Mind-Body-Spirit Market Going to the Movies

by Marcia Z. Nelson, Religion BookLine -- Publishers Weekly, 2/14/2007

Authors (from left) Denise Linn and James Redfield were featured at the show's brunch program, moderated by James Wanless (right).

The International New Age Trade Show East, held Feb. 3-5 in Orlando, offered bells, books, candles and movies for the mind-body-spirit market. The sixth annual show attracted 22 publishing exhibitors and 508 retailer attendees. The nearby Orlando Gift Show offered crossover opportunities and boosted traffic, said show manager Andrew Toplarski of Western Exhibitors.

Book-related events included brunch with Denise Linn, author of Four Acts of Personal Power: How to Heal Your Life and Create a Positive Future (Hay House, Dec. 2006) and James Redfield. Redfield's multimillion selling The Celestine Prophecy (Warner Books) became a movie last year, and the author, who co-wrote the screenplay, promoted the newly released DVD of the movie to 75 retailers who attended the brunch. The growing popularity of spiritual cinema—movies with spiritual or religious themes—was evidenced by a panel during the show on merchandising DVDs.

Karen Stone, director of specialty sales for Hay House, wrote orders from new customers. "For as small as the show was we were busy every day," she said. "Serious buyers were there."

The show runs twice yearly, once in an eastern location and once in Denver. The summer show will be held for its ??th year June 23-25 at the Denver Merchandise Mart.