Forum Previews: Manhattan Beach and Lake Forest Park

This month’s ABA Booksellers Forum schedule concludes with programs on March 30 in conjunction with the Southern California Independent Bookseller Association’s Spring Meeting and on March 31 in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association.

ABA education at all of the spring forums [1] is made possible by the generous support of the Ingram Content Group.

Manhattan Beach, California • March 30, 2011

ABA CEO Oren Teicher will host an American Booksellers Association Spring Forum and Sales Tax Fairness Workshop, in conjunction with the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association’s [2] Spring Meeting. The program on Wednesday, March 30, at the Manhattan Beach Marriott [3] is open to all ABA and SCIBA members. Booksellers are also encouraged to invite other indie retailers to the Sales Tax Fairness Workshop.

The Manhattan Beach program starts at 11:00 a.m. with a coffee hosted by SCIBA, which invites members to share feedback with its board.

ABA’s program begins at noon:

• ABA Booksellers Forum: 12:00 noon
  Booksellers are invited to join ABA for lunch and an open forum and discussion of industry issues. The ABA Board and staff want to know what’s on members’ minds, and the forum provides a direct way for the association to listen to booksellers concerns and to answer questions and exchange ideas on industry issues and ABA’s programs and initiatives. Attendees are encouraged to come with questions and comments.

• Sales Tax Fairness Workshop: 1:00 p.m.
  The fight for sales tax equity is going strong throughout the country. In an effort to move this issue forward in California, ABA has organized a sales tax fairness workshop for all independent retailers in southern California. ABA’s Teicher 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 California-based indie retailers to participate in this workshop.

The day concludes with author presentations hosted by SCIBA. All program participants are invited to stay for milk, cookies, author presentations, and signings, beginning at 3:00 p.m.

For planning purposes, booksellers who will be attending are asked to RSVP to SCIBA’s Jennifer Bigelow via e-mail [4] by March 23.

Lake Forest Park, Washington • March 31

ABA and PNBA member booksellers are invited to join ABA CEO Oren Teicher and Technology Director Matt Supko at the American Booksellers Association’s Spring Booksellers Forum, presented in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association [5], on Thursday, March 31, at Third Place Book [6]s in Lake Forest Park, Washington.

The ABA portion of the daylong program includes:

• IndieCommerce: 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
  Matt Supko will demonstrate and answer questions about the IndieCommerce program. The session will include information on e-books, the relationship between Google Local Shopping/IndieCommerce/Above the Treeline, the HarperCollins E-Commerce Support Program, future developments, and more. Intended for new and current users alike.

• ABA Booksellers Forum: 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
  Booksellers are invited to join ABA for lunch and an open forum and discussion of industry issues. The ABA Board and staff want to know what’s on members’ minds, and the forum provides a direct way for the association to listen to booksellers’ concerns and to answer questions and exchange ideas on industry issues and ABA’s programs and initiatives. Attendees are encouraged to come with questions and comments.

For planning purposes, booksellers who will be attending are asked to RSVP by March 25 to ABA Member Relationship Manager Elizabeth Nichols via e-mail [7] or at (800) 637-0037, ext. 6614.

Watch for details coming from PNBA about additional programming planned for the day.