BookExpo to Feature UnBound, a Collection of Bookish Goods

On Friday, February 1, BookExpo announced that it will debut a new “show within a show” at the upcoming 2019 event: UnBound, a collection of bookish goods.

UnBound will present merchandise buyers from independent and chain bookstores, museum stores, and specialty retailers with a curated range of complementary products to their core book business, as non-book items/sidelines account for between 30 and 40 percent of bookstore sales today.

Led by stationery industry veteran and recently appointed Event Director Patti Stracher-Lee, UnBound will enable buyers to source a variety of on-trend, unique, and one-of-a-kind merchandise, along with the hottest new titles, under one roof.

The addition of UnBound at BookExpo comes as bookstore owners and merchandise managers rethink their product offerings to address changing customer needs. The show will present a collection of relevant products across 25 categories to drive sales and inspire consumer curiosity. These range from journals, calendars, and greeting cards to desk accessories, personal care, candles, science and nature products, toys, games, art materials, and artisanal/handmade items.

“As a time-starved bookseller, it is always nice to be exposed to new vendors at locations I’m already visiting,” said Northshire Bookstore owner Chris Morrow. “Sidelines make up an ever-growing segment of our business, and it will be great to see these vendors at BookExpo.”

American Booksellers Association CEO Oren Teicher added, “ABA is delighted that our friends at Reed are addressing the growing importance of non-book items for our member stores by establishing UnBound at BookExpo as a new means to source a wide array of these kinds of products alongside all the books. Taken together, this makes BookExpo a critically important part of the annual bookselling calendar.”

As BookExpo continues to evolve to deliver value and relevant content to attendees and exhibitors, this year’s show will feature editor chats, more opportunity for one-on-one meetings with publicists, additional booksellers from around the country, new stages to feature more authors, and added media coverage surrounding the event. In addition, BookExpo will offer extended show hours, as follows:

• Wednesday, May 29: 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Thursday, May 30: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Friday, May 31: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

BookExpo 2019 will be held May 29–31 at New York City’s Javits Center; booksellers can register now to attend. To receive a free badge to the show, booksellers at ABA member stores will need to provide an ABA member number during the BookExpo registration process. Booksellers who don’t know their ABA member ID number should send a request with their name, title, and store name to [email protected] or call (800) 637-0037, ext. 7536.

Thanks to a significant financial commitment from Reed Exhibitions, ABA member booksellers can reserve rooms at the 2019 Hotel ABA — The New Yorker, a Wyndham Hotel — at a rate of $200 per night, including all taxes and fees. The ABA member hotel rate is available for the nights of Sunday, May 26, through Monday, June 3, 2019; however, the room block is limited and reservations will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

The New Yorker Hotel is located at 481 Eighth Avenue in New York City, between 34th and 35th Street. To access Hotel ABA reservation information, booksellers will need a BookWeb username and password (e-mail [email protected] for login details). The deadline for the rate is March 26, 2019, or when the block sells out, whichever comes first.

Watch Bookselling This Week for announcements about ABA programming at BookExpo, and take a look at ABA’s 2018 programming, which offers a blueprint of what will be on tap for 2019.

General questions about registration should be addressed to the BookExpo customer service team at [email protected].