The 2025 Heartland Fall Forum wrapped up Thursday afternoon in Indianapolis, Ind., a city that GLIBA executive director Larry Law and MIBA executive director Grace Hagen agreed "is experiencing the greatest growth in new indie booksellers in the region."
And, they said, the rate of growth for new MIBA and GLIBA stores is increasing as well. (At their respective annual meetings this week, it was reported that GLIBA now has 400 indie bookstore members, and MIBA has 379.) Underscoring this growth, of the more than 300 booksellers registered for Heartland, a little over half, 156, were first-time show attendees, reported Hagen. Exhibitor support was also strong, with "more tables sold than any of the past five years," said Law. In all, reported Hagen, registered attendees numbered 545, including 60 authors.
Next year's Heartland Fall Forum will be in Minneapolis, Minn.
At the close of the Heartland trade show floor, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc) raised $8,300, according to Binc communication coordinator Erika Mantz, the proceeds of an auction of booth contents collected from Heartland exhibitors. "Thanks to generous donations from publishers and vendors attending the show," said Mantz, "ranging from sidelines like candles, journals and puzzles to the contents of booths and piles of books." Fifty-one lots were up for auction.
Throughout the morning, booksellers visited the Binc table on the trade show floor to offer bids jotted on sticky notes that were then affixed to poster-sized lists in front of the table.
"Binc had another successful auction," said Mantz, adding, "Big thanks to volunteer auction coordinator Jennifer Keeley and everyone in GLIBA and MIBA who contributed to its success."