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A Vibrant Indie Book Market: Takeaways from NEIBA’s Fall Conference

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IMG_20160921_100619351The NEIBA Fall Conference lights up Providence every September, bringing with it booksellers, publishers, and representatives from all over the region eager to learn more about what’s happening in the industry. This year, IPG Trade Sales Manager Aaron Howe relays the importance of building relationships with emerging indies, the successful presence of IPG publisher Coralstone Press, and the resurging vibrancy of a show that Publishers Weekly said launched with “a lot of energy.”

What are the main events of the show? How do they relate/tie-in to the work we do at IPG?

NEIBA is a multifaceted show, as independent regional trade shows tend to be, and is a mixture of seminars regarding bookseller education and industry discussion, relationship building between booksellers, publishers, and representatives on the show floor, and the marketing of authors via signings and lunches. Some might argue the main event of the show was the cocktail reception where Brendan Wenzel of They All Saw a Cat reigned as the favorite attraction, but each aspect has its own merits.

For IPG, our primary focus for this show was to engage with independent booksellers and discuss our publications, future and past, to garner feedback about our programs, and to coordinate our efforts with our beloved New England rep force Chesapeake & Hudson. All of which I think were successful.

How was this show different from others you’ve been to in the past?

This show had an enthusiasm that some regional shows in the past had lacked, especially back when the recession had more of a grip on the industry. Perhaps the lift in book sales for independents in 2016 contributed to the show’s overall, resurging vibrancy. The one comforting through-line, however, has been the warm commonality of people that love books.

What was IPG’s primary objective for attending this show?

To build relationships with any new or emerging indies and to strengthen our current relationships with our customers, and to show off the gems in our fall title list and to highlight our client publishers.

IMG_20160921_191231135 What was the show’s biggest success, in your opinion?

In terms of IPG, the attendance of Coralstone Press was a great success. There was a bevy of booksellers and librarians that were excited about their wonderful books and the impetus behind their publishing—giving a great narrative without sacrificing word count and trusting in children’s intelligence.

What was your main takeaway?

Independents are still experiencing growth in our noble enterprise of sharing the power of books.

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