As the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association wrapped up its Portland, Ore., trade show on October 1, executive director Brian Juenemann confirmed that the gathering boasted its best attendance since 2019.
“We’ve steadily grown back, and the recovery is real,” Juenemann said. “Our total badged attendees across all categories was 456, up from 394 last year, and 2019 was the last time we hit 450.” The show, he added, “met our expectations and then some.”
Booksellers and exhibitors alike noted that the show floor felt lively without being overcrowded, with dozens of authors and exhibitors greeting booksellers and a surfeit of regional creators and presses attesting to the rich Pacific Northwest literary landscape. Several guests, including Oregon’s own Aiden Thomas (Celestial Monsters, Feiwel & Friends) and closing speaker TJ Klune (Bones Beneath My Skin, Tor, Feb. 2025), enjoy biblio-celebrity status in the PNW.
Faith Conlon, former director of Seattle’s Seal Press, introduced her new middle grade adventure fantasy, Timelight (Flashpoint, Oct.), and Spokane author Tamara Berry, who also writes under the pen name Lucy Gilmore, highlighted her forthcoming mystery, Murder Runs in the Family (Sourcebooks, Apr. 2025). Portland cartoonist Sarah Andersen signed Adulthood Is a Gift! (S&S/Andrews McMeel) with a comics artist’s flourish. And Muslim Canadian performance poet Zaynab Mohammed talked about issues of colonization and identity in her memoir, Are You Listening? (Pownal Street, out now).
Juenemann made special note of Reps Behind the Desk, a new evening pitch event styled as a late-night TV show and featuring special guests. An audience of 130 attendees stayed up late to catch the presentations, which included animated appearances by Tin House associate publisher and director of sales and marketing Nanci McCloskey and newly retired W.W. Norton rep Dan Christiaens.
“The personalities really came through” in the format, said Juenemann. “People realized how funny, how passionate, and how well-read these folks are—they’re not just reading a blurb off the back cover.”
PNBA also expanded its educational programming, with two sessions aimed at first-time attendees and new stores providing overviews of Edelweiss tools and Professional Booksellers School certification. Other roundtables addressed marketing and branding, efficient teamwork, and programming with local authors. A panel on collaborating with neurodivergent staff members was piloted by Microcosm Publishing CEO Joe Biel, John Hart of Always Here Bookstore in Portland, and Rafe Posey, the newly appointed general manager of Third Place Books Ravenna in Seattle.
American Booksellers Association director of education Kim Hooyboer delivered a talk titled “Prioritizing Cash Flow,” a presentation scheduled for every regional trade show. Borrowing a motto from management guru Peter Drucker—“Profit is secondary. Cash flow matters most”—Hooyboer walked the audience through practical tips for tracking cash inflow and outflow, reducing expenses (“negotiate everything!”), and recognizing untapped income streams such as rentable space or allowing other businesses to advertise.
An organized approach to cash flow will “allow you to live less on vibes and more on data,” said Hooyboer, who encouraged store managers to collect the publisher co-op they’re due; stagger bill payments throughout the month so that payments don’t all come due at the same time; and use store credit cards that offer rewards and cash back. ABA urges booksellers to explore ways to “automate and streamline payments” with software such as Batch for Books. “Batch users report saving 20 hours” of labor per month, Hooyboer said.
If troubles arise—and here Hooyboer pointed listeners to last year’s talk, “This Is Not a Fire Drill,” on emergency situations—the ABA has suggestions for smart short-term financing, avoiding debt, and fundraising campaigns. Those who miss the presentation at the shows will be able to view a virtual encore version after October 24.
Emergency situations already were on the minds of PNBA visitors. Attendees expressed concern for booksellers in the Southeastern U.S., who are just beginning the process of recovery from Hurricane Helene’s widespread damage. “We’re bracing for a surge of calls,” said Kathy Bartson, director of development for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc). Bartson promised further updates and support for affected bookstores in the days ahead.
Next year's Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association fall trade show will be held in Spokane, Wa., September 28–30, 2025. PNBA last met in the eastern Washington city in 1999.
