Winter Institute Program

Donna Paz Kaufman and Mark Kaufman of Paz & Associates Bookstore Training Group present a one-day seminar for prospective booksellers. Students receive a crash course in bookstore management and ownership. New owners and managers will gain an overview of some of the most critical aspects of a retail bookstore’s success.

The workshop fee is $100 per person, and is open to ABA Provisional members and employees of Regular member stores. (Limited to three booksellers per ABA member company.) Lunch will be provided.

Attendance at Winter Institute is not required, although workshop students are guaranteed a place on the roster if desired; the Wi10 conference fee will apply.

Click here to register for Introduction to Retail Bookselling.

Workshop students who wish to register for Winter Institute should contact [email protected].

ABA  arranged for custom tours of the Biltmore Estate, the remarkable 255-room chateau built in Asheville by George Vanderbilt in the late 1800s. Biltmore is the largest privately-owned residence in the United States, and exhibits an incredible display of furnishings, sculptures, paintings, books, and other treasures from around the world. The tour will be offered twice–Sunday, February 8 and Thursday, February 12.  (Tours will meet in the lobby of the Grove Park Inn's Vanderbilt Wing Atrium at 9:45 am.) The tour package includes round trip transportation with a professional guide; admission to the Biltmore house, gardens and winery; all inclusive lunch; and taxes. The cost is $109 per person.

To register, please submit this registration form by January 31, 2015. The form is an editable and printable PDF, and may be completed online and emailed, or printed and faxed. Further registration instructions are contained in the paragraph labeled "Important Information." For questions, please contact the tour operator, Accents on Asheville, directly. Enjoy!

Shuttle buses between the Grove Park Inn and downtown Asheville (Renaissance Asheville Hotel, Thomas Wolfe Memorial Visitor Center, and The Venue) will begin at noon and run every 15 to 20 minutes.

The last shuttle from the Welcome Reception at The Venue will leave at 8:15 pm. Shuttle bus service will continue between the Grove Park Inn and the Renaissance Asheville Hotel, with the last shuttle leaving the Grove Park Inn at 11:30 pm.

(Sammons Wing and Renaissance Downtown Lobby)  Stop by the ABA Welcome Desk and pick up your Wi10 welcome bag, supplied by Candlewick Press. Printed schedules, maps, and more will be available at the desk.

ABA has arranged for Winter Institute attendees to experience exclusive Historic Asheville Trolley Tours through Gray Line Asheville.

PLEAE NOTE NEW SCHEDULE:

Sunday, February 8, 2015 – Tours leave at 3:00 and 4:30 pm.
Thursday, February 12, 2015 – Tours have been canceled.

The 35-passenger trolley leaves the Sammons Wing of the Grove Park Inn for a 90-minute historical tour of Asheville, which includes the diverse Montford Historic District; the stately Grove Park Historic District and Grove Park Inn; Art Deco-rich downtown; the artsy and edgy River Arts District; and the quaint and historic Biltmore Village. Sunday’s tour will drop guests off at The Venue downtown.

The price is $19 per person if purchased in advance, and $22 if purchased the day of the tour. Driver and/or guide’s gratuity is discretionary and not included in the price.

Note: The trolleys are open air, with thick plastic flaps. Please dress accordingly.

Purchase your tickets here.

Downtown Asheville is known for its thriving culture of independently owned businesses and vibrant local economy. Join your colleagues for an indie crawl and visit some of these impressive businesses, meet the owners, and browse their unique offerings. From the Asheville Bee Charmer and ZaPow! Art Gallery to Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, you will experience the Asheville community at its best. Shuttle buses from the Grove Park Inn will begin at noon. and during the hours of the Indie Retail Crawl  will drop off guests near the downtown shops. Shuttles will run every 15 to 20 minutes, and the last shuttle of the evening will leave the Grove Park Inn at 11:30 pm.

The full list of stores and Google map will be availalbe at the Welcome Desk.  In addition it can be found here.

ABA has made a donation to the Thomas Wolfe Memorial so that booksellers can tour the boarding house that inspired Look Homeward, Angel for free on Sunday, February 8. The 45-minute tour leaves from the memorial visitor center in downtown Asheville at 52 North Market Street. Tour times are 3:15 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 4:15 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 5:15 p.m., and 5:45 p.m.  Reservations are not required. Shuttle buses from the Grove Park Inn will begin at noon. and during the tour hours will drop off guests directly at the Memorial Visitor Center. The shuttle will run every 15 to 20 minutes, with the last shuttle leaving the Grove Park Inn at 11:30 pm.

Three "meet and greets" will be held prior to the Institute Welcome Reception at downtown Asheville's The Venue: publisher sponsors and their scholarship recipients say hello and put a face with a name; mentors and their mentees make that important first connection; and bookseller volunteers pick up their T-shirts and assignments.  Shuttle buses leave from the Grove Park Inn beginning at noon and run every 15 to 20 minutes.

The last shuttle from the Welcome Reception at The Venue will leave at 8:15 pm. Shuttle bus service will continue between the Grove Park Inn and the Renaissance Asheville Hotel, with the last shuttle leaving the Grove Park Inn at 11:30 pm.

Come one, come all, to downtown Asheville's charming The Venue at 21 North Market Street, for cocktails, snacks, and the company of your colleagues from across the country. The Welcome Reception is co-sponsored by industry newsletter Shelf Awareness, also marking its 10th anniversary in 2015. Shuttle service will be provided from the Grove Park Inn to downtown Asheville and The Venue. The first shuttle bus leaves the Grove Park Inn at noon; shuttles will run every 15 to 20 minutes.

The last shuttle from the Welcome Reception at The Venue will leave at 8:15 pm. Shuttle bus service will continue between the Grove Park Inn and the Renaissance Asheville Hotel, with the last shuttle leaving the Grove Park Inn at 11:30 pm.

Meet at Elaine's Dueling Piano Bar for drink, song, and Southern fun, thanks to the Winter Institute North Carolinian publisher sponsors Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill; Duke University Press; John F. Blair Publishers; Lookout Books, University of North Carolina Wilmington; and University of North Carolina Press.

Shuttle bus service between the Renaissance and the Grove Park Inn begins at 7 am at the Renaissance, and runs every 15 to 20 minutes throughout the day. The last shuttle bus leaves the Grove Park Inn at 8:30 pm.

How can we help you? Winter Institute and membership inquiries welcomed. Ask Member Relationship Managers Nathan Halter and Catherine Cusick about how to purchase the Wi10 commemorative T-shirt.

Steven Johnson is the founder of a variety of websites, and is host and co-creator of the new PBS and BBC series How We Got to Now. His newest book is How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World, published by Riverhead Books.

Booksellers will meet in groups to talk with colleagues about industry issues inspired by morning plenary speaker Steven Johnson. Groups will meet in rooms throughout the hotel; assignments will be emailed prior to Wi10 and will be included on attendees' Wi10 badge.

Enjoy lunch with reps and learn about great upcoming titles from Winter Institute publisher sponsors. Seats are assigned, and booksellers will receive an email in mid-January with table numbers.

The Galley Room and PartnerShip shipping desk will be open in the Vanderbilt Wing, and the Winter Institute's publisher sponsors provide ARCs for hundreds of upcoming titles. A limited supply of book bags will be on hand in the Galley Rooms. Additional hours will be posted in the Galley Rooms.

Drinks and dessert, featuring popcorn and a hot fudge sundae bar! Special guests—authors published by party sponsor Scholastic—will be on hand to sign books and say hello. The party will be held at The Century Room (above Pack’s Tavern), 20 S. Spruce St, Asheville. Shuttle buses will be provided to and from the Grove Park Inn.

Authors appearing:
*  Pam Munoz Ryan, author of Echo, to be published in February, 2015
*  Ally Carter, author of Embassy Row # 1: All Fall Down, to be published in January, 2015
*  Sarah Weeks, author of Glamourpuss, to be published in January, 2015
*  Dan Gemeinhart, author of The Honest Truth, to be published in January, 2015 and chosen for the Spring 2015 Indies Introduce program

Shuttle bus service between the Renaissance and the Grove Park Inn begins at 7 am at the Renaissance, and runs every 15 to 20 minutes throughout the day. The last shuttle bus leaves the Grove Park Inn at 8:30 pm.

We're still here! Come and visit MRMs Nathan Halter and Catherine Cusick, ask them questions, pick up maps and schedules, and let ABA know how things are going.

Take a load off. Have a drink. Put your feet up. Take a short nap. Drop by the SIBA Hospitality Suite for a little Southern TLC!

The Consultation Station offers booksellers the opportunity to meet with representatives of ABA’s affiliated business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers. The list of Consultation Station participants and contact information is here. Participants will be added as they are confirmed. Please check this webpage for updates. Please note: If you granted permission for the companies participating in the Consultation Station to contact you directly when you registered for Wi10, they may reach out to you via email before the event. You may also contact them in advance to schedule appointments.

Publisher reps continue their presentations, preparing booksellers for the coming selling season. Seating assignments are the same as for the Monday lunch; you're seated according to your preference for adult or children's titles.

The Town Hall is an opportunity for open discussion about industry and association issues. ABA Board president Steve Bercu and vice president Betsy Burton will facilitate the meeting. The floor is open to questions and comments from all booksellers.

Shuttle bus service between the Renaissance and the Grove Park Inn begins at 7 am at the Renaissance, and runs every 15 to 20 minutes throughout the day. The last shuttle bus leaves the Grove Park Inn at 8:30 pm.