Behind the News: Smaller Christian Retail Show Gets Down to Business
-- Publishers Weekly, 7/21/2009 1:09:00 PM
By Marcia Z. Nelson
With back-to-back meetings, international bustle and galleys quickly disappearing, the three-day 2009 International Christian Retail Show in Denver that concluded July 15 was all business, despite a 20% drop in attendance from 2008. Professionals (nonexhibitors) in attendance numbered 1,903; international attendees from 56 countries totaled 534, down 28% from last year.
“We came in with somber expectations,” said Bill Anderson, president-CEO of CBA, the Association for Christian Retail, which sponsored the show, trimming one full day from it. He cited the economy as the primary reason for the decline, adding that other industry trade shows are down 30%-40%. Publishers came in with similarly modest expectations; virtually all shrank or otherwise simplified exhibit space and/or brought fewer staff than last year to reduce their costs. Given those expectations, many expressed surprise at the traffic they got, particularly on Monday, the show’s opening day. “We’ve had a great first day,” said Brian Hughes, marketing manager for Oxford University Press. “People are here to do business.” Jeff Dennis, executive v-p of sales and marketing and digitalization at Crossway Books & Bibles, agreed. “We’re very pleased with attendance,” he said after the second day of the show. “People here are interested in product. They’re not casual buyers.”
The business that people did took many forms, from product introduction to author signings—some, like Karen Kingsbury thanks! and James Brown, with long lines—and yes, even order writing. Kregel Publications was one of at least 75 exhibitors offering a show-only special. “We took a record amount of orders,” said Cat Hoort, trade marketing manager. Many publishers said they were busy with international activity. Jeff Crosby, associate publisher for InterVarsity Press, said rights sales were “a significant benefit” of the show; IVP is growing business in Asia and English-speaking Africa. Meetings of all types kept publishers busy. “It’s a very productive time if you plan ahead,” said Dave Lewis, executive v-p of sales and marketing at Baker Publishing Group.
Next year ICRS will be held June 27-30 in St. Louis, Mo. Anderson said the Midwestern location would make it more accessible for a majority of Christian retailers; he also estimated that 40 to 50 companies not at this year’s show would attend next year; this year’s dates conflicted with a gift show in Atlanta. And at least one publisher exhibitor plans to increase space next year. “We are planning our biggest year ever in 2010 and will need a larger presence to showcase our upcoming products,” Rolf Zettersten, publisher at FaithWords, told PW in a postshow e-mail. “The Denver show was a positive experience and encourages me about the future.”
In other ICRS news:
Retired Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North, author, Fox News Channel host and a high-profile figure during the Reagan era, is now a “commanding editor.” He heads Fidelis Books, an imprint of B&H Publishing Group, which debuted at ICRS with U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) signing copies of his Saving Freedom: We Can Stop America’s Slide into Socialism. Fidelis will publish both fiction and nonfiction, and future offerings include North’s next novel After Jihad (Nov.) and a 2010 book from Lt. Gen. William G. “Jerry” Boykin, intelligence and special operations specialist in the Iraq War and other conflicts. Fidelis books will appeal to conservatives in the Christian market, but are aimed outside that market at conservative readers interested in military affairs, politics and current affairs.
Inspirational publisher Summerside Press has celebrated significant milestones since its launch last fall into the CBA market with its Love Finds You regional romance fiction line. President Carlton Garborg reported the house had 400,000 books shipped or on order since the October 2008 launch of the line, which sets stories of romance in real U.S. cities with quirky names or histories. Melody Carlson signedher Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon (Sept.) at ICRS; the bestselling author really does live in Sisters. Summerside also announced the signing of the popular writing team of Brock and Bodie Thoene for three books, and a new romantic suspense line to be developed by veteran CBA fiction editor Susan Downs for release in spring 2010. The family-owned Summerside was developed by gift and paper publisher Ellie Claire in Bloomington, Minn.
Bethany House and Tyndale House each took home two Christy Awards, given for excellence in Christian fiction, for books published in 2008. Winners included contemporary stand-alone, Dogwood by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House); visionary, Vanish by Tom Pawlik (Tyndale House); historical, Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin (Bethany House), who is a four-time Christy winner; historical romance, From a Distance by Tamera Alexander (Bethany House); contemporary romance, Beyond the Night by Marlo Schalesky (Multnomah); contemporary series, You Had Me at Good-Bye by Tracey Bateman (FaithWords); first novel, Blue Hole Back Home by Joy Jordan-Lake (David C. Cook); suspense, The Rook by Steven James (Revell); young adult, I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires by Cathy Gohlke (Moody).
More winners: Thomas Nelson took home nine awards in the ninth annual Retailers Choice competition; Winners in 30 categories of books, other media and giftsare selected by retailers on the basis of product impact; one new category this year was backlist, won by 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey (Revell, 2004). A complete list of winners is available here.
Warren Wiersbe, pastor and author of more than 150 books, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at ICRS. Wiersbe’s BE series of Bible commentaries has sold more than four million copies. He is general editor of the new Transformation Study Bible releasing this fall from David C. Cook, the house’s first Bible.
