ABA Adds New England to February Booksellers Forum Itinerary

ABA, in conjunction with the New England Booksellers Association (NEBA), will be holding a Booksellers Forum and an ABACUS Sneak Preview at the Westford Regency Inn & Conference Center in Westford, Massachusetts, on Thursday afternoon, February 20. [The first February forum and ABACUS preview, as well as a Budgeting and Monitoring Workshop, will be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on February 6. See http://news.bookweb.org/read/1095 for full details on the Ann Arbor forum.]

In Massachusetts, the special "Sneak Preview" of the new 2003 ABACUS data will be held from 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., just prior to the forum. This session is open to all stores that have already submitted their financial data to the ABACUS survey or that bring the data with them to the meeting.

The preview, presented by ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz, will give attendees a first look at data gathered since ABA reintroduced the ABACUS industry study last year. A proven financial research tool, ABACUS provides independent booksellers a wide range of bookselling-specific financial breakdowns and analyses. The new ABACUS has been widely praised by booksellers for its flexibility and ease of use.

For booksellers who have not already submitted their data, an online form and instructions for completing the survey are available online at www.bookweb.org/read/5786, or booksellers may bring their data to the preview session. Questions about submitting ABACUS data should be addressed to Domnitz at avin@bookweb.org.

The ABA Booksellers Forum will be held from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. and is open to all ABA and NEBA members. In addition to Domnitz, ABA Board member Suzanne Staubach of the UConn Co-op in Storrs, Connecticut, and ABA COO Oren Teicher will be present to give an update on association business, as well as to answer questions and gather bookseller input to shape future programs and association initiatives.

To RSVP or for more information, contact Kristen Gilligan at ABA [(800) 637-0037, ext. 1286; kristen@bookweb.org] or NEBA [(800) 466-8711; rusty@neba.org]. Stores planning to attend the ABACUS sneak preview are asked to RSVP to Gilligan by February 14.

Thursday, February 20, 2003

• Special ABACUS Sneak Preview from 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (for stores who have already submitted, or bring, their financial data.)
  
• Booksellers Forum from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
  

Westford Regency Inn & Conference Center
219 Littleton Road
Westford, MA 01886
Tel: (978) 692-8200