ABA Invites Booksellers to Forums in Massachusetts and North Carolina

The American Booksellers Association will travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Thursday, April 25, and Tuesday, April 30, respectively, to host two of its 11 Spring Forum programs. Each event will feature an open forum discussion of industry issues, a Kobo eReader training program, and the ABA education session “The 10 Things You Must Do Now!”

ABA’s Spring Forums are free and open to all booksellers — ABA members and non-members alike.

Thursday, April 25: Cambridge, Massachusetts               

Join ABA CEO Oren Teicher, Senior Program Officer Joy Dallanegra-Sanger, and Member Relationship Manager Kaitlin Pitcher for a Spring Forum program in conjunction with New England Independent Booksellers Association’s All About the Books! Author Luncheon and Education Program at First Parish Church (3 Church Street, in Harvard Square).

The day kicks off with NEIBA’s Author Talks and Readings, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and Boxed Lunch With Authors, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Here’s a look at ABA’s portion of the schedule:

• 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.: “The Top 10 Things You Must Do Now!”
  This education session presents creative things that booksellers can do to make their stores more successful and profitable in 2013. These best practices were culled from hundreds of ideas submitted by ABA member stores, and each has proven a great success. Topics include marketing/promotion, finances, store operations, human resources, inventory, ambiance, customer service, and more.
   
• 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.: ABA Booksellers Forum
  ABA’s CEO will lead an open forum discussion of industry issues. Booksellers are encouraged to come with questions and comments.
   
• 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.: Kobo eReader Training
  A representative from Kobo’s eReader training team will lead a 60-minute session on the features and uses of Kobo’s eReader lineup. This program is aimed at frontline booksellers and owners and managers who want to spend more time promoting device sales and answering customer questions.

The full schedule for NEIBA’s All About the Books! is available here.

The deadline to register is Friday, April 12.

Tuesday, April 30: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Join ABA CEO Oren Teicher and Content Officer Dan Cullen for a Booksellers Forum in conjunction with the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In addition to a Kobo eReader training program, the education session “The Top 10 Things You Must do Now!” and an open forum discussion of industry, the program will end with a special reception at the offices of Algonquin Books.

• 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.: Kobo eReader Training
  A representative of Kobo’s eReader training team will lead a 60-minute session on the features and uses of Kobo’s eReader lineup. This session is aimed at frontline booksellers and owners and managers who want to spend more time promoting device sales and answering customer questions.
   
• 10:30 a.m. to Noon: “The Top 10 Things You Must Do Now!”
  This education session presents creative things that booksellers can do to make their stores more successful and profitable in 2013. These best practices were culled from hundreds of ideas submitted by ABA member stores, and each has proven a great success. Topics include marketing/promotion, finances, store operations, human resources, inventory, ambiance, customer service, and more.
   
• Noon to 2:00 p.m.: ABA Booksellers Forum Over Lunch
  ABA’s CEO will lead an open forum discussion of industry issues. Booksellers are encouraged to come with questions and comments.
   
• 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Algonquin Reception
  Join us at Algonquin’s offices in celebration of the company’s 30th anniversary. Lee Smith will be at the festivities to mingle with booksellers and introduce her forthcoming novel, Guests on Earth (September 2013).

For planning purposes, booksellers who will be attending are asked to RSVP to ABA Member Relationship Manager Nathan Halter by Wednesday, April 24.

Flyleaf Books is at 752 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (Historic Airport Rd.) in Chapel Hill.

The reception will be at Algonquin’s offices at 400 Silver Cedar Court, Suite 300.