WEDNESDAY, April 9

1:00PM  |  Ballroom Lobby

REGISTRATION DESK OPEN
Stop here first to pick up your name tag and welcome bag.

2:00PM - 2:45PM  |  Ballroom AB

NEW MEMBER/FIRST TIMER ORIENTATION
Are you a new bookstore member of MPIBA or a first time conference attendee? If so, meet the MPIBA board and Executive Director Heather Duncan for a Q&A session to get yourself oriented for the show!

3:30PM - 4:45PM  |  Ballroom AB

AUTHOR SPEED ROUND
Bestselling Texas author James Wade will join us once again to guest emcee our show kick-off author event! This fast-paced and fun event will feature fiction authors answering rapid-fire questions about themselves and their work.

SEE THE AUTHOR LINEUP

4:45PM - 6:30PM  |  Ballroom AB

Sponsored by Libro.fm

SHOW OPENING AUTHOR RECEPTION
Keep the conversation going! Join us for drinks and snacks while you mix and mingle with our guest authors and your bookselling and publisher colleagues.

After 6:30PM

DINNER ON YOUR OWN, EXPLORE SAN ANTONIO

THURSDAY, APRIL 10

8:00AM  |  Ballroom Lobby

REGISTRATION DESK OPEN

9:00AM - 10:30AM  |  Ballroom AB

KID-LIT AUTHOR BREAKFAST
Immerse yourself in books for young readers! Our wonderful guest authors and illustrators will join us over breakfast to present their new and forthcoming titles for children.

SEE THE AUTHOR LINEUP

11:00AM - 12:00PM 

EDUCATION SESSIONS | CHOOSE ONE
• Panel: Kids Are the Way In - Curating Your Children's Section and Developing Outreach to Serve Under-recognized Communities – BALLROOM C: A curated kid's section can open the world for a new generation of readers and foster a growing community in your neighborhood. In this session learn how to build a distinctive kids' selection, how to encourage community engagement through kids' literature, and the best practices for creating a thoughtful, inclusive space.
• Round-Table Discussion: Bookselling in a Social Media World: POOLSIDE 123

12:15 - 1:45PM  |  Ballroom AB

AUTHENTIC VOICES KEYNOTE AUTHOR LUNCH
Take a break from education to enjoy lunch and presentations by some very special nonfiction authors as they present their eagerly anticipated new books.

SEE THE AUTHOR LINEUP

2:15 - 3:15PM

 EDUCATION SESSIONS | CHOOSE ONE
• Panel: Edelweiss Is for Everyone - Buying and More: BALLROOM C - When thinking about bookselling in 2025 one of the most important resources stores should be using is Edelweiss. Join our panelists for an introduction to this database and marketing platform, and learn why it is important to your title discovery and buying, and how it can support your store and staff in other useful ways.
• Presentation: Bookselling 101 - Inventory and Curation: POOLSIDE 123; Presented by Dionne Sims, founder of Black Garnet Books in St. Paul, MN, and instructor with the Professional Booksellers School. This session will cover the basics of inventory and curation in independent bookstores. What is the importance of the store-to-publisher sales rep relationship? How can booksellers work with a store’s buyer to keep store inventory fresh and exciting? Attendees will have answers to these questions, plus tips on where to discover new books and sidelines, and timely insight into dealing with customer requests that conflict with your store’s mission statement.

3:45 - 5:00PM  |  Ballroom AB

PICK OF THE LISTS: BOOKS & GIFTS
Regional reps from publishers and vendors big and small will give 5-minute elevator pitches for the books and products they're most excited about.

SEE THE PRESENTER LINEUP

5:00 - 6:30PM  |  Ballroom AB

MEET OUR REPS HAPPY HOUR RECEPTION
Join us for drinks and snacks while you mix and mingle with our guest reps and your bookselling and publisher colleagues.

After 6:30PM

DINNER ON YOUR OWN, EXPLORE SAN ANTONIO

9:00-10:30PM

Sponsored by Sourcebooks

SAN ANTONIO HAUNTED HISTORY GHOST WALK – SOLD OUT!
Written by the authors of Haunted History of Old San Antonio, this unique San Antonio walking ghost tour is an experience sure to haunt your memory for years. The Haunted History Walk is a great way to see the spooky side of San Antonio with your bookselling colleagues!

FRIDAY, APRIL 11

8:00AM  |  Ballroom Lobby

REGISTRATION DESK OPEN

9:00AM - 10:30AM  |  Ballroom AB

MORNING STORIES KEYNOTE AUTHOR BREAKFAST
A perfect way to start your day! Enjoy a breakfast buffet as authors of extraordinary works of fiction present their new and forthcoming books, then answer questions from our moderator.

SEE THE AUTHOR LINEUP

11:00AM - 12:00PM

EDUCATION SESSIONS | CHOOSE ONE
• Presentation: Bookselling 101 - Handselling and Customer Service; POOLSIDE 123 – Presented by Dionne Sims, founder of Black Garnet Books in St. Paul, MN, and instructor with the Professional Booksellers School. This session will cover the basics of handselling and providing memorable customer service as an independent bookseller. Attendees will learn the differences between passive and active selling in a bookstore, how to become a "Book Detective" during their shifts, and also walk away with tips on finding their personal handselling style.
• Panel: Up your Author Events Game: BALLROOM C - Author events can be a powerful way to attract customers, boost book sales, and build a strong literary community. This session will provide bookstore owners, event coordinators, and booksellers with practical strategies for getting started, planning, and executing successful author events. 

12:15 - 1:30PM  |  Ballroom AB

AUTHOR SMÖRGÅSBORD LUNCH
A wonderful variety of authors will join us for lunch and present their new and forthcoming books in brief 4-minute bites.

SEE THE AUTHOR LINEUP

1:45PM - 2:45PMPM  |  Ballroom ab

BOOKSELLING SUCCESS STORIES OPEN MIC
Join us for our final event of the show to share and enjoy some bookselling successes. Share a story about a fantastic event, or a profitable promotion. Share your new hiring process, or how you rethought a system to make it more efficient. Let us know how you improved your buying, or created a new gift section in your store. Whatever the success, small or large, we want to celebrate them!