Though it may be his first year as event director of BookExpo America, Steve Rosato is no newbie. He’s been working on BEA for 12 years and, in a walk-around he gave to PW before the show floor opens on Wednesday, he was calmer than you might expect a director to be just hours before launch. “It’s almost quiet to the point I’m nervous,” Rosato joked, when asked if the show setup was going smoothly. Then again, Rosato is the first to point out that the numbers are good, and that’s what’s really behind his cheery mood.
Estimates indicate that attendance will be up in the double-digit range this year, and one growth area has been at the international rights center. Though the space—off the show floor and opening onto a majestic view of the Hudson—has always been there, more tables have been reserved this year, since so many industry members were kept away from the London Book Fair by the volcano eruption in Iceland. Rosato said about 180 tables have been reserved by a mix of scouts, agents, and international publishers, up from 110 last year.
Another change this year is the presence of the DIY Conference Marketplace, which took place yesterday (see related story), which, Rosato said, brought in about 200 attendees. Although the educational self-publishing seminars are separate from BEA, they, like the IDPF (International Digital Publishers Forum) program that’s taking place at the Javits today, “make sense” being part of the show. Noting that self-publishing is a growth area in the industry, Rosato said the DIY programming will remain a part of BEA for the foreseeable future. Representation from digital companies is also showing growth, Rosato noted, with the Digital Book Zone expanding from six small kiosks last year into 6,000 square feet of exhibitor space right below the show floor this year.
While there’s no question the international rights center owes the spike in attendance to that Icelandic volcano, Rosato said a major factor in moving the show from the weekend to the middle of the week is to drive the rights business. “The rights center doesn’t keep the lights on for us, but it’s critical,” he said. He added that, with the London Book Fair also being a Reed show, talks continue to figure out if there is a way to space out the two events to better serve the international rights community.
Aside from changing the pre-show educational programming—and, in doing so, bringing more attention to digital publishing and self-publishing—Rosato spoke repeatedly about making the show easier to navigate. To that end, the press office has been moved to the show floor this year, as well as all of the exhibitor meeting rooms. It’s all about making the show, in Rosato’s words, more “efficient.”
So with all the small changes, and a spike in international visitors this year, could BEA be leaving New York any time soon? The show is signed at the Javits for the next two years, but after that, Rosato said, it’s possible BEA could return to Chicago or, possibly, Washington, D.C. “New York will always be the hub,” Rosato added, but a change of scenery isn’t out of the question. With construction on the Javits set to unfold over the next four years as refurbishments and additions are made to the space, there is always the possibility that a move might become a necessity instead of a choice.
