ABA Visits Chicago, Albuquerque, and Cour D'Alene in March

ABA bookstore members in the Great Lakes, Mountains and Plains, and Pacific Northwest regions will have the opportunity to talk with representatives of the ABA Board and senior staff at Booksellers Forums held in conjunction with regional booksellers association meetings in March. Booksellers are encouraged to come to ask questions, express opinions, and hear from their colleagues. This year, members have the chance to offer input into ABA’s new strategic plan, as priorities and new directions for the Association are developed.

In conjunction with the Great Lakes Booksellers Association, ABA has planned a special afternoon of programming on Wednesday, March 20, from noon to 5:00 p.m. at the Transitions Learning Center, 1750 North Kingsbury, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. In addition to the ABA Booksellers Forum, which will run from noon to 2:00 p.m., there will be a "Basic Bookstore Finances Seminar," from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

This seminar -- conducted by ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz -- will explore a system of financial controls that allow the bookstore owner/manager to predict performance and then measure outcomes against those predictions. Attendees will receive a computer disk with a series of Excel worksheets that will allow booksellers to integrate such a system into their own operations. Advance registration is necessary to ensure the preparation of adequate seminar materials. (To register, contact Kristen Gilligan at (800) 637-0027, ext. 1286 or kristen@bookweb.org [1] or call GLBA at (616) 847-2460).

In conjunction with the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Association Spring Meeting, ABA has planned a day of programs on Friday, March 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Marriott Downtown, 2101 Louisiana Boulevard, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A "Basic Bookstore Finances Seminar" will run from 9:30 a.m. till noon, and a Booksellers Forum will be held from 1:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

In conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Spring Trade Show, on Saturday, March 23, at the Coeur D’Alene Resort, 414 West Appleway, in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, ABA will hold a seminar, "Book Sense for Retail Booksellers," from 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. ABA Senior Marketing Consultant Carl Lennertz will talk with booksellers about the Book Sense program, the changes and improvements being made, and how booksellers’ efforts are paying off with expanded recognition and increased sales.

An ABA Booksellers Forum will be held from 3:00 p.m.to 4:30 p.m. ABA Board President Neal Coonerty of Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, as well as Bookseller Advisory Council member Luanne Kreutzer of St. Helens Book Shop, St. Helens, Oregon, will be present at this forum.

In addition, at all of these forums, member of the BookSense.com staff will be signing stores up for a free trial that extends to June 30. Staff will help booksellers get started with the creation of their own BookSense.com Web site. For more details about the free trial offer, click here [2].

To set up a time to meet or for more information, contact Len Vlahos (800) 637-0037, ext. 1215, or len@booksense.com [3].