Introducing the 2010 Booksellers NZ Conference

Booksellers NZ Annual Conference is to be held at the Langham Hotel, Auckland on Sunday 29 August. This follows the New Zealand Post Book Awards at the Langham on Friday 27 August, Fringe Events on Saturday 28 August and the traditional Business Meeting Day for the trade will be held on Monday 30 August.  Please mark these dates (27-30 August), in your diaries now.

The conference will focus on the opportunities for booksellers with the onset of digitisation and possible changes to the culture of reading and bookselling. The Secretary of Foreign Affairs, John Allen has agreed to be a keynote speaker.  Also, the Chief Operating Officer of the American Booksellers Association, Len Vlahos will present on the practical experiences of booksellers in the United States in selling e-books and e-readers and developing web-based sales.
 
Peter Kalan of REDGroup Retail in Auckland will  present an update on the introduction by the Group of the KOBO e-book reader software being introduced in May. Other speakers will focus on different aspects of the digitisation issue and panel discussions will provide the opportunity for conference attendees to participate.

On the Saturday between, there have been a number of fringe events organised including a further public session “So You Want to Run a Bookshop” following the successful inaugural event last year and also “Marketing Your Book to Independent Booksellers". 

Booksellers NZ are also working on a plan to create an informal opportunity for members of the public to “meet and greet” finalist authors from the 2010 New Zealand Post Book Awards. On the Monday following the Conference, there will be the traditional Business Meeting Day, also to be held at the Langham.

Early bird registration is available by registering online or contacting Cherie Arnott at cherie.arnott@bookselllers.co.nz

REGISTER FOR CONFERENCE ONLINE NOW