Summer Sets and Fall Rises

Summer flies by faster and faster every year - it seems like there is more packed into less time, and by time you look up it is the middle of September.  BEA's summer is busy as both our budget and business plan are due at this time, leaving no downtime once the show closes around Memorial Day.  

There are high expectations as BEA takes a break from NYC for the 1st time since 2009 and returning to Chicago, it was 2004 the last time BEA enjoyed the friendly confines of McCormick.

We are buoyed by the anticipated increased number of booksellers and librarians who have been most vocal about BEA going somewhere besides Javits/NYC.  We are looking forward to going to the Heartland Fall Forum to engage with booksellers to get their feedback as well, making sure we continue all the things they love about BEA but also to try some new initiatives that will make BEA a better event for booksellers.  

To give people an idea of what to expect for 2016 other than the change in cities/venue, I can share a few things here as the Fall Season is kicking into high gear:

• For concurrent events - the IDPF, the Audio Publishers Association and BEA Bloggers events will all be part of BEA.  
• Make sure to book your hotel soon, if you were not aware, Microsoft Ignite will be sharing Chicago with BEA next May.  We have plenty of discounted hotels in our room block, but the sooner you book, the more options you will have to pick from.
• BookCon comes to Chicago!!!   The is the first time that we are bringing our B2C Pop Event to a new location.  It will be one dedicated day, but clearly something that is working as now nearly 50% of the BEA show floor is hybrid space - meaning those companies participate in both BEA B2B and BookCon for Business to Consumer
• We have rolled out new low cost exhibit options and have a new turn-key booth option from Freeman that will save people 25-50% on a traditional big custom booth.  Out goal is simple, make BEA less expensive and deliver more value.

There will be a lot more news coming on a more regular basis.  

More Post Show Data

I have attached a link below to some of the info we will share with BEA exhibitors as we review what went well and what can be improved upon going to Chicago.  Missing here is context that a conversation would allow, but hopefully this is at least interesting.

LINK TO POST SHOW REVIEW

BEA 2015 Numbers

With a short window of time to reflect on BEA 2015 I’m happy to say the event delivered on the high side of expectations.

Below are a few of the high level wins:

• The Global Market Forum program featuring China was successful beyond all measure and plans. The conference sessions were full and there was an incredible amount of meaningful interaction between U.S. and Chinese publishers not only in the Javits but also at a multitude of cultural events throughout NYC. BEA laid a foundation for the industry that will be productive for years to come.
• The new two and half day format unfolded exactly as needed.  Wednesday was buzzy with full sessions, the BEA Bloggers Conference set an attendance record, the APA conference sold out and Jonathan Franzen took the stage for sneak peek of PURITY, the Fall’s most hotly anticipated title while the opening of the show floor still saw long lines waiting to get in.  Not everyone was thrilled, likely measuring against a standard opening of BEA, but walking the show floor at 4:30 on Wednesday, I saw almost all booths busy with meetings, loads of booksellers/attendees, lines in autographing and a really busy exhibit hall. 
• The bigger win was BEA was hectic right until 5:00 on Friday - making for two and half  energized and robust days dedicated to the trade.
• The Remainders section remains resilient - see this review for more details: 
• Link to Be Archers Blog 
• BookCon – attendance grew by 80% and saw the Special Events Hall draw crowds of 2,000+ all day Saturday. The Show Floor aisles had strong traffic and the revamped Autographing area was packed. 
• People sold books, lots of books at BookCon - especially at the bookstore run by Word.  It was actually too good, we did not anticipate the crush of business to start on Saturday. This created some long lines and not the best experience for fans, but it was fixed for the opening of Sunday which ran a lot smoother.
• The best story I saw was Cider Mill Press, talking with Publisher John Whalen, in a mere 10x10 and not boasting name brand authors like John Green (just a lot of great books) sold over $2,000.00 worth of books 

I am proud to say that BEA gave the vast majority of exhibitors and attendees the event they needed.  Like anything there are adjustments to make but we are eager for the unique opportunities Chicago presents. We expect a nice uptick from ABA members as we are out NYC for the first time since 2009.  

The Translation Market had terrific programming to support the area, but did not get the reception we hoped for - so we will revisit this offering.  The Author Market (it was the Author Marketplace in 2015) was a home run, buzzing and busy throughout - although it needed some tweaks onsite, this will only grow.  

I can promise one change for Chicago - you will be able to print your badge at home or office, but will require an onsite scan to activate it.  BookCon is indeed changing the game as we can see the shift in more publishers going into the hybrid area of the show floor.   We are excited about engaging the book loving public in Chicago and are also exploring the possibility of a second BookCon in NYC.

ATTENDANCE FIGURES 

Total Verified Professional Attendance for BEA 2015 only: 10,832 = -1.2%

Total Industry Professionals 2015 = 20,895 = +5.2%

BookCon 2015 = 18,000 = +80%

Total Verified Professional Attendance for BEA 2014 only: 10,965 

Total Industry Professionals 2014 = 19,860 

BookCon 2014 = 10,000

DATES FOR BEA CHICAGO WED-FRI MAY 11-13, 2016 

BOOKCON SATURDAY MAY 14TH