ABA Announces BEA Educational Programming & Special Events

This week, the American Booksellers Association unveils a preliminary schedule of its programming for BookExpo America 2006 in Washington, D.C. From Thursday, May 18, through Sunday, May 21, ABA is offering a wide array of educational programming and special events, including the popular Book Sense Author Lunch and the Celebration of Bookselling. New this year, is an ABA Legislative Day on Wednesday, May 17, which will provide booksellers with the opportunity to meet with their senators and representatives on Capitol Hill.

A plenary session, " The Science of Independent Bookselling: Catching and Keeping Customers," which kicks off the full day of educational programming on Thursday, will feature Paco Underhill, the founder and managing director of Envirosell, a New York-based research and consulting firm with offices around the world. Underhill has spent more than 25 years conducting research on different aspects of shopping behavior and is recognized as a leading expert and pioneer in the field. Underhill helps companies understand what motivates the behaviors of today's consumers.

Watch for additional updates of this information in upcoming editions of Bookselling This Week.

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Prospective Booksellers School (at Hilton Crystal City. Advance registration required.)
This four-day course is designed to provide participants with the knowledge they need to create a successful business in a very competitive retail environment. Workshops will cover a broad range of subjects, including understanding the financial dynamics of bookstore operations, the basics of store design, buying strategies and inventory management, the creation and execution of marketing plans, making the right technology decisions, and much more. Registration is through ABA, visit www.BookWeb.org.

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Prospective Booksellers School (at Hilton Crystal City. Advance registration required.)
Day Two of Four

Noon - 7:00 p.m.

Bookseller Legislative Day (Doubletree Crystal City and Capitol Hill)
With the annual convention in Washington, D.C. for the first time since 1989, ABA has created a first-ever legislative conference to brief booksellers on current public policy issues affecting the book business and to provide them with an opportunity to meet with their senators and congressman on Capitol Hill. The half-day program will include remarks by Robert Barnett, senior partner at Williams & Connolly LLP, one of the most prestigious and well-known Washington law firms, whose practice encompasses matters of particular interest to the book community; John Morris, general counsel for Center for Democracy & Technology; and Thomas M. Sullivan, general counsel for the Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration. Following visits to congressional offices, the Legislative Conference will conclude with a reception honoring Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Congress' champion of reader privacy.

9:00 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Prospective Booksellers School (at Washington Convention Center.
Students attend ABA's Thursday "Day of Education." Advance registration required.)
Day Three of Four

ABA's fourth annual "Day of Education" provides a wide array of seminars and panel discussions with one goal in mind: increasing sales. From Paco Underhill's Plenary Session on the science of shopping, to seminars on efficiency and public relations, to panel discussions on "Buy Local" campaigns and e-mail newsletters, this program will provide you with both the theory and practice of how to grow your top line. Based on the results of the 2006 Education Survey, distributed to ABA members last fall, the schedule of events has something for booksellers of all levels, from veteran owners, to newly minted floor staff. Several of these sessions are presented twice in succession, allowing you and your staff the opportunity to attend as many of the programs as possible.

REGISTRATION: Open to all ABA members, this full day of education -- including lunch -- is free of charge, but you must register in advance through BookExpo America. BEA will provide you with a "Thursday Lunch" ticket, which must be presented in order to be admitted to the lunch.

9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Science of Independent Bookselling: Catching and Keeping Customers -- This seminar will walk you through the store from a shopper's perspective and will fill in the missing pieces between plans on a drawing board and the actual retail experience. You'll take away the information you need to build a better store.
 
Paco Underhill is the founder and managing director of Envirosell, a New York-based research and consulting firm with offices around the world. Underhill has spent more than 25 years conducting research on different aspects of shopping behavior and is recognized as a leading expert and pioneer in the field. Underhill helps companies understand what motivates the behaviors of today's consumer. His research shows how today's retail world is ruled by factors such as gender, "trial and touch," and human anatomy. He is an insightful and captivating speaker, who frequently presents to trade associations and professional groups about the methodology and findings of his research.
 
Underhill and Envirosell have been profiled by major publications, including The New Yorker, Fortune, Fast Company, Business Week, and Smithsonian Magazine, and have been featured on ABC's 20/20 and CBS's 48 Hours. Underhill is a regular contributor to NPR and BBC Radio. His columns and editorials have appeared in the New York Times, London Times, Wall Street Journal, and Christian Science Monitor. His first book, Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping has been published in 30 languages and has sold more copies than any other retail book in history. His second book, entitled Call of the Mall: The Geography of Shopping, was published in February 2004 by Simon & Schuster.
 
Combining traditional market research techniques, anthropological observation methodologies, and videotaping, Envirosell has established a reputation as an innovator in commercial research and as an advocate for consumer-friendly shopping environments and packaging.

10:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Optimize the Buying Process: Balancing the Demands of Sales, Margin & Inventory Turn
This session will identify each of the variables that buyers have to consider (including sales, margin, and turn); discuss what buyers would do if they only had to consider one variable; and talk about how to find a balance between the variables that is optimal for a store's particular business model.

10:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Know Your Customer: Increase Sales
According to Gartner Research, businesses "that fail to establish strong relationships with their customers will see their position eroded by up to 20 percent per year." Your single greatest asset is not your lease, your computer, or even your inventory, it's your list of customers. Learn how individual contact, surveys, market research, and use of your database can combine to form an effective strategy for communicating with customers. Effective communication will help you identify and achieve objectives that will grow your business and make your store more profitable.

10:15 a.m. - 11:15 p.m.

Retail Horizons -- Industry Benchmarks
A leading industry analyst will present findings of the National Retail Federation Research and Education Foundation/Bearing Point "Retail Horizons" study. Aimed at store owners and veteran booksellers, this management seminar will focus on 2005 industry benchmarks, as well as 2006 projections. With a focus on growing the top line, this session will explore strategies being employed by retailers of all shapes and sizes to meet the needs of the better-informed and more demanding consumers of the 21st century.

10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. and
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Shop Local: Forming Business Alliances in Your Community
Not only do locally owned businesses have far greater economic impact on their communities than do national chains, there is growing evidence that by working with other independently owned businesses in your town or city, you can become a more profitable store. Hear success stories and learn about the important role that bookstores can play in the creation of independent business alliances and in convincing more and more consumers to shop locally.

10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. and
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Getting the Most Out of Your Website
A website is a powerful marketing tool, but it's only as useful as the effort you put into it. In this session, learn the basics of using a website as a tool to market your store, as well as 10 key tips about marketing the website to increase traffic and sales.

12:45 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

"What Are You Reading?" Lunch
With a day full of information on increasing profitability, it's important to take a moment to remember why we're all here: BOOKS! Break bread with your bookseller colleagues from around the country and engage in unmoderated discussions about your favorite handsells.

2:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Improving Efficiency to Achieve Success
This seminar will show you how to use your time more effectively, make your staff more productive, and implement efficiencies throughout the store. Intended for owners and senior staff of bookstores of all sizes, the session will focus on how to streamline routine functions so that more time and energy can be devoted to achieving the goals you have set for your store.

2:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Independent Booksellers as Mavericks
William C. Taylor and Polly LaBarre, the authors of Mavericks at Work (coming from HarperCollins this fall), will help senior bookstore managers and owners look beyond best practices to "next practices." Shown through examples of successful businesses from all industries, attendees will learn how to rethink competition, reinvent innovation, and reconnect with customers.

William C. Taylor is cofounder and founding editor of Fast Company. During his tenure, Fast Company won two coveted National Magazine Awards and scores of other honors. He has also been published in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Harvard Business Review. Taylor lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

During her eight years as senior editor of Fast Company, Polly LaBarre wrote influential articles on strategy, creativity, and personal success and co-hosted its signature Real Time conferences. She has made numerous media appearances, including Good Morning America, CNN, and CNBC. She lives in New York City.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and
3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Creating Effective E-Newsletters
E-mail, as indispensable as a telephone to a 21st-century retailer, is the "killer app" of the Internet. Hear a panel of bookseller experts discuss how they use e-mail newsletters to communicate with their customers, further their marketing goals, and drive traffic to their websites and stores.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and
3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Creating Killer Events
With books sold in more and more outlets each year, independent booksellers are finding new and innovative ways to distinguish themselves from the competition. One of the most effective tools to set yourself apart is offering a schedule of compelling events. In this session, you'll review an event prep checklist and hear experienced booksellers describe what makes a killer event.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and
3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

How to Be the Story: Developing and Implementing a Public Relations Plan
On average, independent bookstores spend two percent of their annual budget on advertising. But what is the budget for public relations? What's the difference between advertising and PR? This session will show how a comprehensive public relations plan can have a greater impact on a store's visibility than advertising and at a much lower cost. Learn how to formulate and execute a PR plan.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and
3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

How to Do a Customer Survey: A Case Study
Have you ever wondered what your customers think about your store, or how they view you compared to your competition? In this session, find out how to create and execute customer surveys that will help you learn more about your customers and develop more effective strategies to meet their needs. This session will outline the "nuts-and-bolts" of how to do customer surveys -- including how to frame questions, administer the survey in your store and online, and analyze results -- through a case study of an independent bookstore that used customer surveys to get results.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and
3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Above the Treeline
Above the Treeline founder John Rubin and ABA staff will present a demonstration of the product and information about the special discount for ABA member booksellers who subscribe to Above the Treeline. Above the Treeline is an online software product designed to help bookstores improve finances by optimizing inventory selection.

OTHER THURSDAY PROGRAMS & EVENTS
These Thursday programs and events run concurrently with ABA's "Day of Education" and are open to all BEA attendees. See below for registration or RSVP information.

Programming for Children's Booksellers
Sponsored by the Children's Booksellers and Publishers Committee [A cooperative committee of the American Booksellers Association (ABA), Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC), and the Children's Book Council (CBC). This program is open to BEA attendees, but aimed at children's booksellers.

• Children's Booksellers Afternoon
  The children's booksellers afternoon, "Selling Outside the Box: The Power of Independents," will feature author/illustrator Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Roaring Brook) speaking with marketing director Lauren Wohl and Elizabeth Bluemle, owner of the Flying Pig Bookstore in Charlotte, Vermont. The program focuses on the power of independent bookstores to bring talented new authors and illustrators to the attention of the public. The presentation will be followed by the Children's Book Buzz Workshop in which editors and marketing staff from a variety of publishing houses will present forthcoming titles by exciting new authors and illustrators in small roundtable discussions with booksellers. Participating publishers include Atheneum, Bloomsbury, Candlewick, Charlesbridge, Clarion, Eerdmans, Harcourt, HarperCollins, HarperCollins Paperbacks, Henry Holt, Houghton Mifflin, Hyperion, Kingfisher, Lerner, Listening Library, McElderry, National Geographic, Peachtree, Random House, Scholastic, Shadow Mountain, Simon & Schuster, Tricycle Press, and Walker.

Programming for College Store Booksellers
Sponsored by NACSCORP
Registration for this programming is not required. For more information, contact Cindy Thompson (cthompson@nacs.org) at the National Association of College Stores. This program is open to BEA attendees, but is aimed at booksellers working in college stores.

12:45 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

College Store Literary Luncheon
Sponsored by NACSCORP
Join your college store colleagues for lunch and listen to some favorite authors. To RSVP, contact Cindy Thompson (cthompson@nacs.org) at the National Association of College Stores.

2:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

College Store Idea Exchange: Emerging Categories & Creative Strategies
College stores have a unique position in today's competitive marketplace. This series of presentations and discussions will focus on categories and strategies that can help make your store both more profitable and more valuable as a resource in the campus community. If you have additional ideas to suggest, contact Cindy Thompson (cthompson@nacs.org) at the National Association of College Stores.

•  Graphic Novels and Manga Demystified
Sponsored by NACSCORP. This program is open to BEA attendees, but aimed at college store booksellers.
Manga have sold tens of millions of copies in Japan since the 1940s. Librarians throughout the U.S. have known about this reading sensation for almost 10 years. The format is popular with a large segment of readers ages 15 to 40. So why have booksellers been slow to catch on? These are not your father's comic books. Despite what you might think, this book format has much to offer in a literary and artistic sense -- and in dollars and cents. Learn how to market and sell this exciting format to its dynamic and loyal readership in your area.

•  Creating Excitement (and Profits) With Bargain Books
Sponsored by NACSCORP. This program is open to BEA attendees, but aimed at college store booksellers.
Developing a strong bargain book section is critical to your overall book department's success because it can drive sales, profits, store traffic, and customer satisfaction. What are the secrets to success with Bargain Books and the most common mistakes? Come find out! Explore the various options your store has in the buying, selling, and merchandising of bargain books; identify the financial models that govern bargain book retailing; and find out how to develop a merchandising and marketing strategy that can help you win in this category!

•  Two Minutes That Will Change Your Life ... or at Least Give You a Great Idea
Sponsored by NACSCORP. This program is open to BEA attendees, but aimed at college store booksellers.
Come to this session with a program, idea, marketing scheme, or event that worked well at your store this past year and share it with fellow booksellers in an exciting, dynamic, informal, freewheeling forum. Feel free to supplement your idea with visual aids, sound effects, free money -- anything that will get your point across (and that you don't mind lugging to the show). Please limit your presentation to two minutes. Even if you don't have a "best thing," come anyway because you're sure to hear something that'll turn into your store's "best thing" next year.

•  Prospecting the Backlist Country
Sponsored by NACSCORP. This program is open to BEA attendees, but aimed at college store booksellers.
The gold prospectors went into regions to find the precious stuff and often gave up when the "big" strikes seemed to disappear. But subsequent waves of entrepreneurs found neglected fortunes! Every one of us has agonized over bringing back that title that just seems to linger on the edges of viability. We may have sold two or three in the past year: Is that strong enough to keep it, or should we give up and let it go? Or are there other choices ... aspects of backlist that are compelling and rewarding both financially and personally? Find out how to choose titles that can help define your store's character and personality, attract attention through creative promotion, and engage your staff in handselling their favorites.

Programming for African-American Book Industry Professionals
Sponsored by the African-American Booksellers Consortium (AABC). Registration for the programming for African- American Book Industry Professionals is not required. For more information on the AABC, contact Emma Rodgers at blackimagesbooks@sbcglobal.net. This program is open to BEA attendees, but aimed at African-American book industry professionals.

11:30 a.m.

Opening Session and Luncheon

1:00 p.m.

Keynote Address
Sponsored by AABC. This program is open to BEA attendees, but aimed at African-American book industry professionals.
Keynote: Queen Latifah, author of Queen of the Scene (Laura Geringer/HarperCollins Children's Books)

2:15 p.m.

WORKSHOP: Conversations With Successful Booksellers
Sponsored by AABC. This program is open to BEA attendees, but aimed at African-American book industry professionals.
Moderator: Clara Villarosa of Hue-Man Resources in Harlem, New York
Panel: Simba Sana, CEO of Karibu Books in Maryland and Virginia, and James Fugate of Eso Won Books in Los Angeles

3:45 p.m.

WORKSHOP: Their Eyes Were Reading Smut: The Impact of Ghetto Fiction on African-American Literature
Sponsored by AABC. This program is open to BEA attendees, but aimed at African-American book industry professionals.
Moderator: Nick Chiles, author, journalist, and social commentator
Panel: Nelson George, writer, novelist, and TV and film producer; Nikki Turner, author of Hustler's Wife, Project Chick, and Street Chronicles; Malaika Adero, senior editor of Atria Books/Division of Simon & Schuster

5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

RECEPTION
Sponsors (to date): Amistad/HarperCollins, Literally Speaking

9:00 a.m. - Noon

Prospective Booksellers School (At Washington Convention Center; Advance registration required.)
Day Four of Four

Morning:

BookSense.com Users Group Meeting
Moderated by Len Vlahos, Book Sense.com Director
BookSense.com users will learn about the latest features of BookSense.com, as well as planned enhancements to the product. There will also be a Q&A period. Non-BookSense.com stores are welcome to attend.

Book Sense Gift Cards Users Group Meeting
Moderated by Jill Perlstein, ABA Marketing Director
Current participants, and those considering joining the Book Sense Gift Card program, are encouraged to attend this session for an in-depth review of the program's success and future growth. Learn the proper management of gift card inventory and review program evaluation tools. Come prepared with questions, comments, and suggestions.

Above the Treeline Users Group Meeting
Users of Above the Treeline will meet with the program's director, John Rubin, who will discuss the latest developments and enhancements to the product. There will also be a Q&A period. Current users, as well as those interested in learning more about Above the Treeline, are encouraged to attend.

Noon - 1:30 p.m.

Book Sense Author Lunch
One of the highlights of BEA for the past five years, this luncheon is your chance to meet dozens of authors whose books you've helped make past or present Book Sense Picks! RSVP to BEALunch@bookweb.org. Limit two people per bookstore. Please bring confirmation e-mail from Book Sense Marketing Director Mark Nichols to the luncheon. (Questions regarding the Lunch should be addressed to mark@booksense.com.) Open only to Book Sense bookstores.

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

ABA Town Hall Meeting
An opportunity for ABA member booksellers to voice their opinions and to share their ideas with ABA Board members and staff in a less formal setting than at the ABA Annual Membership meeting, which follows. Ask questions and make suggestions, discuss ABA's Education Program, Book Sense, sales tax issues, Book Sense Gift Cards, the ABACUS Study, Above The Treeline, or anything else on your mind! Open to all ABA members.

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

ABA Annual Meeting
ABA's official annual meeting will update membership on activities of the past year and will look ahead to future association projects. Voting cards will be available outside the meeting room two hours prior to the meeting. The meeting agenda is as follows: Call to Order, Report on the Election of Board Members and Officers, Report of the President, Report of the Chief Executive Officer, Old Business, and New Business. Open to all ABA members.

5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

ABA Celebration of Bookselling
An annual tradition where all are invited to snack, drink, and share in the celebration of the 2006 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards. The authors and illustrators from the four categories -- Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Children's Literature, and Children's Illustrated -- will be there, will you? Don't miss this chance to have some fun and to mingle with other bibliophiles. Live entertainment will be provided by Putumayo World Music. Free of charge. Open to all BEA attendees.

9:00 a.m. - Noon

Budgeting & Monitoring
Bookshops, like other businesses, are best operated within a system of financial controls that allow the owner/manager to predict performance and then measure outcomes against those predictions. Most importantly, close control over cash flow is essential to the successful operation of any business. Through the use of a series of Excel worksheets (available to ABA members on BookWeb.org), you will be shown how to integrate such a system into your operations. Based on input gathered at previous workshops given all across the country, this program has been newly revised to focus on the issues of small- and medium-sized stores. Special attention will be paid to those factors that are the drivers of profitability and success.

1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Threats to Press Freedom in the War on Terrorism
The threats to a free press are growing as the U.S. government pursues the war on terrorism. Government secrecy is increasing, and reporters are being pressured to reveal their confidential sources. The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression will present a discussion by distinguished journalists and authors that examines the threats to press freedom and how they diminish the ability of the American people to monitor the activities of their government. The program is co-sponsored by the American Library Association's Freedom to Read Foundation and the Association of American Publishers' Freedom to Read Committee.

3:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Coping With Disaster: What To Do When the Next Hurricane Strikes
Hear from booksellers, authors, and other experts about the devastation on the Gulf Coast and what it means for America. This session will offer suggestions for dealing with disaster-preparedness and reflections on how the hurricanes of 2005 have changed the lives of millions of people.

5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

BookSense.com Preakness Party
Looking to blow off steam at the end of a long day on the trade show floor? Join your colleagues from all corners of the book industry for the second most important two minutes in sports. Cocktails included. Open to all BEA attendees.

ABA/Book Sense Lounge
Relax ... the Book Sense Lounge -- a special ABA members-only VIP lounge -- is returning to Washington, D.C.! Open from May 18 to 21, the Book Sense Lounge will offer a place to meet with ABA Board members, staff, and fellow booksellers; to log on to computers and to plug into laptops; find Book Sense Author Autographing; and see live demonstrations of the new Above the Treeline software, the Book Sense Gift Card program, BookSense.com, BookWeb.org, and more. You'll also find information areas devoted to the Book Sense Bestseller List, ABA membership, ABA's business management services, and the ABACUS Study. The Lounge is a comfortable, convenient place to kick back with other booksellers and enjoy some refreshments and a special music nook, courtesy of Putumayo Music. Open on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but closed on Friday at 3:00 p.m. for the ABA Town Meeting and Membership Meeting. Open to all ABA members.

• Book Sense Autographing
  Continuing the success of past years' Book Sense Autographing sessions, the ABA/Book Sense Lounge will be the place to go for autographed books from some of independent booksellers' favorite authors. On Friday, May 19, and Saturday, May 20, authors whose works have appeared on the Book Sense Picks lists will be available to sign their books and meet booksellers. Check upcoming editions of Bookselling This Week (news.bookweb.org) for the official line-up with dates and times. An updated schedule will be available in the Lounge during the show.

ABFFE -- American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression
BookExpo America is a great place to show your support for the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), the bookseller's voice in the fight against censorship.

• Join the ABFFE Silent Auction. The ABFFE Silent Auction offers great bargains on hundreds of items of interest to booksellers and other book industry professionals including books, sidelines, sports and entertainment events, travel packages for all of the regional booksellers association trade shows this fall, and airline tickets for travel around the country. All proceeds from the Silent Auction benefit ABFFE.
  
  
• Visit the ABFFE Store, which will feature a BEA souvenir T-shirt and poster.
  
  
• Attend the Saturday afternoon session, "Threats to Press Freedom in the War on Terrorism," featuring a discussion by a distinguished panel of journalists and authors.

Publisher's Evening Receptions at "Hotel ABA"
Exclusively for guests of "Hotel ABA" (Doubletree Crystal City and Hilton Crystal City). On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights, enjoy publisher-sponsored bookseller receptions from 9:00 p.m. to midnight at the Doubletree Crystal City, which is located at 300 Army Navy Drive in Arlington, Virginia. (A complimentary shuttle service will transport guests between the two hotels during the events.)