More Questions Than Answers at BookExpo Canada
By Josh Kerbel -- Publishers Weekly, 6/18/2008 8:01:00 AM
It seemed like the story this year at BookExpo Canada, was BookExpo Canada. Rather than gossiping about which publisher had up-sized or downsized its booths or which authors were signing books, the topic crossing most insiders' lips was the proposal from Reed Exhibitions to dramatically alter BookExpo Canada for 2009.
“We have been aware for some time that BEC has needed to increase its value across the board to all constituents. This is certainly a major part of the reason that we explored some extended programming last year in conjunction with Harbourfront,” said Reed Exhibitions' Scott Temple, BookExpo Canada’s managing director. "So, in this sense, our effort to seek new ground for BEC is not new. We have gotten lots of feedback and two major suggestions that we've heard would involve moving the show to the Fall and opening a portion of our activity to the public. Bottom line, we have heard that whatever changes we make, they must be fairly significant since the current formula is not working.”
While there is almost unanimous opinion from industry stakeholders that the show must change to survive, there is little agreement on how to save the event, although moving the show to September seems to be gaining some momentum. “As yet there is no firm proposal from Reed”, noted Susan Dayus of the CBA. “However, those booksellers I’ve spoken with have concerns about the timing of a show in September, when campus booksellers are in the midst of textbook rush and independent booksellers have already purchased their fall frontlist titles. While change is always a good thing, we need to ensure that the interests of our members are being met, and that means an event that includes professional development at a time when booksellers can convene.”
These sentiments were echoed by a number of publishers including Kim McArthur and Doug Peppe “Moving BEC to September or November, or indeed to any time other than June would be a complete and utter waste of time and energy, and a disaster. There is no way we could get the booksellers from trade or university/college stores from across the country to come to an event in September or later in the fall, when they are meant to be selling the very fall releases that we are promoting at BEC,” said McArthur of McArthur & Co. McClelland & Stewart's Pepper was a little more to the point “As for moving it to September, good luck. It is already a month chock-a-block with publishing and other events, not to mention back-to-school and Jewish holidays.” Major September events in Toronto inclue the Toronto International Film Festival and Word on The Street, a book and magazine festival at the end of the month.
At the heart of the discussion is the question, “what is the point of BookExpo Canada?” Is it a sales event or a networking occasion? “We have long since determined that BEC is more of a promotional and marketing show, rather than a show where orders are taken, aside from our annual backlist special”, says McArthur. “So we always organize it to bring in authors to sign galleys for upcoming books for fall or books that are lead titles in June.” However input from various other publishers indicate that they would reduce their involvement in the show if it continues on as is, particularly larger publishers. “ It’s not a secret that publishers, including M&S, are seriously contemplating the wisdom behind spending the kind of money and time involved in attending BEC,” said Pepper. “It is, and always has been, very insular. However, in the days—now long past—where a publisher actually did real business with its accounts on the convention floor, such a fair made a lot of sense. Now, it seems it’s mostly a schmooze-fest that publishers underwrite and give away free copies of books, drinks, food, to the industry and assorted hangers-on. It will always have its merits, but at present I don’t think those merits translate into the price and time we pay for.” While there is talk of opening the show up to the public, the CBA is dead set against publishers selling books directly to the public.
As far as the show itself, Susan Dayus said that CBA Super Saturday, a day of professional development for booksellers, received wonderful reviews from participants. “With attendance up 35% from last year, it drew booksellers from across the country and exceeded our expectations,” said Dayus. “Some exhibitors I spoke with were very pleased with the contacts they made; others were less enthused”. Reports from Reed Exhibitions were that first day attendance was up 13% this year, but exhibitor space was down by 8%.
On an up note, the Canadian Booksellers Association’s Libris Awards were handed out on June 15, 2008 in conjunction with BookExpo Canada. On the publishing end of the industry, Penguin Group (Canada) won Publisher of the Year while North 49 Books has earned Distributor of the Year for the second year in a row.
Lawrence Hill, author of, The Book of Negroes (HarperCollins Canada), was named Author of the Year. Giller Prize winner Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay won the Fiction Book of the Year prize and Naomi Klein’s, The Shock Doctrine (Knopf Canada) took top honors in the Nonfiction category. Scaredy Squirrel creater Mélanie Watt scooped two prizes, Children’s Author and Children’s Illustrator of the Year, while Editor of the Year went to Random House of Canada’s Anne Collins. Munro’s Books of Victoria, British Columbia won Bookseller of the Year.
