BookExpo America Cancels Plans for Tuesday Exhibit Hours
By Jim Milliot -- Publishers Weekly,11/06/2009
BookExpo America officials have decided to limit the number of days the exhibit floor will be opened to Wednesday and Thursday when the annual convention convenes in New York City next spring. Originally, BEA had planned to open the floor from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, following a day of educational panels. That idea met with resistance from some exhibitors, however, who felt it put too much pressure to complete the show setup for only two hours of exhibit time. With the new schedule, publishers will have all of Tuesday (and Tuesday night if necessary) to finish setting up their booths. Exhibit hours will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.
Tuesday will be now be devoted to a full day of conferences, which will include a CEO panel as well as the Editor/Bookseller Buzz Forum. The day will end with Opening Night Keynote, and the Town Hall Benefit performance is scheduled for 9 p.m. on Tuesday, although no performer has yet been selected.
With only two days of exhibits, there will be one less Author Breakfast, although the Author Stages, introduced last year on the exhibit floor, will be expanded. The Children's Breakfast will be held Wednesday at 8 a.m., and the ABA's IndieBound Lunch will also be on Wednesday. The Adult Breakfast will begin Thursday at 8 a.m., and the Author Lunch will run from noon to 2 p.m.
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| Submitted by: | Rochelle Hoffmann (rhoffmann@mortonarb.org) 11/7/2009 12:39:27 PM PT |
| Location: | Lisle, IL |
| Occupation: | Buyer/Bookseller |
I have to agree with all the previous comments posted by both booksellers as well as publishers. Why spend the time and money to set up a show or travel across the country to a show for only two days? It seems like a huge expense and not enough time. What is happening to BEA? Where are the priorities? Is the publishing industry in the same need of reform and change as our great nation is?
| Submitted by: | Andrew Porter 11/6/2009 3:13:05 PM PT |
| Location: | New York City |
| Occupation: | retired editor/publisher |
At this rate, we're going to go back to the days of card tables set up in
the garage at the Shoreham in DC. Eventually, there will be no
justification for the expense of attending the convention for booksellers
on the margins.
| Submitted by: | Colin Turner 11/6/2009 3:00:53 PM PT |
| Location: | San Francisco, CA |
| Occupation: | Associate Publisher |
So exhibitors are getting pro-rated credits for the extra
day it's not going to be open, right? Right? Let's all
make the most of 2010, as this may be the Last Book Expo.
| Submitted by: | Nancy Simpson (nsimpson@mahaska.org) 11/6/2009 10:53:44 AM PT |
| Location: | Oskaloosa, Iowa |
| Occupation: | Book store manager |
Oh, good! Because this is further cost savings for vendors, let's move BEA to Chicago or Las Vegas so booksellers can save on the cost of air fare. Seems only fair to pass the savings around.....
| Submitted by: | Rudy Shur (sq1info@aol.com) 11/6/2009 9:42:53 AM PT |
| Location: | Square One Publishers |
| Occupation: | Publisher |
Thank goodness Tuesday evening's exhibitor hours have been cancelled. That means I can still watch AMERICAN IDOL live! And if a lot of people don't attend the 2010 BEA on Wednesday and Thursday, perhaps the year after we can pare it down to only Thursday. This would give me the opportunity to also watch AI's voting show.
As a publisher, I still don't understand why I am paying the same prices to exhibit my books over two days in the middle of a work week instead of three days over a weekend. Is it me, or is the BEA trying to commit suicide? As America's premier trade book show, something seems to have gone terribly wrong.
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