Winter Institute Set to Take Over Memphis

The American Booksellers Association is taking over the Memphis Cook Convention Center and much of six nearby hotels to accommodate more than 1,000 booksellers, publishers, authors, and other book industry professionals heading to the 13th Annual Winter Institute.

This year, for the first time, Winter Institute’s hub for its educational programs and keynote presentations is a convention center. Attendees can review the Winter Institute 2018 Program at a Glance to quickly spot where their favorite events will be held.

The keynote presentations, many educational sessions, the ABA Town Hall Meeting, lunchtime events such as the Rep Picks and Small Press Lunchtime Author Reception, and the Thacker Mountain Radio Hour will be held in the convention center from Tuesday, January 23, to Thursday, January 25.

The Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel will be the site for programming on Monday, January 22, as well as for the ABA Welcome Desk, which will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Evening parties during the week will also be at the Sheraton, including the Ingram Drinks & Hors d’Oeuvres Open Reception and the Scholastic Meet & Treat After Party.

Attendees are encouraged to download the Wi13 smartphone app, CrowdCompass AttendeeHub, on Google Play or iTunes to find maps of the venues, network with peers, and bookmark educational sessions they wish to join. There is also a web browser version for attendees who prefer to use a computer.

Booksellers and other publishing industry professionals will likely see their fellow Wi13 attendees at the hotels selected by ABA, including the Crowne Plaza Memphis Downtown, the Comfort Inn Downtown, the Courtyard by Marriott Memphis Downtown, the Residence Inn by Marriott Memphis Downtown, and the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Memphis Downtown. All of the hotels are within a mile of the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

There is convenient and free transportation within the network of ABA venues and hotels for attendees wearing Wi13 badges from Monday, January 22, through Thursday, January 25. The MATA Trolley has convenient stops at the convention center and near all hotels. Attendees can ask at their hotel’s front desk for the nearest trolley stop.

The trolley also travels to notable sites within the downtown, including the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel and the Beale Street Entertainment District, where plentiful clubs and restaurants serving up barbecue and blues music await. Wi13 attendees get a $2 discount off admission at the Civil Rights Museum when they show their Wi13 badge.

The Wi13 Welcome Reception at The Cadre at 149 Monroe Avenue in downtown Memphis is within walking distance of most of the hotels.

For the reception, ABA is providing three buses that will loop between the Crowne Plaza, the Sheraton, and the Courtyard starting at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 22. On the return trip, guests will board a bus back to their hotels at the corner of 2nd Street and Monroe Avenue on the Monroe side.

There will be complimentary coat racks and a bag check available at the Convention Center in the Grand Lobby beginning Tuesday.

The 2018 Winter Institute is made possible by support from lead sponsor Ingram Content Group and from publishers large and small. Questions about Winter Institute can be addressed to [email protected].