2013 ANNUAL MEETING

The 2013 EBMA Annual Meeting was held on January 14-17, 2013 at the Ritz Carlton, Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida. The meeting attracted over 120 Publisher Members and 60 Wholesaler Members. The theme for the 2013 meeting was The Educational Shift: Embracing Print and Technology.

Over the three days, publisher and wholesalers met over one-on-one sessions which are designed to faciliate business discussions. The one-on-one sessions have proven to be invaluable to our membership. One wholesaler said about the one-on-one sessions, "The one-on-ones are the core reason we attend, and we took full advantage of every opportunity for discussion."

On the opening night, members enjoyed a cocktail reception, dinner and an award presentation that included the 34rd Ludington Award Presentation to Mr. Russell Freedman. Formerly a journalist and a veteran of the Korean War who served with the Second Infantry Division, Russell Freedman is the award-winning author of 47 books. To learn more about the Ludington Award, Russell Freedman or past receipients, click here.

The 2013 program brought together authors and industry professionals to help members understand how to bring their content and products to our customers in the most engaging and user friendly format to encourage children to read and learn. Presenters included:

• Pam Berger, Director of Information and the School Library System at the Southern Westchester BOCES
• Rebecca Miller, Editor in Chief of School Library Journal
• Melissa Jacobs-Israel, Coordinator at the office of Library Services from the NYC Department of Education
• Jessica Keigan, Language Arts teacher in Colorado
• Bridgette Wagoner, Director of Educational Services in an Iowa School District
• Maggie Stiefvater, Author, Scholastic Inc.

In addition to these presentations, Gene Bahlman, EBMA President, updated the association on current EBMA business,  and how it can best continue to serve its members.  

Presentations were made available, to view these click here.