Church and independent Christian bookstore managers and staff from across the country are due to gather in Orlando, Fla., in April for three days of business and inspiration.

Managing Bible, book and gift categories and creating a successful customer experience are among the issues to be addressed at Christian Retailing's Retailing ReBoot 2011. The event themed "Engaging Without Limits" will take place April 26-28 at the Florida Hotel and Conference Center.

In addition to education sessions helping retailers connect more with suppliers and customers, there will be worship and inspirational messages as well as a suppliers' exhibit area. The program will also include an authors' reception and the announcement of the winners of the magazine's 2011 Retailers Choice Awards.

Originally organized solely for church stores and formerly called The Gathering, the event has been renamed this year to reflect its inclusion of independent retailers and the need for stores to "reset" for the future, said Christian Retailing Publisher Dave Condiff.

"The old ways of running things doesn't meet the current challenges and future needs of the industry," Condiff said. "But smart stores are being proactive about making changes. We want to come together to learn from and encourage each other."

For Dennis Woods, manager of Water's Edge Resource Center at Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Sugar Land, Texas, the Christian Retailing event is "the only meeting in my travel budget. Although there are other places and venues to see and purchase product, I choose this meeting because it has both the gift vendors as well as the publishers that are willing to cater to my store and other church-owned bookstores.

"It is also a place to meet and share with others who are struggling with the same challenges and opportunities I face on a daily basis," Woods said.

Susan Chipman, director of retail services at Granger Community Church in Granger, Ind., said: "It is simply the highlight of my business year. I've always come back with renewed energy to approach our ministry/business with fresh eyes. The connections that I've made with fellow retailers and vendors has been invaluable to the success of our store."

The event offers a "unique combination of fellowship, fresh ideas and spiritual encouragement," said Janet McKinley, manager of The Bookstore at First Baptist Church of Atlanta. It is "an exceptional experience that is not duplicated anywhere else," she said. "The relationships that are formed there create a support system that I rely on throughout the year."

Click here for more information on Retailing ReBoot 2011.

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