A Few Last-Minute Winter Institute Schedule Reminders

Here’s a quick reminder about some of this weekend’s Winter Institute highlights. Full details are available on the Wi8 website, wi8.bookweb.org [1], and in last week’s “72 Hours in Kansas City [2].” The Winter Institute is once again made possible by support from the Ingram Content Group, Wi8’s lead sponsor, and from publishers large and small [3].

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22 [4]

Noon – 7:30 p.m.: Stop by the ABA Welcome Desk in the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center’s Union Hill Room to say hello and pick up your Wi8 badge and welcome bag.

7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.: Take the link walkway over to Harvey’s, at the fully restored landmark Union Station, for the Wi8 Opening Reception, sponsored by Andrews McMeel Publishing.

9:00 p.m. – Midnight: Mingle by the Water Fall Reception at the Garden Terrace. There will be a cash bar.

SATURDAY, FEBUARY 23 [5]

7:15 a.m.: The Ask ABA Desk opens early in the foyer outside the Roanoke Room for those who still need to pick up their badges and welcome bags.

7:00 a.m. – 7:45 a.m.:  Susan Weis-Bohlen, the owner of Baltimore’s breathe books [6] and a Chopra Center certified instructor of Ayurveda [7], will lead a 45-minute yoga class [8] in Washington Park 1.

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.: A jam-packed day of education kicks off promptly at 8:00 a.m. in the Century Ballroom for breakfast and the Wi8 Opening Plenary featuring Daniel Pink [9], author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others (Riverhead).

9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.: Booksellers will break up into small groups to share in-store implications, ideas, and insights raised by Daniel Pink at the morning plenary.

11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Discover Kobo 2013 [10], in Washington Park Place, where Michael Tamblyn, Kobo’s chief content officer, will discuss the ABA program since its launch and will share Kobo’s vision for 2013.

12:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.: At the Rep Picks Lunch, learn about great upcoming titles. Seat assignments were e-mailed to all bookseller registrants.

2:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Choose from 10 breakout sessions, covering everything from public relations and media training to buying and selling non-book items and working with self-published authors.

5:40 p.m. – 6:40 p.m.: The day winds down back in the Century Ballroom with beer and book conversations as Kansas City Star senior arts editor Steve Paul interviews Alex George [11], author of the One Institute, One Read choice, A Good American (Amy Einhorn/Putnam).

9:00 p.m. – Midnight: Scholastic will host a This Is Teen After Party in Washington Park 1.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013 [12]

7:15 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.: Yoga With Susan in Washington Park 1.

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.: ABFFE Silent Auction Preview [13] in the Garden Terrace.

9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.: Breakfast features Malcolm Gladwell [14], author of the forthcoming David and Goliath (Little, Brown).

10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.: Bookseller/Publisher Focus Groups.  Each publisher will meet with a pre-assignment group of Wi8 booksellers to discuss issues of common interest and mutual concern.

Noon – 1:00 p.m.: Lunch in the Century Ballroom with CAMEX/NACS veterans Wendy Holliday and Vicky Morris Benion, who will offer advice to make the afternoon’s trip to the trade show easy and cost-effective.

1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Buses will depart from the Westin for a visit to the CAMEX (Campus MarketExpo) [15] at 1:00 p.m. and return buses will run between 4:30 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. ABA members who place an order of any size from an exhibiting vendor while they’re there will receive a $100 rebate per store [16].

6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: The Winter Institute Author Reception [17] in the Century Ballroom will feature 61 authors and illustrators.

6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: The ABFFE Silent Auction [13] takes place during the Author Celebration, just outside in the Ballroom hallway.

7:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.:  Enjoy a complimentary drink and popcorn at ABA’s own “The Oscars” Viewing Party in Washington Park.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25 [18]

7:15 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.: Yoga With Susan in Washington Park 1.

9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.: The Wi8 Small & Independent Press Breakfast in the Century Ballroom is a wonderful way to learn about each of the Wi8 small and independent press sponsors and their upcoming titles.

10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.: The Consultation Station [19] is open all day in the Roanoke and Penn Valley Rooms.

10:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.: Choose from the 15 sessions and roundtables being offered on Monday, including a special morning session [20] sponsored by the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression [21] that features authors Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak, Square Fish) and Sherman Alexie (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) and ABFFE Board member Mitchell Kaplan of Florida’s Books & Books. [22]

Noon – 2:00 p.m.: The second Rep Picks Lunch.

5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.: The Closing Reception featuring Small & Independent Press Authors [17] will be held at Benton’s at the top of the Westin, with its fabulous views of Kansas City below.

And some general reminders:

The Ask ABA Desk, located in the foyer near Penn Valley and Roanoke, is open on Saturday from 7:15 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.; Sunday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.; and Monday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Representatives from ABA, IndieCommerce, and Kobo will be available to answer booksellers’ questions.

The Wi8 Galley Room will be in Century A and will be open during posted hours.

The PartnerShip FedEx Shipping Desk will also be located in Century A.

The Regional Associations’ Hospitality Lounge will be Crossroads and will be open during posted hours.