Program: Winter Institute 2027

Full Schedule

Wednesday, February 10, 2027
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM	Ask Advocacy Desk Nicollet Ballroom Promenade, Floor 1, Hyatt
1:00 PM - 6:00 PM	ABA Welcome Desk Nicollet Ballroom Promenade, Floor 1, Hyatt
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM	IGNITE: Arrival/Mingle Nicollet Ballroom C-D, Floor 1, Hyatt
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM	IGNITE: Welcome + Round Tables Nicollet Ballroom C-D, Floor 1, Hyatt
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM	IGNITE: Rep Picks Nicollet Ballroom C-D, Floor 1, Hyatt
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM	IGNITE: Author and Editor Reception Nicollet Ballroom C-D, Floor 1, Hyatt
Thursday, February 11, 2027
7:00 AM - 7:30 AM	12 Step Meeting 201 A, Floor 2, MCC
7:30 AM - 6:00 PM	ABA Welcome Desk Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC									Quiet Room 202 A, Floor 2, MCC
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM	Ask Advocacy Desk Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM	Paz & Associates Seminar: So You Want to Own a Bookstore? Business Best Practices for Future Store Owners (Pre-Registration Required) Northstar A, Floor 2, Hyatt
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM	Full Day Publisher Tour Ballroom Lobby, Floor 1, MCC					Full Day Bookstore Tour 1 Ballroom Lobby, Floor 1, MCC								Full Day Bookstore Tour 2 Ballroom Lobby, Floor 1, MCC
9:00 AM - 3:45 PM	Publishers By Appointment Ballroom B, Floor 1, MCC
9:30 AM - 11:30 AM	Photography Tips for Booksellers 101 CD-HG, Floor 1, MCC					Making Children's Booksellers Out of Everyone Auditorium Room 2, Floor 1, MCC								Bookselling 101: The Questions You're Too Afraid to Ask 101 AB-JI, Floor 1, MCC
12:00 PM - 3:30 PM	Half Day Bookstore Tour 2 Ballroom Lobby, Floor 1, MCC					Half Day Bookstore Tour 3 Ballroom Lobby, Floor 1, MCC								Half Day Bookstore Tour 1 Ballroom Lobby, Floor 1, MCC
12:30 PM - 2:30 PM	Edelweiss Education Session TBA Auditorium Room 2, Floor 1, MCC				Bookselling 101: Co-Op Funds with Professional Bookselling School 101 AB-JI, Floor 1, MCC					After the Rupture: Turning Conflict into Repair, Trust, and Growth with RISEWITHUS 101 CD-HG, Floor 1, MCC						IndieCommerce 2.0 Makerspace 205 AB, Floor 2, MCC
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM	Ask Advocacy Desk Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC
3:45 PM - 4:15 PM	Opening Keynote Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM	Community Conversation Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
5:45 PM - 7:15 PM	Opening Reception Nicollet Ballroom, Floor 1, Hyatt
8:30 PM - 9:30 PM	Affinity Groups Reception Greenway Ballroom A-J, Floor 2, Hyatt
Friday, February 12, 2027
7:00 AM - 7:30 AM	12 Step Meeting 201 A, Floor 2, MCC
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM	Buffet Lines Open Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
7:30 AM - 6:00 PM	Ask Advocacy Desk Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC					Quiet Room 202 A, Floor 2, MCC								ABA Welcome Desk Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM	Breakfast Keynote Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM	IndieCommerce One-on-One Appointments 205 AB, Floor 2, MCC		Bookseller Lounge 200 A, Floor 2, MCC		Ingram One-on-One Appointments 205 C, Floor 2, MCC		Bookshop.org One-on-One Appointments 205 D, Floor 2, MCC		Vendor Showcase 200 Lobby, Floor 2, MCC			Board Office Hours Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC			Batch One-on-One Appointments 202 B, Floor 2, MCC			Meet the Presses Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM	Rep Picks Speed Dating Multiple Rooms, Floor 2, MCC
10:30 AM - 6:30 PM	Galley Room and Shipping Desk 200 B-J, Floor 2, MCC
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM	Ingram Session TBA Auditorium Main, Floor 1, MCC	Storytimes to Workshops: Youth Programming Across Every Age Auditorium Room 2, Floor 1, MCC		Discussion Group: Pop-up and Mobile Stores 206 AB, Floor 2, MCC		Beyond the Bookstore: Growing Your B2B Business Auditorium Room 2, Floor 1, MCC		ABFE Education Session TBA Auditorium Room 3, Floor 1, MCC			Creating a Vision of Greatness with ZingTrain 101 AB-JI, Floor 1, MCC		The Conflict Lab: Bring the Messy Stuff with RISEWITHUS 101 CD-HG, Floor 1, MCC				User Group 207 AB, Floor 2, MCC		Education for Publishers Greenway B-I, Floor 2, Hyatt
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM	Buffet Lines Open Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM	Editors Buzz Lunch Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM	Wait, We Need a Policy for That? Auditorium Main, Floor 1, MCC	Developing a Vibrant Relationship with Publishers 101 CD-HG, Floor 1, MCC		What Comes Next? Bookshop.org and The Future of Indie Bookselling 101 AB-JI, Floor 1, MCC		See Your Name All Over Town: Store Merch That Sells Auditorium Room 2, Floor 1, MCC		Moving the Book Fair from School to Store Auditorium Room 1, Floor 1, MCC			Merchandising and Buying for Difficult Sections Auditorium Room 3, Floor 1, MCC		User Group 207 AB, Floor 2, MCC				Bookmanager Education Session TBA 208 AB, Floor 2, MCC		Discussion Group: Used Bookstores 206 AB, Floor 2, MCC
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM	Rep Picks Speed Dating Multiple Rooms, Floor 2, MCC
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM	Kiss & Tell & Cocktails Party Sponsored by Bookshop.org Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
9:30 PM - 11:00 PM	Read Between the Sheets: Authors, ARCs & Happily Ever Afters, sponsored by HarperCollins Northstar Ballroom and Promenade, Floor 2, Hyatt
Saturday, February 13, 2027
7:00 AM - 7:30 AM	12 Step Meeting 201 A, Floor 2, MCC
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM	Buffet Lines Open Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
7:30 AM - 6:00 PM	Quiet Room 202 A, Floor 2, MCC									ABA Welcome Desk Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM	Breakfast Keynote Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM	Ask Advocacy Desk Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM	Ingram One-on-One Appointments 205 C, Floor 2, MCC		IndieCommerce One-on-One Appointments 205 AB, Floor 2, MCC		Bookseller Lounge 200 A, Floor 2, MCC		Vendor Showcase 200 Lobby, Floor 2, MCC		Bookshop.org One-on-One Appointments 205 D, Floor 2, MCC			Board Office Hours Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC			Meet the Presses Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC			Batch One-on-One Appointments 202 B, Floor 2, MCC
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM	Galley Room and Shipping Desk 200 B-J, Floor 2, MCC
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM	Bookmanager Education Session TBA 208 AB, Floor 2, MCC	How Bookstores Can Help Rebuild a Reading Culture Auditorium Room 2, Floor 1, MCC		Discussion Group: HR for Bookstores 206 AB, Floor 2, MCC		User Group 207 AB, Floor 2, MCC		Stocking Your Graphic Novel and Manga Sections 101 AB-JI, Floor 1, MCC			Should We Grow? The Reality of Expansion 101 CD-HG, Floor 1, MCC		Events Reimagined Workshop Auditorium Main, Floor 1, MCC				Navigating Tough Conversations with Parents Auditorium Room 1, Floor 1, MCC		Education Session TBA Auditorium Room 3, Floor 1, MCC
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM	Rep Picks Speed Dating Multiple Rooms, Floor 2, MCC
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM	Buffet Lines Open Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
12:15 PM - 1:45 PM	Lunch Programming TBA Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
1:45 PM - 2:30 PM	Vendor Showcase and Meet the Presses Open House Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM	Rep Picks Speed Dating Multiple Rooms, Floor 2, MCC
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM	Discussion Group: Genre and Specialty Stores 206 AB, Floor 2, MCC		The ABACUS Check-Up Auditorium Room 1, Floor 1, MCC		User Group 207 AB, Floor 2, MCC		Indies Introduce Presentation Auditorium Room 3, Floor 1, MCC		Rethinking Summer Reading Programs 101 CD-HG, Floor 1, MCC			IndieCommerce Education Session TBA 101 AB-JI, Floor 1, MCC			Creating an Indie Bookstore Ecosystem in Your Community Auditorium Main, Floor 1, MCC			Theft, Fraud, Phishing, and Other Dark Sides to Retail Auditorium Main, Floor 1, MCC
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM	Evening Author Reception Exhibit Hall B, Floor 1, MCC
Sunday, February 14, 2027
7:00 AM - 7:30 AM	12 Step Meeting 201 A, Floor 2, MCC
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM	Buffet Lines Open Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM	Rep Picks Breakfast Presentations Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM	Quiet Room 202 A, Floor 2, MCC					Ask Advocacy Desk Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC								ABA Welcome Desk Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM	Bookshop.org One-on-One Appointments 205 D, Floor 2, MCC		Batch One-on-One Appointments 202 B, Floor 2, MCC		Meet the Presses Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC		Vendor Showcase 200 Lobby, Floor 2, MCC		Bookseller Lounge 200 A, Floor 2, MCC			Board Office Hours Auditorium Lobby, Floor 1, MCC			Ingram One-on-One Appointments 205 C, Floor 2, MCC			IndieCommerce One-on-One Appointments 205 AB, Floor 2, MCC
9:00 AM - 6:30 PM	Galley Room and Shipping Desk 200 B-J, Floor 2, MCC
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM	ZingTrain Education Session TBA 101 CD-HG, Floor 1, MCC	Let the Books Talk For You: Crafting the Perfect Shelf Talker Auditorium Room 1, Floor 1, MCC		Navigating AI in Your Store Auditorium Main, Floor 1, MCC		User Group 207 AB, Floor 2, MCC		Bookmanager Education Session TBA 208 AB, Floor 2, MCC			Buying and Managing the Backlist Auditorium Room 2, Floor 1, MCC		Cash, Capital & Contingencies: Planning for Your Bookstore’s Financial Future Auditorium Room 3, Floor 1, MCC				Discussion Group: Stores with Multiple Locations 206 AB, Floor 2, MCC		Kids Subscription Boxes 101 AB-JI, Floor 1, MCC
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM	Circana Presentation Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM	Buffet Lines Open Exhibit Hall B, Floor 1, MCC
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM	Lunchtime Author Reception Exhibit Hall B, Floor 1, MCC
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM	Don’t Sleep on This Section! 101 CD-HG, Floor 1, MCC	User Group 207 AB, Floor 2, MCC		Education Session TBA Auditorium Room 3, Floor 1, MCC		Bookmanager Education Session TBA 208 AB, Floor 2, MCC		Limiting AI in Your Store Auditorium Room 2, Floor 1, MCC			Ingram Education Session TBA 101 AB-JI, Floor 1, MCC		The HR Specialist is In: Your Questions Answered Auditorium Room 1, Floor 1, MCC				More Than a Bookstore: Being There When Your Community Needs You Most Auditorium Main, Floor 1, MCC		Discussion Group: Children's Booksellers 206 AB, Floor 2, MCC
4:30 PM - 4:45 PM	Binc Heads or Tails Fundraiser and Meet the Presses and Vendor Showcase BINGO Winners Announced Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM	Closing Keynote Ballroom AB, Floor 1, MCC

PROGRAM + SCHEDULE