Navigating BookExpo 2019: A Checklist

BookExpo can be both exciting and overwhelming. For booksellers who haven’t attended previously and for those who have but want to be more intentional about how they participate in and maximize their time at BookExpo, ABA offers these ideas for planning, engaging in, and building on the experience.

Before you arrive

• Book your travel and reserve a room at Hotel ABA. (Be sure to log in to BookWeb.org to get the details.)
• Determine two to three priorities or objectives for your time at BookExpo.
• Review the ABA BookExpo schedule. Here are some exciting ABA and BookExpo programs you may wish to attend (the dollar sign denotes a program for which there is an additional fee):
  • Wednesday, 5/29
    • Meet the Editor (9:00-10:30 am at publishers’ NYC offices) ABA registration opens April 10
    • BookExpo Adult Editor’s Buzz (1:45-3:00 pm, 1E12/13/14)
    • Publicists Speed Dating (2:30-5:00 pm, Main Stage) ABA registration opens April 10
    • 2019 Children’s Book Art Silent Auction (5:00-7:30 pm, South Concourse) ABA tickets on sale April 10 ($)
  • Thursday, 5/30
    • Adult Book & Author Breakfast (8:00-9:30 am, Main Stage) Register now with BookExpo ($)
    • Breakfast Authors Signings (10:00-11:00 am, ABA Member Lounge, Booth 2962)
    • BookExpo Young Adult Editors’ Buzz (10:00-10:50 am, 1E12/13/14)
    • ABA Booksellers Present Indies Introduce Authors (11:00 am-12:00 pm, Downtown Stage)
    • ABA Indies Choice Book Awards (1:15-2:00 pm, Choice Stage) Voting is open now
    • ABA Town Hall and Annual Meeting (2:15-4:15 pm, 1E12/13/14)
    • Audio Publishers Association (APA) Authors Tea (2:30-3:30 pm, 1E07/08/09) Register now with BookExpo ($)
    • ABA Happy Hour Author Signing (4:30-6:00 pm, ABA Member Lounge, Booth 2962)
    • An Evening with United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor (6:15-7:15 pm, Main Stage) Register now with BookExpo
  • Friday, 5/31
    • Children’s Book & Author Breakfast (8:00-9:30 am, Main Stage) Register now with BookExpo ($)
    • ABA Editors Speed Dating (9:45-11:45 am, 1E07/08/09) Register now (deadline April 5)
    • Breakfast Authors Signings (10:00-11:00 am, ABA Member Lounge, Booth 2962)
    • BookExpo Middle-Grade Editors’ Buzz (11:00-11:50 am, 1E12/13/14)
    • ABC/CBC Speed Dating Tea (1:00-2:00 pm, 1E07/08/09) ABA registration opens April 10 ($)
• Schedule meetings with publishers and distributors with whom you’d like to speak in person. Add these to your itinerary.
• Prepare a short list of topics you want to cover in your meetings. Ask your publisher reps for tips on key people to meet, galleys to look for, and exciting signings or parties.
• Bring a press kit to give to publishers. Highlight your store’s strengths and uniqueness.
• Speak with a peer who has been to BookExpo. Your regional association can help connect you with someone.
• Note the ABA Member Lounge is in Booth 2962, behind the UnBound section.
• Download and get familiar with the BookExpo app.
• Bring comfortable shoes and a supply of your business cards.
• Look for BookExpo news in Bookselling This Week, Publishers Weekly, Publishers Lunch, and Shelf Awareness.

At BookExpo

• Consider the ABA Member Lounge as home base. You can catch your breath, sit comfortably, have a snack, and connect with fellow booksellers. Pick up some books at our Galley Room and enjoy members-only author signings. Scheduled POS User Groups and Bookseller Discussion Groups will be held in the lounge at the round tables. Staff will be on hand to answer questions about IndieCommerce and other ABA benefits and programs.
• Let your advanced strategizing do its magic: follow your itinerary! Network and explore the trade show floor during unscheduled periods.
• When on the vast trade show floor, refer to the exhibitor list and map (to be posted soon), and hit all the booths that interest you in each section. Efficiency will leave you energy for important activities.
• Be sure to bring or grab a tote bag to collect books and catalogs, and keep your business cards at the ready.
• Meet as many people as you can and swap business cards. Write a few details about the person and conversation on the back to jog your memory later.
• Publishers and vendors exhibit many dazzling wares, so have a chat and learn more!
• Discover great non-book items to help increase your sales. Visit the UnBound section of the trade show floor, where you’ll find ABA affinity partners 2020 Vision USA and W.G. Ellerkamp.
• NYC can be hot in May, so drink plenty of water. Delicious city fare will give you the energy you’ll need to make the most of BookExpo, so eat well!

When you return home

• Connect with new friends and contacts. Put those business cards to use and begin correspondence with a quick hello via e-mail.
• Follow up with publishers, distributors, and vendors on any questions or opportunities you learned about.
• Plan for next year’s BookExpo. Yearly attendance solidifies relationships, gives you a chance to meet new people, and deepens your knowledge of the trade.

General questions about the trade show can be directed to BookExpo Buyer Engagement Manager Julia Garreaud. Questions about ABA programs at BookExpo can be sent to [email protected].

Booksellers can register for BookExpo 2019 now. To receive a free badge to the show, booksellers at ABA member stores will need to provide an ABA member number during the 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.