COMICSPRO ANNUAL
MEMBERSHIP MEETING 2016
The next ComicsPRO Annual Membership Meeting will be held February 18 - 20 2016 in Portland, Oregon.
Subject to Change. Please Keep Checking Back!
2/17 Wednesday
12:00 - 5:00 PM - Unofficial Pre-Conference Brewery Tour - Sponsored by Oni Press and organized by Todd McDevitt (New Dimension Comics). Contact Andrew McIntire for details. andrew@onipress.com
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM Registration
8:00 - 10:00 Opening Night Reception - Skylight Room - Hilton (Sponsored by Dark Horse)
2/18 Thursday (Retailers, Dark Horse, and DC only)
8:30 AM - 9:45 AM Registration
9:45 – 12:15 Dark Horse Presentation
Guests:
Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook
Faith Erin Hicks
Gail Simone
Chuck Palahniuk
12:15 – 1:30 - Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 – Closed Membership Meeting
2:40 – 6:40 DC Presentation
7:00 - 8:00 Reception (Sponsored by DC)
7:30 Dinner Sponsored by DC
2/18 Thursday (Vendors Only)
4:45 - 5:45 Vendor Mixer, Broadway Rooms 1 and 2
Come by and meet other vendors. Then perhaps break into small groups for dinner?
2/19 Friday
7:30 AM Vendor Registration
8:30 AM – 9:50 AM Breakfast
8:50 Showcase Vendors
9:05 Titan
9:15 Hero Intiiative
9:20 Dynamite
9:55 - 10:40 Workshops
Workshop A
Publisher Perspectives: Kids Comics and Graphic Novels
In the first 8 months of 2015, sales of kids graphic novels rose 35%. Why did this happen? And how can you capitalize on this growth? Led by Sven Larsen (VP of Marketing at Papercutz), Robin Herrera (Editor at Oni Press), Gina Gagliano, (Marketing & Publicity Manager at First Second), and Michael J. Martens (VP of Book Trade Sales at Dark Horse Books). Topics may include: “The Raina Phenomenon”, working with teachers and librarians, FCBD and Children’s Book Week, Age Ranges, Color vs. black and white, What is a graphic novel?, growth of kids/YA market as a whole.
Workshop B
Community Building: Increasing profits through connections
As sales of comics and graphic novels keep increasing in bookstores and online, store-front retailers are differentiating themselves by building communities inside and outside of the store. Please join Matthew Klokel and Esther Kim (Fantom Comics) and John Dudas (Carol and John’s Comics) as they explore why community building is the avenue for growth in next five to ten years. Topics may include: (customer engagement, monetizing your community, cliques, marketing and communication, social media, business identity, balancing in-store and out-of store activities, etc).
Workshop C
Store Problems: Brainstorm solutions
Please join Joe Murray (Captain Blue Hen Comics), Rick Lowell (Casablanca Comics), Jonathan Cohen (Beyond Comics), and Christina Blanch (Aw Yeah Comics) as they lead the audience in brainstormng solutions to common store problems. The problems/concerns will have been solicited from our entire membership before hand and at the meeting.
10:45 – 11:10 Marvel
11:15 – 12:00 Local Comic Shop Day® - Summary of 2015 efforts. Plans for the future.
12:00 – 12:45 Workshops
Workshop A
Publisher Perspectives: Running Events in Your Store
How can you work with publishers and organizations to get the best possible events in your stores? What are publishers and
organizations looking for when they chose stores for their events? Learn about some easy ways to make the events you want
happen. Led by Gina Gagliano, (Marketing & Publicity Manager at First Second), Charles Brownstein (Executive Director of
CBLDF), and Anna Pederson (Events Manager at Fantagraphics). Topics May include: Booking events with Edelweiss,
timely scheduling, offering added value, school visits, Children's Book Week and looking for and making the most out of opportunities.
Workshop B
Meet the Valkyries: Warrior Women of Comics Retail Unite!
The Valkyries is an organization of over 500 women working in comic book retail. Founded in 2013 by creator Kate Leth, the group has had a significant impact on the comics landscape of the last few years. Join Juliette Capra of Fantastic Comics, Susan Avallone of Earth-2 Comics, and Esther Kim of Fantom comics to discuss what it is The Valkyries do, inclusive community building in comics, and the impact being a Valkyrie has had on their businesses.
Workshop C
Sales Diversification: Profitable and Necessary
Are you looking to add items to your store that will complement your comics and graphic novels? Are you having a hard
time figuring out where to start? Back by popular demand is Jennifer Haines (M.A., B.Ed., OCT), The Dragon,
Canada. - a trained teacher as well as an Eisner award-winning comic retailer. Last year she helped you get kids in the
door to start reading comics. This year she will help you determine why to diversify, what products to stock, and who to call,
12:45 – 2:00 Lunch
1:00 Valiant
1:10 IDW
1:35 Oni
2:00 – 3:30 Roundtables
3:30 – 3:50 Break
3:50 – 4:50 Sponsor Presentations
3:50 Image
4:15 Action Lab
4:30 Boom
4:50 – 6:20 Roundtables
6:20 – 8:30 Break for Dinner (On your own)
8:30 CBLDF Cocktails
9:00 Auction to Support CBLDF
Saturday: February 20
8:30 AM – 9:40 AM Breakfast
9:00 Diamond
9:50 - 11:20 Roundtables
11:20 – 11:30 Break
11:30 – 11:45 Keynote Speech
11:45 – 12:00 Industry Awards
12:00 – 1:30 Roundtables
1:30 – 2:00 Closed Membership Meeting
2:00 End of Meeting
After Conference Activities
2:00 - 4:00 PM Lunch sponsored by Dark Horse - Venue near hotel
4:00 - 6:30 PM - Free Time. Maybe go to Wizard World? Attendees get free tickets. See Registration for Details.
6:30 - ??? Reception - Sponsored by Oni
PunchBowl Social
340 Sw Morrison St, Third Floor
Portland, OR
Between SW 4th Ave and SW 3rd Ave
(503) 334-0360
HOTEL RESERVATIONS
The 2016 Meeting will be held at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower in downtown Portland. Reserve your room by January 21, 2016 and get the preferential ComicsPRO meeting rate of $133/night.
https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=13936180
If you prefer to reserve your room by phone, call the hotel directly at 1-800-445-8667 and be sure to reference the 2016 ComicsPRO Annual Meeting in order to get our special group rate.
ABOUT THE COMICSPRO ANNUAL MEETING
Join us for what has become one of the most important retailer gatherings in the industry! Retailers, publishers, distributors and vendors gather to discuss major industry issues and to develop ways to improve our market. All retailers, and all vendors interested in reaching comic book retailers, are invited. ComicsPRO members also use this meeting as an opportunity to discuss the organization's current projects and plans. Help plan the direction of your trade association, and get involved in the discussion that kicks off the industry's year at our Annual Meeting!
HOW CAN MY COMPANY PARTICIPATE?
Comic Book Stores:
Comic book retailers can register online. The registration fee is discounted for ComicsPRO members, but you do not have to be a member to attend! Attendees must be able to represent their company in votes and decisions during the discussion, so if you are a comic book store employee, the store owner must designate you as a company representative. Meals are included in your registration fee, and all retailer attendees are presented with a gift bag of product donations from our sponsors!
Publishers, Distributors and other Vendors:
Publishers, distributors and other vendors interested in working with the industry's most progressive retailers are invited to attend the AMM as Official Sponsors. Please contact marco@comicspro.org for more information.
VENDORS PARTICIPATING
A full list of participating retailers will be released as we get closer to the meeting. Please visit 2016 Meeting Sponsors,
| 1First Comics/Devil's Due LLC |
| Action Lab |
| AfterShock Comics |
| American Gothic Press |
| Ata-Boy |
| BCW Supplies |
| Bonfire Agency |
| BOOM! Studios |
| CGC |
| CBDLF |
| The Collection Drawer Co. |
| Comic Hub |
| ComicsPRO |
| Creator Table |
| Dark Horse |
| DC Comics |
| Diamond Comic Distributors |
| Digital Art Tutorials |
| Double Take |
| Dynamite Entertainment |
| Eaglemoss |
| Fantagraphics Books |
| First Second Books |
| Galaxy Press |
| Graphitti Designs |
| GTS Distribution |
| Hero Initiative |
| Humanoids |
| IDW Publishing |
| Image Comics |
| Legendary Comics |
| Lion Forge |
|
Marvel
|
|
Microcosm
Oni Press
|
| Overground Comics |
| Papercutz/NBM |
| ReedPOP |
| Renegade Arts Entertainment |
| Titan Comics |
| Valiant Entertainment |
| VIZ Media |
| Zenescope Entertainment |
TOP 11 REASONS TO COME TO THE PORTLAND 2016 ANNUAL MEETING!
11. Meet a lot of artists and creators. Portland is the mecca for comic creators ..... and last year we had around 20 creators in and out of the conference at different times.
10. Help celebrate the 30th anniversary of Platinum sponsor Dark Horse! Last year Dark Horse invited Palahniuk, Darrow, Mignola, Kindt, Wood, and Powell. Who are they going to invite this year? Come and find out!
9. Talk to the DC top brass. On the first day of the conference, Platinum sponsor DC discusses the plans for the next year in detail.
Past presentations have included: State of DCE/Industry + Q&A, DC Collectibles , and Sales & Marketing
8. Get an awesome goodie bag. Every participant gets a goodie bag filled with variants and gifts from the publishers. Last year's was awesome! It included some good reading, popular and hard to find variants (e.g. Marvel's Silk #1), and some other cool schwag. These goodies help subsidize travel expenses.
7. Join us on the after-conference bus ride. Our conference ends on Saturday, early afternoon. We will be doing an after conference bus ride which will maybe go to 2 local comic book stores and Wizard World Portland. We usually start 45 minutes to an hour at each place and then move on. This is usually a fun way to hang out with publishers and retailers and socialize.
6. Go through the roundtable process with 30 to 34 different publishers! Where else, are you going to be able to sit in small groups of about 5 or 6 people and discuss a publisher's upcoming schedule? This is the heart and soul of the conference ....and no one does it as well as we do!
5. Help plan for the Second Local Comic Shop Day®. The first one was a good first effort! However, the second one will be a lot better. Do you have good ideas you want to share? Do you want to help shape the day?
4. Mingle! Mingle! Mingle! Lot's of places to do that. Officially, there is the opening reception by Dark Horse on Wednesday, the DC reception on Thursday, the CBLDF auction on Friday night, the after conference bus ride, and the ONI closing reception on Saturday night. Unofficially, many of the publishers organize after hours events.
3. Meet vendors you haven't met before! In the last few years .... we've been increasing our publishers and vendor count. Two years ago, CGC and Black Mask joined up. Last year was Drawn and Quarterly and Fantagraphics. This year, Humanoids is coming. And it's still early in the registration process! We should have a list of participating vendors in early January.
2. Learn something! We usually host 4 to 6 different workshops per year. Last year we had CGC grading, kids comics, email marketing! This year we plan to do a couple of workshops on community building and are looking for other cool topics. Please email marco@comicspro.org with ideas!
And the #1 reason is:
1. Because we need to KEEP PORTLAND WEIRD! (The unofficial motto of Portland).