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Booksellers Guide to TRIO
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TRIO: The Booksellers Resource Page
What | Why | Who | Where | FAQs | What Now? | Useful Stuff
What is TRIO?
TRIO is a traveling exhibit of art, music and literature that celebrates the inspirational power of great storytelling. First conceived by Shari Smith of Working Title Farm, and a writer and singer for "The Shoe Burnin' Show," TRIO is a testament to the way words, music and art can come together around the power of a single story. Each TRIO starts with a book, which is given to a musician and a visual artist, who then write a song, a piece of music, a work of art inspired by the story.
The TRIO exhibit debuts at the SIBA Discovery Show, and then travels around the South for the next twelve months, hosted by and sponsored by SIBA member bookstores.
Why TRIO?
SIBA sees TRIO as a unique opportunity for its members. Its mission is closely aligned with independent bookstore values, with the values of readers, of anyone who has ever been inspired by a book. The exhibit is an example of the real world power of real world connections, and can't be mimicked in a virtual environment. It is an unusual, unique event that mirrors the unusual and unique nature of SIBA member stores. By bringing TRIO to their town, a SIBA store can create ties with other community organizations, reach new audiences, and bring attention to the store:
We really enjoyed having the TRIO exhibit up in the store. It looked great and drew attention from our customers and lots of conversations. The event itself was very special, with the talented musicians, writers and artists presenting their portions of the collaboration. Thank you for sending it our way.
Karen Hayes, Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN
We enjoyed the benefits of goodwill, publicity and reinforcing our connections with the local population. We also sold some books which were related to the exhibit. This was a very positive benefit for Eagle Eye due to the small amount of effort compared to the increased public awareness for our book store.
Doug Robinson, Eagle Eye Book Shop, Atlanta, GA
The TRIO Exhibit hosted by NewSouth Books was displayed against the windows of a commercial building on Montgomery's Court Square, facing up historic Dexter Avenue to the state capitol. This is one of the busiest areas in Montgomery, and the exhibit was lighted and thus available to anyone passing by 24/7 for the duration of the exhibit. It was up during the early part of the summer, when the weather was nice and downtown was full of tourists milling about in the vicinity of the exhibit. We supplemented the exhibit's built-in signage with a large banner/poster explaining NewSouth's sponsorship and giving directions to our store where the featured books were on display and could be purchased. We have no way of knowing how many people viewed the exhibit, but we received many favorable comments about it.
Randall Williams, NewSouth Bookstore, Montgomery, AL
Important Links:
The Current TRIO: http://www.authorsroundthesouth.com/discover-southern-authors/trio-main
The TRIO Schedule: http://www.authorsroundthesouth.com/discover-southern-authors/trio-main#TRIOSchedule
Request TRIO: sharismith@workingtitlefarm.com
TRIO on ARTS: http://www.authorsroundthesouth.com/discover-southern-authors/trio-main
TRIO on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/triobooksongart/
FAQS:
Does it cost anything to host TRIO?
Not for the exhibit itself. Transport of the pieces, installation, breakdown and transport to the next location are all handled by the TRIO team.
How long does the exhibit have to run?
At least three weeks, but no longer than six weeks.
How much space does it need?
The TRIO exhibit is designed to be flexible in terms of the presentation and footprint it needs, so it can be created in a compact area, or spread out over a larger space. Please contact Shari Smith at Working Title Farm to discuss the specifics of the space you would like to use.
We're a small store, can we host just part of the exhibit?
No, it must be the entire exhibit. Small stores should reach out to their community for exhibit space. While some stores have hosted TRIO on site, others have worked with local libraries, cafes, and other places that have event space.
Who is responsible for bringing the artwork and installing it? And breaking it down?
The TRIO organizers and curators from Working Title Farm handle installation and breakdown.
Is it possible to have an event with the authors, musicians and artists in the exhibit?
Yes! It is in the nature of the exhibit that it represents writers, artists and musicians from all over the South, so while it is unlikely to have all of them in one spot, TRIO does try to arrange for some to be available for an opening reception or something similar at every new stop. Arrangements are made via TRIO's organizer, Shari Smith (shari@workingtitlefarm.com).
What is the bookstore/venue responsible for?
As a hosting venue the store is responsible for providing the necessary space for the exhibit and keeping it safe while it is on display. Also, making a few bodies available to help with the load in and out is very much appreciated! Otherwise, bookstores' main responsibility is to promote TRIO and the books that are featured in the exhibit; in-store, in your communities, and online. To help manage this, SIBA has provided a promotional checklist that can be used as a guide to creating your own promotional campaign. (See below)
I'm hosting TRIO! What do I do now?
A checklist for promoting TRIO in your store and in your community.
- Post the exhibit dates on your store calendar, and on your social media calendars. Be sure to like and tag SIBA, TRIO, and any of the writers, artists, and musicians when you post and share TRIO. (Their social media info is available below)
- Every month a TRIO is featured in SIBA's Lady Banks Newsletter. Make sure your exhibit dates are posted on the ARTS calendar so your store can be featured.
- Create an in-store display of the books featured in TRIO, and make a point of recommending the books to your local book clubs, teachers, and community read programs. Also, let your local library know about the exhibit and the books in it. They may like to do a display as well. There is a title list of books in the downloads section below.
- Make sure everyone on your staff is familiar with the exhibit and the books in it. Encourage them to read some of the books and write up "staff picks."
- Write a press release and send it out to your local media and customers. Be sure to include any partners cooperating with you to bring the exhibit to your town, and highlight why your community is fortunate to be one of the few stops on the exhibit tour.
- Consistently Promote the "TRIO Live" show beginning one month ahead of the date of the show. Also reach out to media you might not normally contact – especially music and radio stations. The TRIO Exhibit includes original music written by grammy-winning musicians and songwriters. Make sure your local DJs and people who host local music programs know what they can hear.
- Use TRIO as inspiration for store events and promotions: match books with music and art, create reading/song lists for book clubs and customers. Turn one of your "coloring books nights" into an evening where people draw based on inspiration from their favorite books.
- Take tons of photos throughout the exhibit and share, share, share! On Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest!
- If your exhibit is off-site and you can do ecommerce on your store website, create QR codes for the books people can scan so they can buy them right at the exhibit. SIBA can help you create the codes on request.
- Track your sales and send your results to SIBA.
Hi resolution images and helpful files for the books featured in TRIO 2018
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