TOP 12 REASONS
TO GO TO THE MEETING!
12. Participate in the Industry Discussion. We’ve asked three retailer thought-leaders - Brian Hibbs, Phil Boyle, and Joe Field – to start of the discussion. Then, after their speeches, we will have an hour to discuss (as a group of retailers, publishers, and Distributors) what the state of the industry is and what we would like to happen in the future. It’s probably going to be one of the most important discussions in recent years. Don’t miss it!
11. Talk to DC and Marvel! On the first day of the conference, DC will be sending Dan Didio and a few other DC staffers. Marvel will be sending Senior VP David Gabriel. Wouldn’t you like to hear about the recent DC re-organization? Don't you want to talk to Marvel about their upcoming plans?
10. See things that you might not get to see at a Diamond Summit! From alternative distributors like Ingram and Penguin/Random House where you can set up secondary sources of distribution to new technological solutions like ComicHub or Pop-up Comic shops, the ComicsPRO Comic Industry Conference showcases what retailers WANT TO SEE as opposed to what’s necessarily selling through just one distributor.
9. Hear from the top Publshers! All the top publishers are represented. Each will get up and talk for between 8 to 16 minutes and will fill you in on their plans.
8. Participate in the Theme Table Lunch! This lunch, open only to retailers, allows us to get into small groups and learn about new things. Each table has a different theme and a leader who has knowledge about the Theme. Past themes have included “Opening up a second location”, “Store Layout and Design”, “Working with Breweries, etc
7. Learn! This conference has TWICE THE AMOUNT of education than any other conference. Education is our specialty and we want retailers to feel that they have learned something from the experience.
6. Get an awesome goodie bag! Every participant gets a goodie bag filled with variants and gifts from the publishers. So far Marvel has announced Daredevil #1 and Chronicles of Conan #1. Other vendors will be announcing their variants soon. These goodies help subsidize travel expenses.
5. 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 3 local comic and other specialty stores.. 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.
4. Go through the roundtable process with 32 to 40 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!
3. Mingle! Mingle! Mingle! Lot's of places to do that. Officially, there is the opening reception by Dark Horse on Thursday, and the CBLDF auction on Friday night, and the after conference bus ride. Unofficially, there will also be other things going on. Publishers taking retailers to dinner. Inforrmal brewery trips. Publisher meet-ups.
2. Meet new publishers and vendors! . This year we have Ingrram, Penguin Random House, and other alternative distributors! We have NPD group – the Bookscan People! Plus we have a few old faces who have transitioned into new projects.
And the #1 reason is:
1. Get Heard! Affect change! Many Retailers feel that they carry a lot of the burden, in this industry, and have very little control. By coming to the meeting, and participating in industry discussions, you may very well be the missing piece we need to change the industry.