assignments are printed on attendee badges.

The always-popular Galley Room is filled with ARCs of upcoming titles from Wi2023 sponsors. A limited supply of book totes will be on hand. The PartnerShip/FedEx Shipping Desk will also be open to assist in shipping your galleys back to your bookstores.

The Affinity Groups are closed spaces for booksellers and bookstore owners who identify as members of the BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Disability, and/or Neurodivergent communities to gather for connection, support, community, resources, and networking. While allies are greatly appreciated, those who do not identify personally as a member of the BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Disability, and/or Neurodivergent communities should not plan to attend that group’s coinciding meetup.
Please find the locations for each affinity group below:
BIPOC - Cedar A
Disability - Madrona
LGBTQIA2S+ - Cedar B
Neurodiverse - Juniper

The Quiet Room is intended to provide a quiet, calm space where attendees can spend time away from stimuli such as noise, bright light, and other stimuli of conference spaces. Put your feet up and relax. This space is not available for conversations or meetings. Also, please note that there are additional places to sit throughout the Seattle Convention Center.

Open to booksellers from all regions, this space is an opportunity to grab a beverage, chat with colleagues, or just put your feet up and take a break before heading back to the conference.

Meet with small and mid-size publishers for informal conversations. These publishers, many of which are first-time ABA event sponsors, will have sample copies of their books, and some will have additional copies for giveaways.

Check out gift vendors, ABA business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers at the expanded Vendor Showcase (formerly the Consultation Station). Check the Wi2023 site on BookWeb.org often for the full list of participating vendors and to make appointments.