On Tuesday, April 14, ReedPop announced that due to the escalation of COVID-19 globally, the 2020 BookExpo [6], UnBound, and BookCon events will now take place in the spring of 2021.

The events were previously postponed from their original May dates to late July; however, as the pandemic has continued to escalate in the United States and, ReedPop noted, “[as] we see the challenges it has brought for the book industry, it is clear that 2020 is no longer a viable option for this community.”

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce that we will not be holding BookExpo, UnBound, and BookCon in 2020. From our publishers, booksellers, and sidelines exhibitors to our authors and librarians to our book loving fans, we know how many people are impacted by this decision and we continue to stand with you all to help bring the book community together and support one another,” said Jenny Martin, event director for BookExpo and BookCon. “We are now looking forward and can’t wait to return with a stronger show than ever in 2021.”

While the physical BookExpo, Unbound, and BookCon events will not occur in 2020, ReedPop is finding new and different ways to connect with exhibitors, attendees, and readers to celebrate books virtually. ReedPop recently produced a BookCon Read-A-Thon [7], which offered readers a front-row seat to live author readings of their work and discussions, to benefit independent bookstores through donations to the #SaveIndieBookstores [8] campaign.