In an effort to create the safest environment possible, attendees are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. 

For this event, you must have received 2 Pfizer, 2 Moderna, 1 Johnson & Johnson, or 2 AstraZenca vaccine. Boosters are recommended but not required.

We have partnered with HealthShield in order to verify vaccination status for all attendees. You do not need to take any additional action or download anything. HealthShield will text you and prompt you to upload a copy of your vaccination card.

If the name on your card does not match the name that will appear on your Ci2023 badge, please email childrensinstitute@bookweb.org so that we can notify HealthShield.

If you verified your vaccination card to attend Children’s Institute 2022 (Ci10) or Winter Institute 2023 (Wi2023), you will not need to upload a card for Ci2023, and will not receive a text from HealthShield.

You will be able to choose a colored lanyard for your badge, to indicate your comfort level with others approaching you.

GREEN = handshakes/fist bumps welcome
YELLOW = elbow bumps and a little space appreciated
RED = no handshakes and lots of space please

If you’re not feeling well at any point during your stay, or if you are experiencing any signs or symptoms of COVID-19, please get tested, regardless of vaccination status or prior infection. For convenience and to prevent possible exposure to others, we recommend you bring your own COVID tests to the event.

Registration costs $255. Day Pass Registration for $85 is available for members whose stores are within 50 miles of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

For stores within 50 miles of Milwaukee, Day Passes are offered for each of the three individual event days. Each attendee is limited to one day pass. 

We ask attendees to provide their pronouns during registration if they would like them to appear on their badge. Badges are printed in advance of the event. Providing your pronoun is optional. If you prefer not to address or include your pronouns, you may skip this question.

You can review the details of the confirmation email you received, or log back into Swoogo to review/manage your registration.

You may cancel your registration by May 1, 2023 for a full refund, minus a $30 cancellation fee. Unfortunately, registrations canceled after May 1, 2023, are nonrefundable, but you will receive free admission to our virtual Children’s Institute. You can also transfer your registration to another individual from your store on or before June 1, 2023.

Please send all requests for transfers and cancellations to childrensinstitute@bookweb.org.

As part of ABA’s commitment to lessening our carbon footprint, all of our meals will be vegetarian. If needed, you can request other options on the registration form. For Ci2023, meal options can be requested until registration is closed on May 1, 2023.

You will be asked about dietary requirements when you register. Though the default is vegetarian meals, you can select vegan or meat options while registration is still open. 

Due to limited capacity, family members are not able to register for this event. While they are welcome to travel with you, they will not be able to attend Institute events. 

Children’s Institute 2023 will be held at the Wisconsin Center (400 W. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI) and the Hilton Milwaukee City Center (509 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee WI). These two locations are connected by a skywalk. 

Before attending any sessions, you will need to check in at the Welcome Desk to pick up your badge and welcome bag! You can find the Welcome Desk at the Wisconsin Center on Level 1 at the Main Rotunda Entrance.

The event schedule is available online and on the event app. You will also receive a physical schedule in your welcome bag at check in.

Your badge is required for entry into event spaces, so please wear it at all times. If something happens to your badge, visit the Welcome Desk or contact an ABA team member for help.

Wifi access will be available for event attendees.

Wisconsin Center Network: Ci2023 Attendees
Password: booksellers

Hilton Milwaukee City Center Network: HHonors_Conference
No password is required.

There is no dress code at Institutes! Overall, this is a casual event, though you may choose to dress up for receptions. We do suggest comfortable walking shoes, as well as layers, as the convention center is often cold. If you plan on going to a publisher dinner, please check with the restaurant to see if they have any specific dress requirements. 

Items lost and found at the hotel should be returned to the hotel’s front desk. Lost and found items at the Wisconsin Center will be given to the Public Safety Office. To inquire about an item, call (414) 908-6165.

Visit Milwaukee offers discount passes on its website.

Here’s more information from their website:
With Visit Milwaukee discounts on food, attractions, beer, and more, you're sure to find your favorite spot or discover something brand new.  Passes are free to access and easy to use. Explore this link for the best deals the Cream City has to offer! (Note that the Cheese Curd Pass will be retired on 5/1, but they promise a new pass that’s focused specifically on the downtown convention center area that will be available for use in June.) 

Keep an eye on Bookselling this Week and the Children’s Institute website to see the authors, speakers, publishers, and vendors that will be at the event. You can also use the event app to view other attendees.

We want as many booksellers as possible to enjoy the Galley Room, so we ask that you take no more than 1 of each title. 

There will be a FedEx Shipping Desk in the Galley Room to help you ship your galleys home. 

Bring pre-printed FedEx labels to send boxes home. Sign up with PartnerShip or if you have an existing account, be sure to check that the account information is correct and the credit card on file is valid.

Check out the program ahead of time on the website program page or the event app to plan your days. Pick the sessions that appeal most to you and pace yourself! Many sessions are recorded and made available virtually after the conference, so be sure to keep an eye on Bookselling This Week if you miss a session you were excited about. And don’t forget to attend Rep Picks events to meet publisher reps, peek at their favorite upcoming titles, and enjoy refreshments. 

There is no sure way to obtain an invite to publisher dinners, but building a relationship with a rep, if you have one, is a good first step. Another way is to increase your industry profile. That means submitting titles for INL or KNL, promoting their books and authors on Staff Picks, appearing on panels, blogging or posting on social media, and getting to know other booksellers. As publishers see you supporting and promoting their books and authors, they’ll want you at their table!

If you are invited to special events outside of the conference and need to decline the invitation, email your host to allow another bookseller a seat.

There are plenty of opportunities to meet people at Institutes! Be sure to check out the First Timer Orientation and Scholarship Meet & Greet, as well as Meet-ups throughout the event. Receptions are also an excellent chance to mingle. And, feel free to walk up to someone you don't know and ask them what store they’re from! Check out our First-Timer’s Checklist for more tips to prepare.

Virtual Ci2023 will be held Wednesday, June 28, on Zoom. It will be a full day of keynote presentations, education sessions, a virtual Galley Room, and opportunities for networking. Watch BTW for registration!

ABA is committed to antiracism, equity, access, and representation. We are also committed to being more inclusive, and we value the dignity and diversity of everyone in our community.

All ABA virtual and in-person event attendees and organizers are expected to comply with ABA's Code of Conduct, refraining from all forms of harassment, and showing respect and courtesy to everyone involved in ABA events. 

Please see ABA’s full Code of Conduct on BookWeb.

The booksellers in the room (virtual or otherwise) are, by definition, competitors. This means that under the law, they are prohibited from discussing certain things.

Specifically:

• There can be no discussions of price or pricing policies. Competitors are never allowed to agree on the price at which merchandise is sold, or discounts at which merchandise is offered. All discussions of price and pricing policies are strictly off-limits.
• There can be no discussion of boycotts. Competitors cannot agree to cease doing business with any supplier for any reason. Nor can competitors agree to urge consumers to boycott a third competitor. It’s collusion, and is strictly prohibited.
• There can be no discussion of dividing up a market. For example, if there are two booksellers in New York City, they cannot agree that one will market only to consumers north of 57th Street while the other markets only to customers south of 57th Street. This is also collusion and is prohibited.

All three of these prohibitions come to us via the Sherman Antitrust Act, which carries treble damages and jail time. All three are per se violations, which means it only has to be proved that you engaged in the activity — whether or not there was intent to harm, or actual harm caused — for you to be guilty of violating the law.

We take photos at all of our events. By attending, you agree that your photograph or image may be taken and used in connection with Children’s Institute. However, we strive to be courteous when taking photos. If you are asked to pose for a photo, you may decline and step out of the frame. 

To request that no photos of you be used, you can contact info@bookweb.org.

While the general education sessions do not offer snacks, you’ll find refreshments at many of our sessions. Breakfast keynotes and lunch receptions offer their respective meals, while other receptions typically offer lighter refreshments. You’ll also find coffee options at our Rep Picks Speed Dating. 

We continue to experiment ways to improve on our meal offerings to meet your needs while decreasing our climate impact and managing costs. In order to simplify your dining experience, we’ve moved away from dietary cards and are offering buffets that feature plant-based and animal protein options.

All meals, except for Tuesday’s lunch, will offer a buffet with a variety of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Dishes will be labeled, and if you have questions speak with the wait staff. Animal protein will be either chicken, turkey, and/or fish. Tuesday’s lunch will be a selection of boxed lunches.

All meals will be located inside of Grand Ballroom AB.

The Ci2023 event app is now available on the App Store and Google Play! Download the app to customize your event schedule, access the full program, evaluate sessions, and more.

ABA is committed to making all reasonable arrangements that will allow conference attendees to participate in conference events. ABA complies with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), and we work to make the conference comfortable and accessible for all participants. We recognize not all disabilities require accommodations, and some are invisible. For the overall comfort of all attendees, ABA considers such accommodations as seating areas to rest between events, quiet rooms, maps in multiple formats, and an onsite contact when help is needed. ABA does not require every person to disclose their disability to us, but given the range and variations of disabilities we may not know how to properly accommodate someone with a disability unless they contact us directly to share their questions and concerns.

2023 Accessibility Services

Many accessibility services require advanced planning for a conference as large as ABA’s. In order to help us better prepare, all requests for accessibility services, equipment, or accommodations should be submitted before the conference. ABA can best meet accessibility needs when requests are sent by May 15, 2023, to accessibility@bookweb.org. 

Anonymous submissions can also be made on this form. ABA will make every effort to accommodate requests that arrive after May 15.

Gender neutral restrooms will be available in the following locations:

Hilton Milwaukee City Center
By the Crystal Ballroom on the 5th Floor. 
A family restroom is located next to the Empire Ballroom on the Lobby Level.

Wisconsin Center
On Level 1 next to S101 and on Level 2 next to S201.

Hotels are located in close proximity to the Wisconsin Center, but here are options for attendees who may want additional support to get around:

On The Go Mobility
Rentals of Scooters, MWC and Lift Chairs for your mobility needs.
7289 N. Teutonia Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53209
www.onthegomobility.com
Contact: Kraig Ausman, (414) 228-7100
mail@onthegomobility.com

American MedTrans
646 S. 2nd Street, Suite 300 Milwaukee, WI 53204
www.amtwi.com 
Contact: Jane Samolinski, (414) 220-3286
contact@amtwi.com 
American MedTrans (AMT) is a division of American United Transportation Group providing both wheelchair and non-emergency medical transportation to Southeastern Wisconsin. We are a Wisconsin owned, family run business with the goal of providing our clients with prompt, safe and enjoyable service. Drivers are trained and certified in wheelchair transport when assigned to use one of our rear ramp wheelchair accessible vehicles. We will work to accommodate the best possible solution for our clients transportation needs at an affordable price.

A Mamava Lactation Pod is located across from 103D in the South Building of the Wisconsin Center.

Hilton Milwaukee City Center (located at 509 W Wisconsin Avenue) Block Full 

Room rate and taxes: Rate is $179, plus 15.5% room tax, per room, per night, and is available three days pre- and post-Ci2023 upon availability. This hotel block is sold out.

Upon check in, guests will be required to provide an ID and a credit or debit card to cover their stay and incidentals. A $40 charge will be placed as a hold on your card for the length of your stay and the actual amount will be charged upon departure.  It is advised to not use a debit card at the time of check in since the incidental fees may take up to 7 business days to be returned to your account. Credit card is the preferred method at check in, and guests will be able to switch the charges at check out.

DoubleTree by Hilton Milwaukee Downtown (located at 611 W Wisconsin Avenue) OPEN

Room rate and taxes: Rate is $179, plus 15.5% room tax, per room, per night, and is available three days pre- and post-Ci2023 upon availability. The rate is good until Thursday, May 11, or until the block is sold out.

Upon check in, guests will be required to provide an ID and a credit or debit card to cover their stay and incidentals. 

All room and tax for the stay will be authorized at check in and an additional $75 per day for incidentals. It is advised to not use a debit card at the time of check in since the incidental fees may take up to 7 business days to be returned to your account. Credit card is the preferred method at check in, and guests will be able to switch the charges at check out.

The Hilton offers self-parking at $32 a day. 

The DoubleTree offers valet parking at $28 a day (only one car per room is allowed). 

Hilton Milwaukee City Center is a pet friendly hotel. Guests will need to sign a waiver upon check in and will be charged a non-refundable fee of $50 (housekeeping pet cleaning). The max weight of service animals cannot exceed 50 lbs.

Only service animals are permitted at the DoubleTree, guests must present the proper paperwork.

Only service animals will be allowed at Ci2023 events and programming.

ABA will start a waitlist when both hotels have sold out.  

Questions about the Ci2023 hotels can be directed to hotel@bookweb.org. We will respond within 2 business days. If you made your own reservation, please contact the hotel directly. 

Check out the Visit Milwaukee website to see a list of local attractions, shops, and dining options! You can also refer to our DEIA Resource Guide (coming soon!) for more things to do in Milwaukee.

The Hilton Milwaukee City Center and the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Milwaukee Downtown are 9 miles from General Mitchell International Airport.

General Mitchell International Airport has a taxi pickup station outside of Baggage Claim 3. If you prefer rideshare alternatives, apps estimate a $20–$30 fare. 

You can also visit the General Mitchell International Airport Transportation page to learn more.