The mission of the Educational Book and Media Association is to foster a unique community that brings together a wide range of wholesalers and publishers in order to address the ever-changing book & media buying needs of the educational marketplace. EBMA’s roughly, 30 wholesale and 90 publisher members coordinate to provide informational webinars and gather annually for a conference featuring industry leaders and influencers engaged in one-on-one meetings, keynote addresses and award celebrations. The annual conference also provides vital publisher programming from industry experts and content providers.

The 2026 meeting will be held January 26-29, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay and Marina in San Diego, California. 

The 2026 Annual Meeting Program Committee, Katy Hostman of Booksource, Kara Redmon of Teacher Created Materials and Kathleen Rourke of Candlewick Press are pleased to announce the 2026 meeting theme:  BAND TOGETHER: Bridging Divides, Building Literacy.

Click the buttons below for details regarding the agenda, hotel reservations, transportation information, one-on-one session advice and to register. For questions, please contact info@edupaperback.org

After continued success over the last seven years, EBMA will continue to offer sponsor and exhibitor opportunities.  Sponsorship opportunities and benefits may be found here.  Thank you to our 2026 Annual Meeting Gold Sponsors!

MEETING AGENDA 

Conference Theme:  BAND TOGETHER: Bridging Divides, Building Literacy

The school and library market continues to face a number of challenges, requiring us to work collaboratively to navigate uncertainties and develop strategies that support our success and growth, while also helping our school and library partners serve their communities and young readers.

HOTEL INFORMATION

TRANSPORTATION 

San Diego International Airport is the primary airport servicing this location.  We suggest using a rideshare app or taxis to and from the hotel and the airport.

ONE-ON-ONE SESSION ADVICE

Several EBMA members have indicated on their evaluation forms that it took them a few years to make their One-on-One sessions really pay off, especially since they are only eight minutes long. To get everything possible out of these brief meetings, you really have to plan ahead. Here are some tips that may get you up and running more quickly.

1. In early January, you will receive from EBMA, by e-mail, registration lists for the 2026 EBMA Annual Meeting.
2. Complete the Profile Form by December 12, 2025: The Profile Forms are offered as an electronic web form that you will fill out online (Publisher Form or Wholesaler Form). The material collected on the form has also been updated and reduced to pertinent information about your company. During the registration process you will be given the option to select receiving an online profile book only prior to the meeting or a hard copy bound profile book onsite at the annual meeting.
3. Be sure to characterize your business clearly—EBMA members are NOT all alike!
4. Be certain that the people who read your Profile Form will know who to contact for what service.
5. EBMA One-on-One sessions have no agenda. Think of ways to use your session profitably. Time is short but, among the possibilities, you could:
   • Bring printouts and do a business review with each firm. Printouts could include sales figures, marketing plans or an overview of the prior year’s highlights. 
   • Evaluate your year-to-year growth with each other.
   • Discuss new promotions or marketing efforts.
   • Come up with ways that you can work better together or do cooperative marketing.
   • Ask for suggestions as to how your firm can be more helpful to the other.
   • Suggest better ways to use posters, teaching guides, and bookmarks.
   • Discuss creative ways to involve reps.
   • Ask about new trends, new markets, new products--EBMA is the place to hear about them.
   • Bring news from editorial about new books and publishing programs.
   • Find ways to use authors regionally or nationally.
6. Remember that all EBMA members are not alike. Don’t assume you know what another business focuses on. Read the Profile Form.
7. And don’t forget that “the other side” has an agenda too! Sometimes one side does all the talking and none of the listening.
8. What if you have run out of time and there’s more to discuss?
   • There is time each afternoon to continue talking at the wholesaler’s table. Keep a calendar and schedule additional time during one of these time periods.
   • If time runs out, set up ways to keep talking by phone or e-mail when you’re both back at work.
9. Establish a system for taking notes and keeping track of each discussion. The days are long and the there is too much input to leave everything to memory.

OTHER DETAILS 

Shipping Instructions

Shipping instructions will be provided in December 2025.

Attire

EBMA has naturally adopted a business or smart casual dress code, although we have been known to mix it up in the past.  We just ask that things like flip-flops, shorts, tank tops and t-shirts with any provocative pictures or words be avoided. If you’re more comfortable in business casual or dressy attire please dress in this manner.

The opening awards dinner and the President's dinner are a little more formal.  We will be doing another group picture this year and we want you to look your best.