Sign-up Required for ABA Special Events at BEA

Preregistration is required for select ABA and ABC Children’s Group programming at this year’s BookExpo America, including two new events designed to provide booksellers with more opportunities to network with publishers. Space is limited at all of these events, so interested booksellers are urged to sign up or purchase tickets as soon as possible via ABA’s BEA mini-site on BookWeb.org.

BEA 2014 will be held May 29 – 31 at New York’s Javits Convention Center. To receive free entry to the trade show, booksellers must register as “ABA Members” via BookExpoAmerica.com.

ABA programming requiring sign-up includes:

Bookseller/Publisher Meetings

Meet the Editor Meetings on Wednesday, May 28, from 8:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Open to all ABA member booksellers, these meetings will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the philosophy and process of book editing. Booksellers will meet in the lobby of Hotel ABA (the Grand Hyatt at 42nd Street), and representatives from the various publishing houses will escort groups of 10 to 12 booksellers to their offices, where they will meet for 75 to 90 minutes. Booksellers who are not staying at the Grand Hyatt can meet there or go directly to their assigned publisher’s office.

One-on-One Publisher Meetings on Saturday, May 31, from 10:00 a.m. to noon.
Open to ABA member bookstore owners and managers only, these meetings will be in a “speed-dating” format. Booksellers will meet with top publishing executives for 10 minutes each. Each bookseller will meet with up to 11 publishers. These conversations are a chance for publishers and booksellers to meet one-on-one to discuss topics of mutual interest; they are not meant as a business review. These meetings will take place at the Javits Convention Center.

Registration for both Meet the Editor and One-on-One Publisher Meetings will close on May 5. Booksellers must sign up for each event separately, and space is limited. Booksellers will be randomly assigned and will receive their publisher information by e-mail prior to BEA.

Learn more and register for the Bookseller/Publisher Meetings now.

ABC Children’s Group Programming
Open to ABC Children’s Group members only.

ABC/CBC Illustrator Studio Tours on Wednesday, May 28, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Open to two booksellers from each ABC Children’s Group member business, the studio tours will provide a behind-the-scenes peek into the creative lives of some of today’s top illustrators, including Sophie Blackall, Peter Sis, Brett Helquist, and Paul Zelinsky. Each tour group of four to six booksellers will visit up to three studios. Transportation will be provided. Prepayment ($34.99) is required. Space is limited, and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

ABC/CBC Speed Dating Lunch With Children’s Authors on Friday, May 30, from 12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Two booksellers from each ABC Children’s Group member business are eligible to sign up to enjoy a lively lunch with more than a dozen children’s book authors, including Michelle Knudsen, Jessica Day George, Mick Curato, and Jeffrey Brown. The lunch is a fun and unique way to “learn the list,” as participating authors pitch their new projects. Prepayment ($24.99) is required. Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

The ABC/CBC Tea With Children’s Authors and Illustrators on Friday, May 30, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.
Open to two booksellers from each ABC Children’s Group member business, the tea provides attendees with an intimate and relaxing gathering with two beloved authors or illustrators. Booksellers can select their top three author/illustrator preferences during registration. Participants include Jon Scieszka, Daniel Handler, Andrea Davis Pinkney, and many others. Prepayment ($19.99) is required. Space is limited, and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Reservations for all ABC Children’s Group events close on May 12. Questions should be addressed to ABC Group Manager Matthew Zoni.

Learn more and register for ABC Children’s Group events now.

Annual Celebration of Bookselling and Author Awards Lunch

Celebration of Bookselling and Author Awards Lunch on Thursday, May 29, from 12:15 to 1:45 p.m.
Up to three booksellers from ABA member stores can register for free for the Celebration of Bookselling and Author Awards Lunch, featuring the presentation of the Indies Choice Book Awards and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards.

There is no charge for this event, which is open exclusively to booksellers at ABA member stores. Reservations will close on Friday, May 9.

Learn more and make a reservation for the Celebration of Bookselling and Author Awards Lunch now.