BEA Looks To Open Show To Public For A Day in 2013

PublishersLunch

After years of resisting suggestions toincorporate the reading public into Book Expo America, fair organizers"are looking at 2013 to shift" the show to straddle the weekend,running from Thursday through Saturday, with that third day open to public. TheSaturday consumer focus would be "built around author events, but [will]also allow them onto the show floor to look behind the curtain, see what newworks from their favorite writers will be coming out like ComicCon does."BEA show director Steve Rosato argues in a blog post that maintaining a thirdday of regular exhibits outside of the regular work week, by itself stillcontroversial among exhibitors, "will also give a day of exhibits on theweekend that small but vocal portion of librarians and booksellers miss."

Rosato cautions that "nothing isbaked" and "we have a ton of due diligence to conduct to insure thata BEA that includes consumers, is an event that serves the industry in the waysthat were always viable as well is in a whole new and valuable way." Byhis accounts organizers have "begun to share our plans" with BEA'sExecutive Advisory Committee and association partners. They also plan toconduct research "with our whole exhibitor base as well as some consumerfocus groups."

The larger point is that "there isincreasing value for engaging consumers directly while there is a growingappetite from consumers to know what is coming from their favorite authors andpersonalities that are writing books," Rosato writes. "We think thetime is coming for the publishing business to connect directly with consumersthat we view as B2C."
BEAblog post