The organizers of the New York Rights Fair and BookExpo have announced a multiyear partnership for joint management of the fair. Launched this year, NYRF took place May 30–June 1 concurrently with BookExpo and operated under a joint marketing agreement between the two events. The new agreement will increase BookExpo organizer Reed Exhibitions’ involvement with NYRF as part of an overall effort to enhance the publisher, agent, and author experience at both NYRF and BookExpo.
As part of their efforts to improve the ties between NYRF and BookExpo, organizers of both events are currently surveying this year’s participants to ascertain the strengths of each as well as future opportunities for improvement and growth. After analyzing the survey results, BookExpo and NYRF will determine the 2019 structure of NYRF, as well as its location. Those details are expected to be released later this month.
“The New York Rights Fair is the perfect complement to BookExpo in that both are shaping and reshaping the U.S. publishing landscape,” said Ed Several, senior v-p of Reed Exhibitions. “Rights are important; retail is important. Working together, we can go forward to continue to expand the industry and the opportunities associated with it.”
NYRF was created by BolognaFiere, Publishers Weekly, and the Combined Book Exhibit. The first fair was held at the Metropolitan Pavilion, near BookExpo’s home at New York City’s Javits Center, and attracted exhibitors and agents from 19 countries, as well as approximately 3,000 visitors, including those who came from BookExpo.
“This multiyear partnership agreement with BookExpo ensures that the New York Rights Fair, with New York City as its home for the foreseeable future, continues to grow and to serve the international rights community,” said George Slowik Jr., president of NYRF and co-owner of Publishers Weekly.
“Bringing together the international community was the core mission, and we accomplished that in year one of NYRF,” noted Marco Momoli, commercial director of BolognaFiere. “Now we build upon that initial success with a trusted partner that is well respected by the U.S. publishing industry.”
Jon Malinowski, president of CBE, agreed that the 2018 NYRF created a solid foundation for the future. “NYRF this year was a starting point,” he said. “From here, we can only grow. With the new partnership with BookExpo, together we benefit from each other’s experience and expertise.”
