HEARTLAND FALL FORUM
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Date
Time
Event (descriptions to come)
Link to recorded event
Link to Exhibit Gallery
Week 1
 
 
   
  
6/23/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Education
To come
To come
6/24/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Rep Picks
To come
​To come
6/25/20
7:00–8:00 pm CST
Marquee Author Feature
​To come
​To come
Week 2
 
 
  
  
7/7/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Education
To come
To come
7/8/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Rep Picks
​To come
​To come
7/9/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Meet the Authors
​To come
​To come
Week 3
 
 
  
  
7/21/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Education
​To come
​To come
7/22/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Rep Picks
​To come
​To come
7/23/20
7:00–8:00 pm CST
Marquee Author Feature
​To come
​To come
Week 4
 
 
  
  
​8/11/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Education
​To come
​To come
8/12/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Rep Picks
​To come
​To come
8/13/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Meet the Authors
​To come
​To come
Week 5
 
 
  
  
8/25/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Education
​To come
​To come
8/26/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Rep Picks
​To come
​To come
8/27/20
7:00–8:00 pm CST
Marquee Author Feature
​To come
To come
Week 6
 
 
  
  
9/8/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Education
​To come
​To come
9/9/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Rep Picks
​To come
​To come
9/10/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Meet the Authors
​To come
​To come
Week 7
 
 
  
  
9/22/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Education
​To come
​To come
9/23/20
1:00–2:00 pm CST
Rep Picks
​To come
​To come
9/24/20
7:00–8:00 pm CST
Marquee Author Feature
​To come
​To come

Wednesday, October 3


ABA's pre-Heartland education

10:00 am-4:00 pm
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Principles of Bookstore Finance Seminar. Presented by the American Booksellers Association. Pre-registration required; Walk-ins welcome subject to space limitations.
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This 101-level seminar will cover the fundamentals of budgeting, understanding cash flow, business financing, bookkeeping, and financial statements. The workshop will include a segment focusing on strategies for achieving higher profits and improving cash flow. The program will conclude with an interactive group discussion, working through an example of how booksellers can use their store’s financial information to make sound business decisions. The seminar will concentrate on bookstore finances as opposed to bookstore accounting, and though it will be helpful for attendees to be familiar with basic bookstore finances, deep financial experience is not required. Session led by ABA CFO Robyn DesHotel and Cynthia Compton from 4 Kids Books & Toys in Zionsville, IN.
 The registration fee is $79, and lunch is included. Register now on BookWeb.
"Having a focused financial seminar with professionals who really understand the bookstore business is a godsend! East City Bookshop is now in its third year, and while I've learned a lot, I know there is so much more I can learn to make my business viable and financially sound. I especially loved the emphasis on choosing three things to focus on in the near future, and just one area to start with. That's helped me focus on a goal amidst the many distractions that come with owning a small business. I highly recommend the seminar. Robyn is wonderful!" --Laurie Gillman, owner of East City Bookshop, Washington, DC

Heartland begins

3:00-4:00 pm
Rock Island
Orientation. A meet-up for first-timers, new staff, new and prospective store owners, and anyone who’d like a refresher on trade show best practices and an opportunity to meet people. We will offer both structured guidance about the show, as well as unstructured time for questions.​
4:00-5:00 pm
Winter Garden
(Re)Discovery Opening Reception. Kick off Heartland18 with a reception designed for celebrating your favorite backlist book. Attendees bring their favorite backlist title and leave with someone else’s. Sales reps will be stationed at tables with a few of their best backlist titles to for attendees to rediscover. We will supply a handout with the reps’ chosen titles, leaving attendees with new backlist stocking opportunities.
5:00-6:30 pm
Great Hall
​Free, nonticketed event

Book Awards Celebration. Celebrate two regions of award-winning authors at this always-inspiring event. The first hour is dedicated to showcasing the authors who have won MIBA's Midwest Booksellers Choice Awards and GLIBA's Great Lakes, Great Reads awards with acceptance remarks from the authors. The grand finale is a book signing reception offering free books and book personalization and socializing with all of the authors. This is a free, nonticketed event with complimentary light food and a cash bar.
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Sponsored by Ingram Content Group
8:30-11:00 pm
​Offsite
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Opening Night Party. Hang out with your friends and colleagues at Moon Palace’s new location, which features two levels of books, an event space, and an in-store restaurant called Geek Love Café. A free shuttle to and from Moon Palace will be available. Scott Carlson, author of Twin Cities Beer, will be there in person to talk beer with booksellers. Compliments of Arcadia Publishing and The History Press, attendees will receive a curated beer menu including a short history of beer in the Twin Cities produced by Carlson, as well as a souvenir pint glass and tote bag. Featured beers suggested by Carlson will be on tap and free to attendees, and Moon Palace will have wine, soft drinks, pizza, salad, and wings for purchase.

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Sponsored by Arcadia Publishing and The History Press

Thursday, October 4

8:00-8:45 am

Membership meetings​. Join colleagues from your region for complimentary breakfast and industry conversation with your regional associations. 
9:00-9:45 am
​Great Hall
Marquee keynote and book giveaway. 
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Education
10:00 am - 10:50 am

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Education sponsored by Penguin Random House
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Falling in Love with Love: It's Not Falling for Make Believe
Rock Island​

More and more indie bookstores are successfully carrying romance. As general retailers pull back, existing romance readers are finding a home in their local bookstores, and more general fiction readers are trying something new.
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Contemporary romances speak to more diverse demographics and offer a wide range of stories to appeal to customers from all backgrounds. Learn how to help show your customers what is available, and have the right books waiting for them each time they come in.

Moderator: Emily Hall, Main Street Books, St. Charles, MO
Panelists: Pam Jaffe, Avon
Cindy Hwang, Berkley
Michele Hauf, Harlequin
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Stop Searching, Start Promoting: Merchandise with a Purpose and Identity Merchandising
​Hiawatha 1

Creating custom merchandise can be a fun (and profitable) way of marketing your store. Whether you’re already active in merchandising your store or just starting out, discuss new and creative ways to promote your business with stickers, coffee mugs, pens, and more.  Booksellers on the panel will share their successes creating merchandise, including nuts and bolts advice on printing t-shirts and book bags, and working with other bookstores to create regionally themed items. Come prepared to share your creative ideas to add to the conversation!

​Moderator
Nancy Rohlen, Ingram
Panelists
Sue Boucher, The Cottage Book Shop, Glen Arbor, MI
Joanna, Bookbug & This is a Bookstore, Kalamazoo, MI
Danny Caine, Raven Bookstore in Lawrence, KS
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Why You Need Above the Treeline
Hiawatha 2​
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Learn how Above the Treeline can make your life easier from two bookstore owners who use it regularly. This is not a "how to" session, but more of a best practices and implementation session. Specific examples and scenarios will be done live. Bring your notepad. You're going to leave with a ton of information, including a cost/benefit analysis of whether or not ATL is right for you.

Panelists: Jessilynn Norcross, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey, MI
Susan Thomas, Coffeetree Books, Morehead, KY
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B2B (Business to Business) with Publishers
Hiawatha 3​

Did you know you can be a resource for organizations in your community and expand your business at the same time? Learn how to develop relationships with other businesses, build sales, and work with publishers to direct customers to their store for large purchases. This session will help encourage further interaction between booksellers and publishers to meet the needs of your B2B customers.

Moderator
Tim Smith, Schuler Books & Music, Grand Rapids, MI
Panelists
Kris Kleindienst, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO

Education
11:00 am - 11:50 am

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Principles of Display Merchandising
Rock Island​
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Learn strategies about how best to display your store's merchandise to increase interaction and sales with your customers.

Moderator:
Matt Keliher, Subtext Books, St. Paul, MN
Panelists:
Daley Farr, Milkweed Editions, Minneapolis, MN
Jessica Peterson White, Content Bookstore, Northfield, MN
Sarah Krammen, Dragonfly Books, Decorah, IA
Lily Tschudi-Campbell, Red Balloon Bookshop, St Paul, MN
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Fun and Games
Hiawatha 1​

How to increase customers and grow sales of games and *fun* sideline items through game nights, game demos, and fun-and-games themed events. What are the best-selling new games to stock? What games and fun items are trending? What old games are making a comeback? How to host game night/magic night and make money!

Moderator: Melanie Green, Bluebird Books & Cafe, Hutchinson, KS 
Panelists: Nancy Rohlen, Ingram
Grant Alden, Coffee Tree Books, Moorehead, KY
Zoe Malinchoc, Fair Trade Books, Red Wing, MN
Zach Matelski, McLean & Eakin, Petoskey, MI
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Likes Aren't Everything: How To Get The Most Out of Your Social Media Platforms
Hiawatha 2​

Drawing from the experience of multiple booksellers, publisher(s), and others in our field, we will share the commonalities that we have discovered from our most successful posts and outreaches to our audiences. In addition, we will talk about navigating the ever-changing platforms, how to stay on top of your social media and stop trying to do #allthethings.

​Moderator: Holland Saltsman, The Novel Neighbor, St. Louis, MO
Panelists: Tiffany Phillips, Wild Geese Bookshop, Franklin, IN
Kelsey Hammond, Yellow Dog Bookshop, Columbia, MO
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​Maximizing Pre-Order Campaigns Presented by the ABA
Hiawatha 3

In this session, ABA will discuss ways that stores can successfully promote and sell pre-orders to become an integral partner to publishers and authors. Learn about new methods developed and tested by a task force of indie stores--including processes and protocols for stores using various POS systems--that all stores can use to maximize pre-orders through marketing, tracking, and reporting. The session will include bookseller participation from the pre-order task force.

Presented by the ABA

Education
12:00 pm - 12:50 pm

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Boosting Bottom Line Via School Fairs and Teacher Sales
Rock Island​

This session will cover how booksellers can better boost their bottom lines by incorporating school fairs and utilizing teacher sales. Panelists will discuss how booksellers can partner with schools or teachers in a collaborative fashion that is mutually beneficial to both.

Moderator:
Katie McGinley, Wild Rumpus, Minneapolis, MN
Panelists:
Joanna Parzakonis, Bookbug & This is a Bookstore, Kalamazoo, MI
Shirley Mullin, Kids Ink Children's Bookstore, Indianapolis, IN
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How Not-So-Big Stores Can Act Big!
Hiawatha 1​

Small stores can have a large impact on the community and the literary world. This session will focus on the things small stores are doing to become successful retailers and stars in their community, as well as engaging more meaningfully with publishers. 

Moderator:
Johanna Hynes, Ingram Publisher Services

Panelists:
Daley Farr, Milkweed Books, Minneapolis, MN
Kelly Estep, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, KY
Wendy Sheanin, Simon & Schuster
Riley Jay Davis, Common Good Books, St Paul, MN
Eric Obenauf, Two Dollar Radio, Columbus, OH
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Quickbooks
Best practices and what you need to know...
Hiawatha 2​

Panelists:
Eleanor Thorn, Lake Forest Book Store, Lake Forest, IL
Charlotte Cooper, Quickbooks Professional, Accurate Accounting & Tax Preparation
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Curating Your Best Library and Bookstore Relationship
Hiawatha 3​

How can you best work with your local libraries? Do you work together on community events, programming? What about local, regional, or national outreach? Do you offer buying options to your libraries? We will discuss these questions and others with both booksellers and librarians. This discussion will provide a platform to explore what booksellers and librarians can do to curate a positive and beneficial working relationship. 

Moderator:
Kristen Sandstrom, Apostle Islands Booksellers, Bayfield, WI
Panelists
Kelsey Westenberg, Librarian and The Dial Bookshop, Chicago, IL
Judith Kissner, Scout & Morgan Books, Cambridge, MN
Danny Caine, The Raven Book Store, Lawrence, KS
Carla Lydon, East Central Regional Library, Cambridge, MN

1:00-2:30 pm
Great Hall
​Ticketed Event
The Moveable Feast​. Enjoy our ongoing tradition of feasting with a host of 40 authors. This event includes a three-course lunch while a series of authors visits your table. Attendees receive all authors' books. New this year, we are giving booksellers an opportunity to meet the authors of their choice after the Feast on the trade show floor.
See all confirmed authors
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Sponsored by Baker & Taylor

  • 2:30-4:00 pm - Moveable Feast authors are stationed on the show floor for book signing and other business with booksellers.
  • ​5:30-6:30 pm - Trade show floor happy hour! Visit with Tor authors Mary Robinette Kowal and John Scalzi while enjoying complimentary sparkling wine and cookies (while supplies last) and a cash bar on the show floor.
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Sponsored by Tor/Macmillan

7:00-9:00 pm
​Great Hall
​Ticketed Event
Tasting Notes Dinner. Enjoy a three-course plated dinner while hearing from 4-6 of of the season's hottest authors. Attendees receive complimentary books and will have time for book personalization after the authors' presentations. 
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Sponsored by HarperCollins Publishing
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9:30 pm
Quiz Bowl. Join your friends for a fierce literary trivia tournament.
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Sponsored by Phaidon

Friday, October 5


8:00-9:15 am
​Great Hall
​Ticketed Event
Children's Author Breakfast. Enjoy a plated breakfast while hearing from at least 4 of of the season's hottest authors. Attendees receive complimentary books and will have time for book personalization after the authors' presentations. 
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Sponsored by Scholastic
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12:30-2:00 pm
​Great Hall
Free to booksellers but requires advance registration
Handselling Rep Around Lunch. Right after the floor closes, head over to the Great Hall for a free lunch featuring multiple rounds of sales rep presentations for booksellers. Have you already placed your fall orders? No problem. This lunch is designed to get every level of bookseller excited for a crop of new books coming out in the fall and early winter. Sales reps will present their list by giving booksellers the key sales points (ie, target audience, comp titles, elevator pitch, etc.) This event features its own printed program of all of the sales reps' titles. In addition, galleys of the reps' choosing will be available to booksellers at the closing reception. Est. 20 reps and 180 booksellers.
2:15-3:00 pm
Hiawatha
Marquee author keynote and book giveaway​. 
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Sci-Fi and Fantasy Author Panel - Rock Island
Moderated by Rebecca George, Volumes Bookcafe, Chicago, IL
This panel features sci-fi and fantasy authors who are experts in their field talking about the state of the genre, including hooks, trends, and key titles and authors.
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Graphic Novel as Memoir Panel - Hiawatha 1
Moderated by Keith Lewis from Bookies, Chicago, IL
This panel features graphic artists who use the medium to explore personal narratives talking about the state of the genre, including hooks, trends, and key titles and authors.
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​4:00-6:00 pm
Great Hall​

Closing Reception and Literary Raffle. What a party! Join 25 authors for a book signing and literary raffle giving away many wonderful prizes to our bookseller attendees. Features free food and cash bar.
See all confirmed authors.

Saturday, October 6

9:00 am-12:30 pm
$15 ticket fee payable via attendee registration
Bookstore Tour!
After the show, hop on a bus with your friends and take a tour of a few excellent local bookshops!
  • Daybreak Press Global Bookshop
  • Common Good Books
  • Subtext Books
  • Red Balloon Bookshop
Sponsored by Shelf Awareness, there will be a lot of camaraderie and fun to be had as we enjoy local bookstores after taking in all the insight from Heartland. 
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Sponsored by Shelf Awareness
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