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. If you test positive, we ask that you do not continue to attend the event.

For stores within 50 miles of New Orleans, 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.

Unfortunately, registrations canceled after April 10, 2024, are nonrefundable. You can also transfer your registration to another individual from your store on or before May 20, 2024.

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.

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. 

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 Lagniappe, on Floor 2 on Sunday, June 9 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm; then in the Napoleon Ballroom Foyer, on Floor 3 for the rest of the event at the Sheraton New Orleans.

The event schedule is available online and will be available 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. Details to come!

There is no dress code at Institutes! Overall, this is a casual event, though you may choose to dress up for receptions, or bring a kids’ book character costume for the annual Children’s Institute Opening Reception and Costume Party. 

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.

Any lost items will be left at the hotel’s front desk.

Visit New Orleans offers discount packages on its website. 

Keep an eye on upcoming Ci2024 emails 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 when it’s available.

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. If you have multiple attendees from your store, when quantities are limited please take 1 per store and share.

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 and peek at their favorite upcoming titles.

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 the Indie Next List or Kids’ Indie Next List, 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 as soon as you can (before the day of the dinner!) to allow another bookseller a seat.

There are plenty of opportunities to meet people at Institutes! Be sure to check out the Institute Orientation/Buddy Meet and 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.

While we are not offering a Virtual Institute for Children's, many of our sessions will be recorded and available on BookWeb after the event.

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 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 childrensinstitute@bookweb.org.

Breakfast keynotes, lunches, and the Book Swap Dinner offer their respective meals, while evening receptions typically offer light hors d'oeuvres and drinks. You’ll also find beverage options at our Rep Picks Speed Dating. On Monday's Affinity Groups Evening Reception, there will be a bar; attendees can also bring their desserts from the Book Swap dinner, but additional snacks are not being provided.  On Wednesday, the Affinity Group Meetups will occur during the coffee break so that attendees can get drinks, but we are not providing snacks in the meetups.

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 will offer a buffet with a variety of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Dishes will be labeled, but if you have questions speak with the wait staff.

The ABA Community Forum is a reimagined Town Hall with the same opportunities for members to be heard and more opportunity for constructive discussions about our industry. The full ABA Board will respond to questions and comments from all booksellers; booksellers who would like to send questions in advance can email townhall@bookweb.org.

Definitely! Attendees received an email from childrensinstitute@bookweb.org with the subject line “Download the Ci2024 Event App Now!” for instructions on downloading and accessing the app.

Publishers support authors appearing at Children's Institute. Bookseller panelists help support member-to-member education and receive a $100 honorarium with our thanks. Training companies that facilitate education are paid by ABA.

Sheraton New Orleans 3rd Floor
Gender Neutral Restroom: The men’s restroom across from the Napoleon Ballroom has been converted into a gender neutral restroom during our programming

Sheraton New Orleans 4th Floor
Gender Neutral Restroom: The men’s restroom across from Edgewood A and Estherwood rooms has been converted into a gender neutral restroom during our programming.

Sheraton New Orleans 8th Floor 
Family Restroom: Adjacent to the rooftop pool entrance

ABA has a small fund to help members with the costs of wheelchairs and scooters on a first come, first served basis. Members who would like to discuss using this fund should contact accessibility@bookweb.org. 

Mobility City of Greater New Orleans 
3501 Severn Avenue, Suite 3B/C , Metairie, LA 70002 
Phone: (504) 420-6625 

Mr. Wheelchair
1201 Jefferson Highway, Jefferson, LA 70121
Phone: (504) 834-2810
Toll Free: (800) 548-9672

Total Access Mobility Services
500 Port of New Orleans Pl, New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: (504) 534-3366

A lactation room will be located in Edgewood A, on the 4th Floor of the Sheraton New Orleans hotel.

Sheraton New Orleans Hotel (500 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA)

Room rate and taxes: 
Rooms will cost $189 per night, plus:

• The current tax of 14.45%;
• An additional $3 per room per night occupancy tax; 
• The New Orleans & Company Tourism Support Assessment of 1.75% of each room rate, per room night.

A credit card is required at time of booking to guarantee all reservations. 

Upon check-in, guests will be required to provide an ID and a credit or debit card to cover their stay and incidentals. A $100 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.

If you are unable to book a room, you will be directed to join the waitlist. ABA will follow up with waitlisted attendees to make sure that everyone gets placed prior to the event, including adding nights to existing reservations or other modifications and securing additional lodging. 

Questions about the hotels can be directed to hotel@bookweb.org. Please allow two business days for a response.

The Sheraton offers valet and on-site parking.
Valet parking: $52 a day
On-site parking: $42 a day

The Sheraton New Orleans Hotel is a pet friendly hotel. Guests will be charged a non-refundable fee of $75 (housekeeping pet cleaning). There is a maximum of one pet per room, and the animal cannot exceed 40 lbs.

*Only service animals will be allowed at Ci2024 events and programming.

The Sheraton New Orleans is about 30 miles from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

At Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, follow signage to the Level 1 Baggage Claim to find rideshare and taxi services. 

You can also visit the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport page to learn more.