MIBA Goes to the Mart - August

We’re hosting an opportunity to meet up with fellow booksellers at the Minneapolis Gift Mart, one of the biggest wholesale regional gift markets in the country.

Our host is Debra Cotterman, one of the partners who owns/operates the two bookstores at the Minneapolis-St Paul Airport (Open Book and [words]). A retailer first and a bookseller second, Debra knows how to expertly mix book and non-book product to create a seamless customer experience that boosts a store’s bottom line. A veteran of the Mart, Debra will lead us on a personal tour of the ins and outs of using the Mart well, including what to do to get ready, what to bring, and special group appointments with the vendors with bookstore-rich sidelines.

This is a wholesale market where booksellers will either place orders on the floor or gather vendor info to build their orders after the event. We will meet at the Mart at 9 am, experience the tour, meet with vendors, and then be free to use the Mart in small groups or on our own. There's no set end time to the day. Lunch is in small groups or on your own via the Mart's boxed lunches or nearby restaurant options. 

To enter the Mart, you must 1) be an owner or a buyer for a retail/resale business or (employed by one who is attending), 2) bring a photocopy of your state tax permit or the confirmation letter from the Department of Revenue, and 3) either a business check or a business card.