From Publishing Perspectives:
In its release today (June 20) of the preliminary attendance figures for BookExpo 2018 and BookCon, the organizers at Reed Exhibitions cite 7,732 attendees, including members of the press but not including the consumer-oriented BookCon, as the total headcount for BookExpo, compared to last year’s 7,425.
The trade show has provided its numbers in the form of an upbeat infographic that indicates that 54 percent of the overall attendance was at BookExpo for the first time. At first blush, that might sound great. But a moment of thought makes you remember that BookExpo is an annual trade event, a true fixture of the American book publishing industry that’s been in place for decades. If more than half your crowd is new—and if your year-to-year numbers go from 7,425 to 7,732, it means that a lot of people aren’t coming back: are longtime regulars disappearing?
On the other hand, that notion is unsurprising to anyone who has been going to BookExpo (formerly BookExpo America) for many years and watched as the exhibitor-space footprint has been shrinking relentlessly.
. . . .
And terming this its “reimagined” approach, the BookExpo team says it saw an increase in bookstore representatives’ attendance of 8 percent—a turnout of 1,073 booksellers and retailers. But Michael Cader at Publishers Lunch is reporting that last year’s bookseller-and-retail headcount was actually higher, at 1,289.
. . . .
There were, the company says, 1,300 librarians in attendance at BookExpo—notice that this may have surpassed the bookseller number—and of that group, Reed says that 34 percent were first-timers.
Alas, here, too, Cader reports that this year’s figure is lower, not higher, than the previous year’s. To this year’s 1,300 librarians, Cader cites 1,597 from BookExpo’s figures in 2016.
Link to the rest at Publishing Perspectives
“In fiscal ’18, we transitioned to our new, more efficient store labor model that resulted in a $40 million cost reduction and we’re continuing to review costs throughout the organization including indirect procurement, supply chain efficiencies and we also plan to reduce cost further in fiscal ’19.”
Translation: We fired full-time employees who had benefits and replaced them with part-time employees without benefits, or working a 36-hour or more work week.
Now we’re looking into other ways to shaft people, whether it be employees, customers, vendors, or anybody else we can do it do.
Not exactly the San Diego Comic-Con,is it?
Once they’ve seen the con-game most don’t need to be conned again? 😉
Oh! It’s *that* kind of con!
Duh!
No cosplayers to be found there, then… 😉
Oh! It’s *that* kind of con!
Duh!
No cosplayers to be found there, then… 😉
If they allowed any of the vanity presses in, then yes, it was a con … 😛
When haven’t they?
It’s prime hunting turf for them.
Which is why they call it a ‘con’, it’s the third way of telling a lie. 😉
.
First of course is the straight-out lie.
Second is the half truth.
Third is telling the truth in such a way they don’t believe you … 😉