Nine bookstores, nine states, and everyone’s a winner at SIBA’s March Madness! Nine SIBA bookstores will host one-day gatherings throughout March that include bookseller education, meet-the-author luncheons, networking, and idea shares on what’s working at attendee stores. This programming is FREE to SIBA member bookstores, and includes lunch.

What Booksellers said about previous years' March Madness series:

“It was nice to reconnect with some of the booksellers we met last year and the Novel gang was so hospitable and helpful. Their presentation on their junior bookseller program was terrific.” -- Lyn Roberts, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

"It's always such a delight to be around fellow booksellers and hear the successes (and struggles) of other stores. And I got swept up in browsing-ain't that the way. " -- Hannah Hyde, Little Shop of Stories event.

"The morning presentation at Blue Cypress Books was AWESOME! It was well-structured and had tons of valuable information. Speakers were clear, articulate, and succinct even though they were providing us with lots of info" -- Stephen Hayes, Fred & June's Books

"I found the small group to be a really smartly organized way of sharing with one another. I liked the opportunity for everyone to share what they needed help with and what they were excited about. Everyone was eager to listen and learn from one another." -- Shae Jordan, Avid Bookshop

"The Firestorm folks were phenomenal! I liked having the opportunity to learn in-depth about three upcoming titles and am eager to talk about them with my coworkers." -- Virginia Kane, Malaprop's Bookstore

DETAILS

All March Madness events run from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM local time, and include an author luncheon. The general format for all events is:

• 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Education Session presented by hosting store.
• 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Author Luncheon
• 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Bookseller Idea Share
  

THE SCHEDULE

3/3: Snail on the Wall, Huntsville AL
3/4: Plenty, Cookeville TN
3/5: Square Books, Oxford MS
3/10: Page 158 Books, Wake Forest NC 
3/11: Cavalier House Books, Denham Springs LA
3/12: The Storybook Shoppe, Bluffton SC
3/17: Story on the Square, McDonough GA
3/18: Fountain Bookstore, Richmond VA
3/19: Inklings, Lakeland FL

FULL DESCRIPTIONS

March 3: Snail on the Wall, Huntsville AL
From Pop-Up to Brick & Mortar: Building a Community of Readers

Snail on the Wall, whose mission is to offer specially selected books that readers will love, began as a pop-up and recently made the transition to a permanent location. Through their evolution, they built up a community of readers that supported them through numerous community partnerships, Books & Brews book fairs, and author events. They'll share their approach to marketing, community partnerships, and building a successful event platform.

March 4: Plenty, Cookeville TN
Storytelling on Display

Plenty Downtown Bookshop will present on how they Integrate storytelling into their store's marketing, in-store displays, shelf-talkers, and more. As a hybrid non-profit, a nonprofit, and a community-sponsored shop, Plenty is not simply selling books: they are crafting an experience for their customers which has resulted in increased customer loyalty and engagement and, as a result, more consistent revenue.

March 5: Square Books, Oxford MS
Building a Successful Subscription Program

Starting and building a subscription program, which could be a signed first editions club, children's or genre bundles, staff or book club selections, or something else that aligns with your store, can create consistent cash flow beyond daily sales. Square Books will share with attendees how they run their successful subscription programs, most notably their signed first editions club. Topics include staff time and training, marketing, working with publishers, and shipping to customers. Following the education session is a tour of Square's four businesses around the town square.

March 10: Page 158 Books, Wake Forest NC
Customer Service

Page 158 Books takes customer service seriously, to the point that many customers think of the owners and staff as friends and family. Page 158 trains their staff to view customer interactions as the beginning of a relationship, and emphasizes being authentic, welcoming, and going the extra mile to serve customer needs. Attendees will learn tips on hiring and training staff to grow your store's customer base and inspire loyalty and increased sales.

March 11: Cavalier House Books, Denham Springs LA
Bookfairs

Cavalier House will present on their very successful approach to bookfairs, covering planning, buying, packing, staffing, and merchandising. They'll be prepping for a bookfair the following week so will include a live packing and merchandising demo. Whether your bookfair goals are large or small, school-related or for adults, Cavalier House will offer guidance from years of experience and lessons learned.

March 12: The Storybook Shoppe, Bluffton SC
Community Partnerships

The Storybook Shoppe, a children's bookstore, excels at community partnerships that support the store's and their community partners' missions in unique ways. One example is their Local Heroes Storytime in the courtyard with police and fire departments. Attendees will hear how Storybook Shoppe connects with partners to build relationships to create community support for the store, which has been evident during the store's work on youth advocacy, fights against book bans, and an unexpected relocation in 2024.

March 17: Story on the Square, McDonough GA
Expanding Sales Beyond Books

Story on the Square includes a 2400 sq ft event space they rent out regularly, and a wine and beer bar and cafe. They also host non-book related events for their community, and prioritize a large selection of sideline gifts. They'll discuss how this multi-faceted approach creates a more sustainable and profitable business.

March 18: Fountain Bookstore, Richmond VA
Store-Branded Programming

Fountain will present on their unique store-branded programming like JABBIES®: Judge-A-Book-By-Its-Spine, Fountain First Look, and How To Start and Run a Book Club (in-development). They'll discuss how they create new programming, including customer polling and focus groups to find out what people want. Their innovative approach has resulted in increased book sales, event attendance, and staff engagement.

March 19: Inklings, Lakeland FL
Sustainability Through Trade and Treasure-Hunting

Inklings offers their community a diverse selection of books that include used, new, and antiques. Attendees will learn how Inklings values sustainability, as reflected in their trade-in program, which gives books extended shelf life through the journey from new to used, and offers the store a way to replenish inventory and grow customer loyalty and repeat visits. They will also discover some fun facts about the antique book world and how to find hidden treasure in old books.