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Click here to register for this year's conference

1/ Conference Introduction
2/ Venue & Accommodation
3/ Conference Programme
4/ Small Business Forum Programme/Booking form
5/ BBIA
6/ Delegate Lists
7/ Press releases
8/ Contact Information
9/ BA Conference Evaluation
10/ BA Conference Presentations

1/ Conference Introduction (Top)

The Booksellers Association Annual Conference 2008 will take place in Brighton from the 12th to the 13th May

The Annual Conference is one of the most significant events in the book trade's year. It is the only occasion where all corners of the trade can come to together to network, and debate the crucial issues facing the industry today, and the opportunities that lie ahead.

A packed business and social programme will run from 11am on Monday morning to Tuesday afternoon, with the grand finale of the British Book Industry Awards taking place at the Hilton Metropole on Tuesday evening.

In store for 2008

Luke Johnson, new Borders Chairman, will deliver the opening address on Monday afternoon to kick off an intense programme of business sessions. Topics this year will range from consumer and social trends to literacy and digital strategies for the future. Sessions will explore re-inventing the best of the trade, include an update on the work of the trade's environmental action group, and, to finish with a debate on what might be the next big thing to follow in the footsteps of pan-trade initiatives such as World Book Day. There will be plenty of time for socialising and networking between sessions. BTBS will host a reception for all conference delegates on Monday evening, followed by the Monday night Party on the Pier sponsored by Lightning Source. There will be an Author Lunch with Michael Parkinson, sponsored by Hodder, and Denis Norden, sponsored by HarperCollins, as well as a Tilly Tea Party with Polly Dunbar sponsored by Walker Books.

Who Should Attend?
Everyone from the book-trade:
? All Booksellers
? Publishers
? Wholesaler/Distributors
? Authors and Agents
? Librarians
? Book trade professionals

A full programme and booking form will be available on this site shortly.

2/ Venue and Accommodation (Top)

Brighton is often thought of as the 'home' of the BA Conference. Brighton,'The City by the Sea' is situated just 50 minutes by train from London Victoria.

The conference will be held under the one roof this year, at the De Vere Grand Hotel. The Grand is the only 5star hotel in Brighton, and overlooking the sea, is just minutes from the station. Delegates have exclusive access to the Grand throughout the course of the two days, and The BA have negotiated some unbeatable rates on bedrooms download the booking form below for more information.

The Grand Hotel
King's Road, Brighton
East Sussex. BN1 2FW. UK
www.grandbrighton.co.uk

Delegate Accommodation

There are a number of rooms being held for delegates in several hotels in Brighton, all in close proximity to the Conference. Staff at The Grand Hotel are handling ALL hotel bookings, so reservations should be made with them direct. Information about accommodation and contact details for all accommodation enquiries can be found on the form attached. If you have any queries or need assistance regarding alternative accommodation in the area, please don?t hesitate to contact either the Grand Hotel or the BA for help.

Independent Bookseller Delegate Hotel Booking Form 2008 PDF

Standard Delegate Hotel Booking Form 2008 PDF

3/ Programme (Top) A provisonal programme for this year's conference can be found here.

4/ Small Business Forum at Conference (Top)

A Small Business Forum Supper will be held on Sunday night and a seminar will take place on Monday morning before Business Sessions. Independent booksellers attending both the SBF and the Conference will receive £75 courtesy of National Book Tokens towards their accommodation costs.

Click here to go to the Small Business Forum website for more information.

5/ British Book Industry Awards - A Publishing News/BA Joint Venture (Top)

The British Book Industry Awards continues to play an important part in the BA Conference proceedings in 2008, providing an enjoyable night out and a chance to relax and unwind at the end of the business sessions. The only awards event to honour all sectors of the book business, the prestigious and highly coveted Nibbies have, for the last 19 years, provided the industry with an opportunity to recognise and reward its own. Leading booksellers and publishers have stepped up over the years to collect their gold trophy and many more have gone along to cheer and honour their peers, and to party into the night.

The 2008 British Book Industry Awards will again take place on the last night of the BA Conference, at the Hilton Brighton Metropole. There are two new Awards for 2008, New Bookshop of the Year to be awarded to start-up bookshops opening between January 2005 and September 2006, and sponsored by the Booksellers Association, and an overall UK Bookseller of the Year sponsored by Bowker, who will be chosen from the winners of the three key retailer awards; Independent Bookshop of the Year, sponsored by Aurum Press, UK Chain Bookselling Company of the Year and Direct Bookselling Company of the Year, sponsored by Harlequin Mills and Boon. This will allow all sectors of the retail industry to compete for an award that honours the very best in creative and commercial bookselling in the UK today.

In addition to the hotly contested individual and overall bookseller of the year categories there will, as usual, be keen competition for all the other awards, particularly the accolades of Independent Publisher of the Year and Publisher of the Year, sponsored by Lightning Source and KPMG respectively: for a full list of awards visit www.britishbookawards.com

Tickets for this event are now on sale at £125 plus VAT, or £95 plus VAT to BA members. For BA members who book before 20th March, there is an early bird discount available of £65 per ticket plus VAT. Individual tickets, or tables of 10 or 12, can be reserved: to ensure your place at this sell-out event, please complete the booking form or contact Naomi Gane on 0207 802 0801.

6/ Delegate Lists (Top)

A list of delegates attending this year's conference will appear here shortly.

7/ Press Releases (Top)

Press Release Conference Line-up Announcement 2008

8/ Contact Information (Top)

All General Conference Enquiries
Naomi Gane, Conference and Events Organiser: naomi.gane@booksellers.org.uk T: 0207 802 0801

Registration
Patsy Denness, Conference Assistant: patsy.denness@booksellers.org.uk T: 0207 802 0828

Booksellers Sponsorship Scheme and Author of the Year Award
Alison Pinder: alison.pinder@booksellers.org.uk T: 0207 802 0814

Accommodation
Amy Leatham: amy.leatham@grandbrighton.co.uk

9/ BA Conference Evaluation (Top)

We would be very grateful if conference delegates could spare a few minutes to fill in the conference evaluation form, as it helps us to plan future conferences. Click here to download the form.

10/ BA Conference Presentations (Top)

Click here to download the presentations from this year's Conference.