Thursday at BEA Is Bookseller Education Day

There will be a particularly strong focus on professional development, education, and networking at this year's BookExpo America -- a centerpiece of which will be a full day of programming on Thursday, May 2, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.

The sessions have been especially crafted for booksellers, and they feature programming on marketing, bookstore finances, and inventory management. Also, there will be a "Bright Prospects Business Panel," at which three leading business consultants -- Tom Ehrenfeld, Doug Hall, and Robert Spector -- will answer topical questions on the future role of small business in the economy. The panel will be moderated by Connnie Brod, executive producer of C-SPAN's BookTV.

The May 2 morning session on bookstore finances will be presented by ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz, and it will help booksellers learn how to establish and utilize a system of financial controls that allow the owner/manager to predict performance and then to measure outcomes against those predictions. Participants will receive a specially designed set of Excel worksheets that will allow them to integrate such a system into their bookstore operations.

A marketing session that morning, moderated by Michael Hoynes, ABA marketing officer, will provide major marketing insights and recommendations, as well as the latest consumer trends in book purchasing. The session's panelists include Doug Hall (author of Jump Start Your Brain and Jump Start Your Business Brain) and Robert Spector (author of Anytime, Anywhere and The Nordstrom Way). Also that morning, a session on inventory management will cover a wide range of topics (from how inventory turnover affects cash flow to how to make successful decisions on returns) and features booksellers Carole Horne of Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and John Bennett of Bennett Books in Wyckoff, New Jersey.

On Thursday afternoon, special programming from ABA, the Association of Booksellers for Children, and the Children's Book Council will feature sessions to help booksellers and readers "Find Comfort in Books -- An Afternoon Dedicated to Children's Bookselling." It begins with a keynote presentation by Newbury winner Russell Freedman, and, following that, there will be a session designed to help booksellers offer customers titles that will help them deal with unfamiliar or uncomfortable issues. The session will be moderated by Sheilah Egan of A Likely Story in Alexandria, Virginia, and Dara La Porte of Politics and Prose in Washington, DC. The afternoon will also feature a presentation by author Mark Teague, who will discuss his experiences in creating "the right book for the right time."

In the afternoon on Thursday, booksellers can also attend "Best Ideas" sessions to share tips, ideas, and proven practices. Topics include merchandising, database development, co-op opportunities, newsletters, and staff development. The networking opportunities on Thursday also include a Large Store Roundtable, where booksellers can meet with colleagues to discuss relevant issues. The roundtable will be moderated by Bob Sommer and Gayle Shanks of Changing Hands in Tempe, Arizona; Nancy Olson of Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina; and Carla Cohen of Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C.

The special full day of ABA educational programming on Thursday, May 2 -- including morning and afternoon sessions, keynote speakers, and "Best Idea" sessions -- is $25 for ABA and ABC members; non-ABA members are invited to join the day's sessions for $50. [Part of this day is sponsored by Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC).]

Click here for more information on BookExpo America and the ABA Convention and look for continued coverage in future issues of BTW.