The American Collective Stand organized by the Combined Book Exhibit, long a major exhibitor at the Frankfurt Book Fair, will be participating in the London International Book Fair for the first time March 28-30, 1999.

Jon Malinowski, CBE president, said his company will supply a full turnkey operation, which includes everything an exhibitor requires for the fair, as well as inclusion in a special LIBF Web site http://www.combinedbook.com.

Malinowski expects up to 10 publishers to take one to three stands each and about the same number to take half stands or full display panels, with perhaps 100 taking shelves or single-title displays. He said he expects a lot of potential new exhibitors to be walking the floor in London next year and will probably be able to double the CBE space in 2000. Bookazine, National Book Network, J.G. Press and Circle International have already signed up for space in 1999, as well as a group of medical publishers and the Association of American University Presses.

Foreign presence at the LIBF has grown by more than 30% in the past three years, and more than 1000 companies currently participate. Officials reported that at this stage, with three months still to go, there are already nearly as many companies registered as at the '98 show, including 65 from the U.S.

CBE can be reached at (914) 739-7500.