close the lights the party is over.

I attended and worked the show this past four days…I found that people were of mixed minds about the show. Some of the booksellers I know on the floor were a little bored, they were distressed over the fact that the trade show has shrunk the past few years, and some of the attendees (and even some of the convention centre staff) commented on how disoirganized the show was. Volunteers evaoporated, there were few giveaways and contests, and show management had a very bad habit of hiding upstairs in their show office or somewhere onsite, while leaving outside agencies to handle irate people at registration, with no one to appeal to for help. This show can and must be run better than it is. It’s a shame Reed owns the show; I would recommend a different management team otherwise.

I think we’re all asking ourselves (again!) what the purpose of the show is. We all know that not much buying happens on the show floor these days, and it’s definitely not the venue for rights sales. Costs make it hard for booksellers outside of Toronto to attend, and our limited supplies of expensive galleys often get scooped up by floor staff rather than buyers. So it becomes an industry obligation and social event more than anything else – and a very pricey one at that.

I’m all for moving the show to September and for adding a public component (err, something other than Booked). Throwing open the doors to the public may help to raise the profile of the industry in this country; showing people what happens behind the scenes might just get them excited about publishing. Lord knows we need all the help we can get.

Having worked with various exhibit houses in a contract sales capacity in design/build of trade show exhibit booths for the last 27 years I would have to say for the most part that your show managment (Reed) is at fault for the show’s lack of interest.

What I would ask your show management group are what incentives and advertising funds are being spent with their advertising dollars to promote the show? Complacency breeds comtempt!