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Programs: Room 22   » Friday   » Saturday Lounge: Room 21 (All weekend long!)

2008 Nominations are Open for the

The Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award will be given to another deserving Retailer as part of the Eisners!

FRIDAY, JULY 25
Complete details TBA
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

» Nominating Criterion, Nomination Form and Past Recipients of the Spirit of Comics Award
» Full Details on the Eisners

Comic-Con International once again offers exclusive programming to our friends in the comics retailing community. In addition to the programs taking place in Room 22, a special Retailer Networking Lounge is set up in Room 21. This room is available to retailers all weekend long. It’s a quiet place to sit and make new friends in the community.

Retailer programming at Comic-Con 2007 has been arranged by ComicsPRO, the Comics Professional Retail Organization. For more information, comic retailers are asked to please attend the ComicsPRO meetings on both Friday and Saturday (see schedule below) in Room 22 or go to www.ComicsPRO.org.

Please note: All retailer programs listed below in Room 22 are open to retailers only. The exception is “So You Want to be a Comics Retailer?” which is open to all Comic-Con attendees on Friday from 4:30 to 6:00 in Room 2.

FRIDAY - Room 22

10:30 -11:00 Dealing with Diamond: Retailer FAQs Answered!—ComicsPRO member Jeremy Shorr (Titan Comics in Dallas, TX) and other retailers will be on hand to lend some their experience to those retailers seeking answers to commonly asked questions while trying to navigate through Diamond’s systems. This is less a seminar and more a session for information sharing, with active participation from Diamond management. Room 22

11:00-12:00 ComicsPRO: Organization Update—What’s been happening with ComicsPRO since the first members’ meeting this past April in Las Vegas? What new benefits have been arranged for members? And how will ComicsPRO retailers continue to further our mission of supporting direct market storefront retailers? All retailers are welcome to learn more about the organization and how the benefits of participation far out-weigh the membership fee. With ComicsPRO board members Joe Field (Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff), Chris Powell (Lone Star Comics), Amanda Fisher (Muse Comics), Brian Hibbs (Comix Experience), and Carr D’Angelo (Earth-2 Comics). Room 22

12:00-1:00 Diamond Tech Tips—Diamond Comics' Technical Services assistant manager Cheryl Sleboda and ComicsPRO board member Chris Powell share ways to make the Internet more useful and profitable for your store, including the many functions of Diamond’s website and tools. More information will also be shared about Diamond’s customized version of Microsoft’s Retail Management System software, also on display at the Diamond booth. Room 22

1:00- 1:30 Retailer Resources and Idea Sharing—Every retailer has a set of tools for making in-store operations smoother. Chris Powell will facilitate this discussion of retailers helping retailers—the resources they use and the tools they can share to increase productivity in operations. Feel free to bring copies of ads you have produced, forms you use in the store, photos of your store, signage, merchandise bags, etc. to share.  Room 22

1:30-2:30 Retailer Break!—Now’s the time to grab a bite or take a breath of fresh air before retailer programming resumes for an afternoon of thoughtful presentations and discussions about retailer business issues and opportunities.

2:30-3:30 Atom! and Portlyn Reach Out!—From Brave New World in Santa Clarita CA, Atom! and Portlyn Freeman present this exploration into one shop's attempts to involve comics in their community and develop a community of fans. The Freeman family has a thriving comic book specialty store, and this seminar will enlighten retailers about how the success of Brave New World is not confined to merely selling comic books and is certainly not confined to the four walls of their store. Reaching out into your community may be the most powerful thing you can do for your business. This is the Brave New World of retailing, where the sales of comics are just one piece of a dynamic retail operation. Room 22

3:30-4:30 Eisner "Spirit" Award Nominees Video Presentation—Hosted by Eisner "Spirit of Comics" Award facilitator and retailer Joe Ferrara of Santa Cruz, CA’s Atlantis Fantasyworld, this hour will feature videos from a number of the nominees for this year’s award. Learn a lot by seeing how each retailer/nominee presents his or her operation. The "Spirit" award, instituted by comics pioneer Will Eisner, is based on a number of factors, including support of a wide variety of comics material, community involvement, ethical business practices, and creative store design. Since most retailers rarely get the time to look at stores outside of their market, these videos with commentary from Joe allow a look at stores you might not see otherwise and discuss what makes each of the shops unique. Room 22

4:30-6:00 So You Want to Be a Comics Retailer?—You do, don't you? You have that dream of opening a great comic book specialty store, right? Then this is the one panel at this year's Comic-Con you can't afford to miss! This is also the only retailer-specific panel open to all attendees at Comic-Con! Moderated by ComicsPRO president Joe Field (Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff, Concord, CA) and including retailers Joe Ferrara (Atlantis Fantasyworld, Santa Cruz, CA), Nancy Trempe (Comics Unlimited, Westminster, CA), and Derrick Taylor (Comic Oasis, Las Vegas, NV). Also featuring Dave Hawksworth from Diamond Comic Distributors, who has probably seen more comic book stores than anyone alive! An essential part of ComicsPRO’s mission is to grow the number of professional stores in the Direct Market, and the response to this panel over the last few years has been a good start. This is your chance to hear the "Comic Retailer Origin Stories" of the panelists and to ask the questions you need to know to be able to get your career in comics retailing off the ground. Successful futures in comic book retailing start here! Room 2

Remember to visit the Retailer Networking Lounge all weekend long in Room 21.

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SATURDAY - Room 22

11:30-12:30 ComicsPRO Retailer/Mentor Program—A follow-up to yesterday’s "So You Want To Be Comics Retailer" presentation, ComicsPRO board members Joe Field, Chris Powell, Amanda Fisher, and Carr D’Angelo go further into the ways in which ComicsPRO will mentor those entering the process of opening new stores in the Direct Market. ComicsPRO members will be putting to work their experiences as successful comic book entrepreneurs to help new retailers get off to a strong start. Room 22

12:30–1:00 ComicsPRO Wants You!—The only retailer trade organization needs every existing comic book retailer to make a commitment to the future of the profession of comic book retailing by joining ComicsPRO. Find out about membership benefits that will improve your business and save you money in day-to-day operations. The best way to make a positive impact on your chosen career is to join ComicsPRO today. Room 22

Remember to visit the Retailer Networking Lounge all weekend long in Room 21.

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