Soft Opening Debated at CBA

The International Christian Retail Show held in Denver last week included a number of new features (including a new name), the most ambitious of which, a "soft opening," drew a mixed reception from exhibitors.

Under the soft opening initiative, the exhibit floor was reserved for retailers with confirmed appointments between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. A completed form had to be presented to door staff to gain entrance to the show floor, and some confused retailers showed up without the necessary paperwork. Many exhibitors complained the soft opening forced them to add staff hours, and pointed out that most of the large and mid-size publishers had hospitality suites for that purpose.

CBA chief Bill Anderson said he was mystified by the criticism, since exhibitors were not required to make use of the soft opening hours, and did not have to staff the booth if they had no appointments. But Dave Lewis, director of sales and marketing for Baker Publishing Group, observed, "I have to protect my booth." Opinions of retailers ranged the spectrum. Some said the soft opening made no difference to them; others bemoaned the fact that they had to wait until 10 a.m. to get on the floor, while some liked the innovation.

Though show setup is now allowed on Sunday instead of Saturday, publishers still complained that the show is too long, noting that BEA is now only two and a half days. Anderson responded that CBA's shows offer a wider range of products than BEA, and said, "We listen to what the retailers want, and they have not told us they want a shorter show on the back end. They need that time on the floor."

When it came to books, the buzz was all about Narnia. With the theatrical release of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe coming in December, there were a plethora of titles by or about C.S. Lewis and his classic children's tales.