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Conference

Oakland Spring Forum 2025

Tuesday, April 1, 2025
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM (PDT)
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CALIBA is returning to the Oakland Asian Cultural Center for a day of lively conversation, education, rep picks, and networking.

Registration Options

Credits Price
Bookseller Registration
Register for our NorCal Spring Forum! Ticket covers attendance and cost of meals. Registration Ends 3/21/25 at 5:00 PM PDT
$35.00
AUTHOR SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED 

SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Sponsorships help us keep the event affordable for booksellers and help fund bookseller grants to attend. Please help us get as many booksellers to the event as possible.

Sponsorships include your logo on our website and all printed material, acknowledgment at the Forum, one welcome bag insert, eblasts/banner promotions, and rep picks.

 

Promotional Opportunities:

100 Welcome Bags: Provide an imprinted bag for our booksellers to take home. $100 (100 inserts in the Welcome Bag. Flat items only. Flyers, bookmarks, etc). 

Galley Table Placement: $100, 50 books

Sponsorship and Promotional Opportunities

Agenda

April 1
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Registration Opens
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM Keynote Breakfast Featuring Charlie Jane Anders Join us for the kick off event featuring best-selling author Charlie Jane Anders, celebrating her new book Lessons in Magic and Disaster.
9:40 AM - 10:25 AM Bookseller Education- TBA
9:40 AM - 10:25 AM Author Panel: Writing Messy Families A lively author panel about writing messing families featuring Kathy Wang, author of The Satisfaction Cafe; Carolyn Huynh, author of The Family Recipe; and Angela Flournoy, author of The Wilderness.
10:35 AM - 11:20 AM Bookseller Education- TBA
10:35 AM - 11:20 AM The Book Business: Then and Now Two Industry Veterans Discuss the Book Business of the Past and How it Informs the Future. Conversation with Publisher Vicki DeArmon and Bookstore Owner Alison Reid (Camino Books). The session is both educational and a celebration of Vicki's new memoir Foghorn: The Nearly True Story of a Small. Publishing Empire
11:30 AM - 12:20 PM Bookseller Education- TBA
11:30 AM - 12:20 PM Bookseller Education- TBA
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM Rep Picks Lunch Enjoy lunch & learn about the season's upcoming titles!
Presenting Reps:
-Suzie Hough, HarperCollins
-Leslie Jobson, PGW
-Chithra Vedantam, PGW
-Shannon Grant, S&S
-Andy Weiner, Abrams
-Vicki DeArmon, Sibylline Press
-David Goldberg, Steerforth/Pushkin Press
-Brittany Greenway, Mcmillan,
-Emma Mundorff, Standford University Press
-Kevin Peters, Imprint Group West
-Nick Pauley, Hachette Book Group 
-Dandy Conway, PRH
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Author "Speed Dating" Featuring authors:
-Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
-K. L. Walther
-Elaine Castillo
-Varian Johnson
-Arree Chung 
-Bridget Crocker 
-Markus Redmond 
-Isaac Fellman 
3:10 PM - 4:00 PM Bookseller Education- TBA
3:10 PM - 4:00 PM Kid's Rep Picks Bingo Join the CALIBA staff and presenting Reps for a fun game of Bingo! 
Participating Reps:
- Kevin Peters, Candlewick
-Jordan Standridge, Source Books
- Kristin Rasmussen, Scholastic
- Marissa Moss, Creston Books
- Jill Eisenberg, Lee & Low
- Dandy Conway, PRH
4:10 PM - 5:00 PM Author Reception Meet the authors:
-Hope Lim 
-Diane Schaffer 
-John Bersani 
-Rachel Gillig 
-Scott Alan Lucas 
-Amber Ren (illustrator) 
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM Mix & Mingle Enjoy small bites while chatting with fellow booksellers and the authors from the Reception. 
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Happy Hour with The Collective Book Studio & Author John Bersani Location: Port Labs
2044 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612 

Limited space available: please limit attendance to 2 people per bookstore.
RSVP here!

The Oakland Asian Cultural Center

HISTORY

The Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) was founded in 1984 by a coalition of volunteers who recognized the need for a strong artistic and cultural force in the Chinatown area.  Since opening its own facility in 1996 in the heart of Oakland’s Chinatown district, the OACC has presented countless high-quality cultural programs including performances, workshops, festivals, school tours, classes, and exhibitions.

MISSION

OACC builds vibrant communities through Asian and Pacific Islander arts and cultural programs that foster inter-generational and cross-cultural dialogue and understanding, collaboration, and social justice.

VISION

OACC envisions vibrant, healthy, and just communities where diverse Asian and Pacific Islander identities and heritage are affirmed and celebrated through cross-cultural exchange, intergenerational dialogue, and educational programming.

For our group rate, book a room at the Courtyard Oakland Marriott via this link by March 10th.

Address: 988 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607

This hotel is walking distance from the Oakland Asian Cultural Center

If you're coming from outside of the Bay Area, we recommend flying into the Oakland Airport or taking the Amtrak Train to Oakland/Jack London Square station.

If you're in the Bay Area, you can take Bart and exit at either the 12th St. Station or Lake Merritt Station.  

There is a parking garage underneath the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. 

If you are driving and interested in car-pooling, reach out to Hannah for the Car-Pool form.

If you're coming from outside of the Bay Area, we recommend flying into the Oakland Airport or taking the . 

Since you're coming all this way, you might as well explore our host city! 

Local Bookstores:

Local Restaurants:

Local Attractions:

For More Information:

Hannah Walcher
Hannah Walcher
Executive Director (415)561-7686x101
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