With the recent announcement that the California Independent Booksellers Alliance will hold its Fall Fest in late September, the lineup for this year’s fall regional bookseller association shows is complete. Once again, the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance and the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association will get a head start on the season with their New Voices New Rooms joint meeting, set for August 7–10 in Arlington, Va. This will be SIBA and NAIBA’s first in-person regional after partnering for the past three years on a virtual conference.

SIBA executive director Linda-Marie Barrett promises NVNR will focus on “networking and bringing new purpose into a gathering of booksellers and publishers.” Programming will take place in the exhibit hall “to heighten engagement and excitement around title discovery,” she said, and evenings will be dedicated to author dinners.

The other trade shows get started in mid-September, beginning with the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association gathering in Portland, Ore., September 19–21. Executive director Brian Juenemann expects the PNBA educational programming to “roll out with force,” with sessions designed in response to membership surveys and an open call for proposals.

In 2021 and 2022, PNBA reorganized its fall show “to maximize opportunities for the reps,” Juenemann said. The reps were so pleased with last year’s rep pick sessions, which involve an evening-reception-style opening of the show floor, that “we locked it in for at least three years,” he added.

CALIBA will hold its Fall Fest September 27–28 in San Francisco. “There’s nothing like a gathering of booksellers to center, encourage, and uplift,” said Ann Seaton, co-executive director of CALIBA. “Our education committee has been actively developing sessions for booksellers at all stages of their careers. Expanded exhibit hall hours will allow more time for engagement and discovery.”

“We’re especially excited to facilitate this gathering at such a critical time in bookselling,” added Kristin Rasmussen, Seaton’s co-executive director.

Set for October 3–5, the New England Independent Booksellers Association brings its Fall Conference back to Providence, R.I. “It’s NEIBA’s 50th anniversary this year, and we’re going to be celebrating that milestone,” said executive director Beth Ineson, who promises golden anniversary festivities in addition to all the usual education and author programming.

The Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association will hold FallCon23 October 4–7 in Denver. Noting an uptick in both early and first-timer registrations, executive director Heather Duncan predicted a spike in attendance for a show that will “be sticking to our tried-and-true schedule,” she said. “New this year will be an education intensive on a topic yet to be decided, and some additional opportunities for booksellers to connect and learn.”

Larry Law, executive director of the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association, said that GLIBA and the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association are “in the planning stages” of Heartland Fall Forum, which will take place in Detroit for the first time, October 18–20. “We are expecting a big turnout, especially of Michigan booksellers,” he noted.

With Detroit close to Canada, organizers hope to make it an international gathering. GLIBA has reached out to Canadian publishers and is working with the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association to invite its members to the Heartland.

Regional Bookseller Associations’ Fall Trade Show Schedule, 2023

New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association

Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance

New Voices New Rooms

August 7–10 (Arlington, Va.)

Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association

September 19–21 (Portland, Ore.)

California Independent Booksellers Alliance

September 27–28 (San Francisco)

New England Independent Booksellers Association

October 3–5 (Providence, R.I.)

Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association

October 4–7 (Denver)

Midwest Independent Booksellers Association

Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association

Heartland Fall Forum

October 18–20 (Detroit)