Sales Tax Workshop and ABA Forum Coming to Indianapolis

ABA’s 2011 Spring Forum Tour arrives in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Thursday, March 3. The program, presented in conjunction with the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association [1], will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Big Hat Books & Arts [2].

The day’s schedule will include a sales tax fairness workshop for Indiana-based booksellers and other indie retailers as well as a Booksellers Forum for all ABA and GLiBA members. ABA CEO Oren Teicher and Senior Public Policy Analyst David Grogan will be attending the forum, as will GLiBA Executive Director Deb Leonard, who will update attendees regarding the regional’s activities.

The sales tax fairness workshop will begin at 11:00 a.m., and ABA’s Teicher and Grogan will provide an overview of sales tax fairness in the state and discuss what booksellers and other retailers can do to move the issue forward. Booksellers are encouraged to invite other indie retailers to this part of the day’s programming.

“Successful sales tax fairness campaigns in other states have made clear that building a broad coalition of retailers is a key element in successfully passing e-fairness legislation,” said Teicher, “and it’s our hope that we can begin this process at the forum with information sharing, dialogue, and brainstorming.”

The Booksellers Forum will follow, from 12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. The forums provide a direct, first-hand way for ABA to listen to booksellers’ concerns and to answer questions and exchange ideas on industry issues, as well as ABA programs and initiatives.

Booksellers in Indiana should have recently received an e-mail from ABA Membership Relationship Manager Elizabeth Nichols with full details about the forum and RSVP instructions. Booksellers planning on attending the forum, and those who have any questions, should e [3]- [3]mail [3]Nichols [3].

Big Hat Books & Arts is laocated at 6510 Cornell Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana.

In addition to the forum being held in Indianpolis, ABA is working with GliBA and the Midwest Booksellers Association to sponsor a booksellers forum at the Four Points by Sheraton Milwaukee North hotel in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, on March 19.

Click here [4] for a look at the Booksellers Forum schedule to date. The first forum will be held on February 24 at Katy Budget Books in Houston, Texas. Booksellers who wish to attend the forum should RSVP as soon as possible to Elizabeth Nichols [5]

Watch for updates and the announcement of additional forums in upcoming editions of BTW. In addition, ABA member booksellers in other regions will be receiving spring forum invitations via e-mail from their ABA Membership Relations Manager.

Questions about the forum schedule should be addressed to ABA Meetings and Planning Officer Jill Perlstein via [6] e [6]- [6]mail [6]or at (800) 637-0037, ext. 6642.