Full speech: Chairman Hamish Wright opens the Booksellers NZ conference

Good morning everyone and welcome to the 90th Booksellers Conference.

In July 1921 the NZ Booksellers Association was founded by Harry South. Interestingly it is not the oldest booksellers association in the world. That lies with the British Booksellers Association, which was founded in the late 19th Century followed closely by the American Booksellers Association in 1900. 

Denmark in 1920, Australia in 1924, and the latest association to be formed, The Independent Online Booksellers Association in 1999. I guess that reflects the changes nature of bookselling!

The conference line up is impressive. Today, we have just about the whole supply chain of the book trade. We have authors, publishers, booksellers and I know there are a few readers out there!

We have Governors, chairpersons, CEOs, presidents and managing directors of large organisations in and around the book industry.

It should make for a stimulating and invigorating environment and I encourage each and every one to listen, participate and absorb. I am sure we will all be able to take away useful information that is pertinent to our businesses.

Tonight we celebrate the best of the industry at the Industry Awards Cocktail evening. This recognises all the publishers, reps and booksellers of NZ that are the best of the best. Each contribute so much to the health and well being of the industry and each are recognised tonight. We are grateful to sponsors THORPE Bowker and also Nielsen Book Data.

I would also like to acknowledge the multinational aspect of the conference with Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and an 11 member delegation from the Indian Book Publishing business. Welcome to Aotearoa and our 90th Conference.

I keep saying every year that this year will be interesting and each year it is. It’s almost like a self fulfilling prophecy! However, the wrinkles of the book trade are such that it is interesting and it is challenging. As a bookseller in a small provincial town I am feeling the pressure as much as everyone in NZ.

Customer numbers are down and when they do spend they are very selective as to how they spend. WE, as booksellers are coming under increasing pressure from the overseas online retailers, the strong NZ dollar, fragmentation of the NZ bookselling retail scene and the reader who knows when and what is available sometimes before you! The changes to the book retail scene in NZ this year underwent tremendous upheaval with the troubles of the REDGroup Retail.

It was wonderful to see that, unlike the Australian arm of REDGroup Retail, the NZ sales of assets and transition was handled smoothly and efficiently. Is is also great to see the majority of the ownership of those assets now reside in kiwi hands again. I welcome the return of some experiences heads to the management of their respective organisations.

Books as a brand is still a strong and robust brand. In whatever format; hardback, trade paperback, and digital, the book is a brand that people look to for inspiration, excitement, knowledge and escapism.

We as booksellers need to be the brand curators and nurture our readers and help them find a solution to the information overload that pervades their lives. We need to recognise the ‘nowism’ of our customers and embrace the see-hear-buy aspects of the modern customer. Utilised the tools that we have such as the NZ Book Month, IndieBound, social media, the notion that life is online as both mobile online access and time spend online  continues to explode.

Basically we need to create a strong industry by selling more books!

The Christchurch earthquakes of both September, February and June impacted our members tremendously. Some have escaped with little damage and others have not been so fortunate.

However, we did not lose one of our family for whiches I am very thankful. Booksellers NZ established a fund to help those booksellers that were impacted and the wonderful response from all over the globe has enabled the booksellers of Christchurch to attend. It is wonderful to see you here and I hope you enjoy the conference and break away from the tremors.

Although, Becky Anderson the President of the American Booksellers Association (ABA) will be fully welcomed later on in the morning I would like to acknowledge the generous contribution made to the Relief Fund by the ABA. There have been many climate disasters affecting the US this year and we know the ABA helps and sustains their members in times of strife.

But to reach out and support booksellers so far away in Christchurch. New Zealand was a wonderful act of generosity. Becky please convey our heartfelt thanks back to your Board upon your return. Therefore enjoy the day and I hope to meet and talk books with you during the conference and the trade day tomorrow.

A central part of the fight to stem of the recession and help the recover has been the Reserve Bank of NZ and its Governor Dr Alan Bollard. His book ‘Crisis’ became something of a bestseller in NZ not only for its very readable and understandable description of the international crisis but also for the insightful affects on his family and colleagues.

He remains of course a central figure in the renewal of the country’s economy and that of Christchurch and thus a very fitting person to speak within our theme of Renewal at the 90th Booksellers NZ annual conference.

Dr. Bollard is a rare beast. A man who not only walks comfortable amongst the number crunchers and economists of the world but equally wanders with ease amongst the wordsmiths and ink slingers of the literary world.

As well as his non-fiction work I have it on good authority that there is also a piece of fiction that may be stashed under a bed as well. Alan is here today more as an author than officially the Governor of the Reserve Bank.

He has asked that his speech not be treated in any way as an officially statement from the Bank and that it should be viewed under Chatham House rules. I would ask everyone to respect this requested. It is with great pleasure that I welcome Dr. Alan Bollard to the stage.