Trade Show Preview: NEBA

by Jill Tardiff, PW Daily for Booksellers -- Publishers Weekly, 9/3/2004

As the fall trade-show season approaches, PW Daily will be previewing a different show each day. Today, a look at what to expect at the gathering of the New England Booksellers Association, scheduled to meet Oct. 8-10 at the World Trade Center, Boston, Mass.

Boston's seaport district provides the backdrop for the annual NEBA meeting and trade show, which starts with a day of educational programming on Friday. Kate Whouley of Books in Common joins Dennis DeLorenzo of Design Dynamics and Ted Baylis of Franklin Fixtures in an all-day program (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) on bookstore design. Using actual NEBA bookstores as models, the three recommend design solutions ranging from the quick fix to an extensive renovation. Additionally, owners and managers of recently remodeled stores will share their stories.

Sam Tanenhaus, editor-in-chief of the New York Times Book Review, is the keynote speaker at the Industry Luncheon, from noon until 2:30 p.m. NEBA president Allan Schmid of Books Etc. will present the Gilman Award for outstanding service as a New England sales rep to John Muse of Simon & Schuster. James Carroll, whose most recent book is Crusade: Chronicles of an Unjust War, accepts the New England Booksellers Association Presidential Award for lifetime contribution to the arts and letters. After lunch, more design tips from the dynamic trio of Whouley, DeLorenzo and Baylis. That evening, Graeme Base (TruckDogs), Cornelia Funke (Dragon Rider) and Janet Tashjian (Vote for Larry) are guests at the children's author/illustrator dinner.

The Saturday breakfast features Lynn Cox (Swimming to Antarctica), Stewart O'Nan (Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the 2004 Season) and Esmeralda Santiago (The Turkish Lover). Exhibit hours: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; autographing sessions: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. In the morning, industry experts outline measures to combat shoplifting and theft, while booksellers discuss the pros and cons of selling used books. Later in the day, the New England Children's Booksellers Advisory Council (NECBA) presents a workshop on graphic novels. NEBA's annual meeting is at 4:45 p.m., followed by a cocktail reception at 6 p.m., then dinner at 7 p.m.

More than 150 booksellers plan to attend dinner with authors, aka "the moveable feast." Authors confirmed at press time include Kelly Braffet (Josie and Jack), Jane Brox (Clearing Land), Edward Docx (The Calligrapher), Jennifer Haigh (Baker Towers), Chuck Hogan (Prince of Thieves), Garret Keizer (Help: The Original Human Dilemma), Margot Livesey (Banishing Verona) and Howard Frank Mosher (Waiting for Teddy Williams).

The highlight of Sunday's 8:30 a.m. breakfast is the New England Book Awards presentation. Established in 1990, these awards are given annually to an author and a publisher who have produced a body of work that stands as a significant contribution to the region's culture. This year's winners: fiction, Archer Mayor; nonfiction, Linda Greenlaw; children's, Molly Bang; publishing, Storey Books. Sunday's exhibit hours: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; autographing sessions: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. At 10 a.m., Avin Domnitz presents his "2% solution" seminar.

Contact: Rusty Drugan, 1770 Massachusetts Ave., #332, Cambridge, Mass. 02140; (800) 466-8711 (general inquiries) or (617) 576-3070 (exhibitor inquiries); rusty@neba.org; www.newenglandbooks.org.