Spring Road Trip 2025
Partner with us in practicing hope!
Hi Industry Friends!
Scroll this page for our full list of Spring Road Trip opportunities
MIBA's Spring Road Trip is a partnership with
Republic of Letters, The Book Kitchen, and Shake Rag Alley
Estimated attendance
- Our expected Spring Road Trip attendance is 80 booksellers plus industry partners
Deadline
-
Author pitch deadline: March 21, 2025 (although soonest is always best!)
Drive times
- Madison: 1 hour
- Milwaukee: 2 hours
- Iowa City: 2 hours
- Chicago: 3 hours
- Des Moines: 3.5 hours
- Minneapolis/St Paul: 4.5 hours
- Omaha: 5.5 hours
- Kansas City 5.5 hours
- Sioux Falls 6.5 hours
Airports
- Primary option: Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, WI
- Secondary option: Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, WI
Meeting locations
We're meeting at a few locations in the community, all within walking distance of each other, and transportation will be available for those needing accommodation:
- Shake Rag Alley's Lind Pavillion
- 18 Shake Rag St.
Mineral Point, WI 53565
- 18 Shake Rag St.
- The Republic of Letters and The Book Kitchen
- 152 High St
Mineral Point, WI 53565
- 152 High St
Lodging
Mineral Point has a variety of lodging from a chain hotel to inns, to bed and breakfast options to camping! Please check them out here.
- Please note, we decided against booking a hotel block because the pricing was better with individual booking online and want to make this trip as accessible as possible for all. At the time of this writing, many rooms are available at the Quality Inn during the Spring Road Trip.
- Many of the rentals are within walking distance of Shake Rag Alley, The Republic of Letters, and The Book Kitchen
Hey Reps!
Your participation is truly what makes this event possible. It is our goal to make the event exciting, useful, and accessible for booksellers and you. The goal is not to generate income for MIBA.
Let's collaborate creatively
to make it happen!
Industry/Rep Picks Lunches
We plan is to have Industry members spotlight their titles, sidelines, and/or services over lunch on both days. We want there to be ample time to address all attendees and to be able to place as many interested industry partners as possible.
- Reps will be placed on a first-come, first-served basis
- Register for the Spring Road Trip by March 21st to be considered
- The cost is $150
- Check "Industry Lunch Participation Request" during registration to let us know you want to participate
- You'll get a confirmation from us by April 1st, 2025
All sponsors receive the following:
- Recognition on our website: Your banner ad is featured on the event's main page and the registration page (this perk can be applied to a complimentary future e-blast, if preferred)
- Recognition in our communications: Recognition in all digital marketing and the program/schedule
- Recognition at the event: Your featured item of choice at the registration desk (galley, swag, brochure, etc.)
Add a sponsorship to your cart
Additional perks come with each option below:
Overall Spring Road Trip Sponsor / $2,000All the perks above with your image at the top, plus 5 minutes to address all attendees at the opening of the event |
Connection Celebration Sponsor / $1,200All the perks above plus one complimentary author placed at the Connection Celebration |
Closing Reception Sponsor / $1,200All the perks above plus work with MIBA staff and board to customize the closing reception to feature your author, book, organization, etc. |
Registration Sponsor / $1,000You supply the tote bags for everyone, we'll put your custom logo or messaging on our badges |
Thought Leader / $1,000All the perks above plus your indie-facing staff member gets to work with MIBA to help shape an education session and be on the panel |
Bookseller Travel Sponsor / $500All the perks above plus a free Dedicated E-blast to be scheduled at your convenience |
We have three paid author placement opportunities
Opening Keynote and Closing Keynote / $1,300
Two events dedicated to a small number of marquee authors. These bookend programs will be the highlights of Spring Road Trip 2025.
Moderation and format style to be decided in collaboration with authors.
Connection Celebration / $600
Authors will answer a specific question curated for them from another author, then present their book to all attendees, then ask the next author a question of their crafting. Each author will then be hosted at a signing table during The Connection Celebration reception.
Panelist / $400
Authors will be on a panel and/or lead demonstrations with other authors and experts in areas such as
food/drink/cooking, nature, creativity, arts and crafts.
Author pitch deadline
March 21st (sooner is always better!)
What you get
Each confirmed author placement receives the following exposure across all 340 of our member bookstores, not just event attendees, from the time of confirmation through the event. After the event, the authors will be featured on a Spring Road Trip 2025 Wrap-Up website page.
- Custom graphic with your author/title hosted on our website
- Banner ads that feature all authors on our weekly newsletters
- All titles are included in Edelweiss collection circulated to all MIBA booksellers
- Special author features will be sent to booksellers routinely. We're happy to include blurbs, trailers, links to assets, etc.
- Access to our bookstore member list
Tips
- Target your pitches. Our space and time is limited and are working with a theme, so we suggest pitching authors whose work falls in these areas:
- food/drink/cooking -- we have access to a commercial teaching and demonstration kitchen at The Book Kitchen!
- nature/sustainability
- liberation
- hopepunk
- creativity/arts/crafts
- joy
- resistance
- Availability. Please confirm your authors are able to attend before you pitch them
- Representation matters. Pitch a diverse range of authors to increase your placement chances
Details
- Estimated attendance: 80 booksellers plus industry staff
- Galleys: If you are able to supply 80 galleys for all attendees, we encourage it. We request a minimum of 50 galleys. In addition, please supply a galley request form for booksellers who can't attend to request a galley, whether it's paper or electronic. A shipping address will be provided upon confirmation.
- Additional opportunities: All authors are invited to join us at all the social opportunities (plus publishers can host bookseller/author dinners as they prefer)