New Voices New Rooms

New Voices New Rooms is an innovative annual conference designed to provide booksellers access to education, peer interactions, author meet-ups, and publisher/vendor networking.

New Voices New Rooms (NVNR) will host its 2025 annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia, with dates and venue to be announced. 

NVNR is the programming partnership between the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) and the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) and has been hosting conferences and events for booksellers since 2020. It has hosted an annual in-person booksellers conference since 2023.

In selecting Atlanta, NVNR signals a change from previous years when the conference was regularly held in Arlington, Virginia. Going forward, the location of the conference will travel within the combined NAIBA and SIBA territories to make it more accessible and to better showcase different bookselling communities. After Atlanta in 2025, NVNR will be in Baltimore in 2026 and return to Virginia in 2027.

Recognizing that the area served by NVNR is extensive, both regional associations have committed to increased financial assistance for booksellers to help them attend the conference.

Linda-Marie Barrett, Executive Director of SIBA, says there is strong support among the NAIBA and SIBA boards for an Atlanta conference. “The Atlanta area bookstores are excited to share their spaces and missions," she added. "We’re thrilled to bring NVNR to Atlanta next year. Atlanta is a vibrant city with a strong and diverse bookselling culture.”

“NAIBA booksellers will now have the opportunity to visit an amazing city for bookselling,” said Eileen Dengler, NAIBA Executive Director. “We’ll incorporate bookstore visits and visits to America’s Mart to make this a unique opportunity for booksellers. Our team at NVNR continues to create an experience of unparalleled education, networking, and joy.” 

NVNR hopes to confirm the 2025 conference venue and dates by the end of the year. Exhibitor registration will open in January, and bookseller registration will open in April.