ABA Booksellers Forum in NYC on April 8

The American Booksellers Association will hold a Booksellers Forum program in conjunction with the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association on Tuesday, April 8, in New York City. The owners and staff of all ABA and NAIBA member stores are encouraged to attend the event, which will be held at Random House's offices at 1745 Broadway, in the 14th floor Conference Room.

The program will feature an education component and an opportunity to discuss concerns and hear the latest news about the association's services and initiatives from ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz, COO Oren Teicher, and ABA Board member Beth Puffer of Bank Street Bookstore.

Here's the schedule:

• 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: ABA's "Booksellers at the Tipping Point: Leveraging Localism and Independence to Promote Your Store" The concepts of localism, independence, and sustainability are gaining traction with consumers. In this session, booksellers will hear how the retail market place has evolved to allow these phenomena to take root and grow. They'll also learn how to leverage and exploit these powerful tools to more effectively market and promote their stores.

• 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.: ABA Forum Over Lunch ABA senior staff will provide members, and prospective members, with updates on association programs and initiatives, as well as an opportunity to voice concerns and offer input on the future direction of the association. Owners and store staff are encouraged to attend to gain a broader perspective on how their stores fit into the larger industry, as well as to exchange ideas with their fellow booksellers.

It is crucial that booksellers who are planning to attend RSVP to ABA's Sarah Rettger at sarah@bookweb.org, as ABA must provide a guest list to the building's security in order for attendees to be allowed past the lobby.

Questions about the ABA forum program should be directed to sarah@bookweb.org.