FallCon Scholarships & Grants

Travel Grants (four available)

With generous sponsorship from our friends at ???, we are delighted to offer four travel grants to attend the show.

  • The grants $250 each to help with room, board, and travel expenses.
  • The applicant’s bookstore must be an MPIBA member in good standing.
  • Please only apply if you are able to travel to the event, and (if applicable) have permission from your store owner or manager to attend FallCon.
  • Bookstores will be reimbursed for expenses upon receipt of documentation.

APPLICATIONS OPEN SUMMER 2024

Blue Willow – Vener Barnes First-time Attendee Scholarship

This scholarship offered to a fall trade show and conference first-time FallCon attendee is funded by Valerie Koehler, owner of Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, Texas, in honor of her father and bookselling inspiration, Vener Barnes.

  • The scholarship is for $500 to help with room, board, and travel expenses.
  • Any owner or bookseller from an MPIBA member store in good standing, who has never attended the MPIBA fall trade show and conference.
  • Please only apply if you are able to travel to the event, and if applicable, have permission from your store owner or manager to attend FallCon.
  • One recipient will be drawn randomly from all qualified applicants.
  • Bookstores will be reimbursed for expenses upon receipt of documentation.

Deadline to Apply: August 25, 2023

Binc Frontline Bookseller Education Scholarships

With thanks to our friends at Binc (Book Industry Charitable Foundation), we are delighted to offer two scholarship opportunities to frontline booksellers (staff whose primary job is floor sales and service, not marketing, receiving, buying, etc.).
  • The scholarships are up to $250 each to encourage bookseller attendance at education and networking events.
  • The scholarships are $250 each to help with room, board, and travel expenses.
  • The applicant’s bookstore must be an MPIBA member in good standing.
  • The applicant must be a regular part-time or full-time employee of the bookstore.

  • Please only apply if you are able to travel to the event, and have permission from your store owner or manager to attend FallCon.

  • Bookstores will be reimbursed for expenses upon receipt of documentation.
Deadline to Apply: August 25, 2023

Macmillan Booksellers Professional Development Scholarships

The Book Industry Charitable Foundation and Macmillan are partnering again this year on the Macmillan Booksellers Professional Development Scholarship program, which provides $500 to booksellers traditionally underrepresented within the industry to attend their region’s independent booksellers association fall trade show. Applications are being accepted from now through July 10.
Deadline to Apply: July 10, 2023