CBA has added a new event to the January calendar to help stores prepare for the year ahead.

Next 2012: Meet the Challenge will be held in conjunction with The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market—the premier general market gift show—Jan. 12-13 in the Georgia capital.

The city also will host Christian Trade Association International’s (CTAI) Marketsquare International, to be held jointly with the Inspirational Value Book Show (IVBS), Jan. 18-20.

Kicking off with a welcome reception the evening of Jan. 11, Next 2012 will give store representatives tips on how to navigate the big gifts show—hosted by AmericasMart Atlanta—and bring together retailers, suppliers and presenters for sessions addressing issues such as marketing trends and strategic store management.

The event “will not be related just to gifts, but will encompass broader topics such as e-books, social media, creating community around Christian stores, book clubs, merchandising and more,” said Curtis Riskey, CBA executive director.

“Our desire is for retailers to take away exciting ideas and new products to enhance what they are already doing in their retail stores,” he said. “The ultimate goal of Next 2012 and the gift mart is to help marry what retailers already know with what they could be.”

Among the speakers at Next 2012 will be Bob Negen, founder of WhizBang! Training, who led the popular Retail Academy at the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) in July.

The premier sponsor for the event is Spring Arbor. “We are committed to the Christian market and to helping Christian publishers and retailers build strong businesses and ministries,” said David “Skip” Prichard, president and CEO of Spring Arbor’s parent company, Ingram Content Group.  “Our work with CBA on the ICRS Retail Academy this year was an overwhelming success, and we are pleased to collaborate further with CBA to help shape and create the educational programs our industry needs to succeed.”

Next 2012 follows CBA’s collaborative efforts with AmericasMart in the last few years that have included a special reception for Christian retailers at the show and help in identifying the Christian suppliers exhibiting there. CBA scrapped its Advance winter trade show in 2007 because of dwindling attendance.

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