The ABA Annual Conference offers professional development seminars and workshops and a forum for the exchange of ideas amongst booksellers. It also provides an opportunity for social and commercial contact with other booksellers and with publishers and suppliers. Reduced registration rates are offered to ABA members.
Dates & venue
When: Sunday 15, Monday 16, Tuesday 17 June 2008
Where: The Sebel Albert Park, 65 Queens Road, Melbourne 3004 (opposite the Albert Park Lake)
Delegate registrations
Friends of the book industry are welcome to register; publishers, editors, teacher-librarians, newsagents, suppliers and media.
All ABA members, bookshop owners, franchisees, managers, head office management, staff and associate suppliers are invited to register.
New ABA members and bookshop staff are invited to take advantage of the Special ONE Day Pass - please book on the registration form.
To download the registration form press here.
Note: the late fee is currently waived.
If you wish to make a group booking but are unable to advise names, please make a generic booking with payment by Friday 18 April eg. Person 1, Person 2 etc.. Individual names may be advised by Friday 16 May to mail@aba.org.au.
Only registered delegates will be admitted to the Conference and exhibition on presentation of their name tag.
Exhibition & delegate satchel inserts
A trade exhibition will be held on Monday 16 June featuring 80 publishers and suppliers.
To view the list of exhibitors and their contact details to make appointments to discuss your business press here.
Admittance to the trade exhibition on Monday 16 June is free, however attendees are required to register and present their name tag.
Exhibitors please note: The exhibition is fully booked, however if you are a supplier of goods and services and wish to be waitlisted in case of a cancellation, please send your details to mail@aba.org.au.
Insert promotion material into delegates satchels
Booktrade publishers and suppliers are invited to insert their promotional material in delegates’ satchels by registering before 31 April. To register please press here.
This high profile opportunity will ensure your goods and services are brought to the attention of bookshop owners, managers and decision makers.
Program & sponsors
The program features an eclectic mixture of industry focused, inspirational sessions and social events. The conference theme is sustainability of the industry, both environmentally and financially. To view the supporting sponsors and the 3 day program please press here.
Highlights include:
Sunday - Tim Flannery, scientist, explorer, author and 2007 Australian of the Year, in the keynote opening address
Monday - bookshop focused sessions; the ABA member forum; inventory management system and bibliographic database demonstrations; the trade exhibition with over 80 suppliers
Tuesday - the open forum, entrepreneurship and the keynote closing address on counter-intuitive business thinking by Peter Sheahan, gen y expert.
The program includes two gala dinners:
Sunday - the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) and announcement of awards including the publisher, bookseller and book of the year.
Monday - the 84th Annual Booksellers Dinner and announcement of the 2008 Nielsen BookData Booksellers Choice Award
A pre-conference dinner will be held on Saturday 14 June for early arrivals and locals - please book on the registration form.
Nielsen BookData 2008 Booksellers Choice Award
The Nielsen BookData Booksellers Choice Award recognises the book that booksellers most enjoyed reading or hand-selling during the previous year. This is a special award, because it is decided by the people who care enough to personally recommend and put a book in the hands of the reading public. This award is the only genuine reflection of booksellers' preferences and is proudly supported on the membership's behalf by Nielsen BookData and the ABA. The generous prize from Nielsen BookData is presented to the winning author at the Annual Booksellers Dinner. Booksellers are congratulated on their excellent choices since the Award's inception in 1994, shown here.
2008 Nominations and voting
Nominations for the shortlist (from the long list) close on Thursday 24 April. Select your favourite and vote!
Voting from the shortlist closes on Friday 9 May. The winner will be announced at the 84th Annual Booksellers Dinner.
To download the nomination form and vote, click here.
Airport bus
SUNBUS provides a 'Meet & Greet' service with a direct transfer from Melbourne International or Domestic Airports to hotels in the Melbourne central business district and the St. Kilda Road vicinity (including The Sebel in Queens Road). This is a door to door service that must be pre-booked by email or fax at least 48 hours prior to arrival. The cost is $22 per person each way and payment is by MasterCard or VISA. Please note: The following information must be supplied at the time of booking: Date of Arrival/Departure, Time of flight arrival / departure, Flight Numbers, Hotel Name, Passenger Name(s) & No.(s)
Also note: the travel time between Tullamarine Airport and Queens Road is approximately 45 minutes, excluding the hotel stopovers on route; that rerun journeys must also be re-confirmed with SUNBUS.
To view further SUNBUS details or pre-purchase tickets press here.
Parking
There is a commercial car park located next door to The Sebel accessible via Lorne Street. The car park has 400 parking bays and there is a fee per exit payable.
The current rate is $12 per exit though fees are subject to change without notification.
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For information on shopping, sports, arts, culture, nightlife and other attractions press here.
