GENI: Meet me in St. Louis! Print
Written by Staff   
Wednesday, 26 May 2010 10:53 AM America/New_York

A message from Geni Hulsey, president of the Church Bookstore Network:

I have attended CBA events since joining the Christian products industry in 1993 and want to share with you four reasons for joining me at the International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis next month.

Business: The centerpiece of the show—and of any trade show—is the vendor exhibit floor. It is here that you see new products, learn how to promote those items and make friends with the companies who so wonderfully serve our industry.

As I visit each booth, I am always impressed with how much effort each vendor has put into its presence. They bring authors, musicians and artisans so that you might get to know the heart behind the products. They are generous beyond belief with free product so that you might preview items or read books to see how they will fit into the ministry of your store.

Education is another reason for attending ICRS. Few of us know all that we need to about what we have been called to do. For church bookstores, there will be many classes that will be pertinent to you as a manager in Christian retail, but there will be one that you especially will not want to miss.

One of the major topics discussed in any group of church bookstore managers is how to engage the staff in the ministry and the process of the bookstore. A staff fully engaged will not only enhance the ministry of the store, but the individual ministries in the church. At ICRS, we will have a great panel discussion with church bookstore managers who have dealt with this problem.