BookExpo America discussion

Did anyone else notice in the 2016 registration (which is up super early this year - hopefully that's a sign of things to come!) that the Blogger Conference is on the first day of BEA which is a full day AND you have to pay separate for both tickets? It seems like they should give a discount if you are going to miss out on a whole day of BEA to go to BloggerCon. I'm wondering how many people will opt to do that. I found a couple lectures interesting last year, but not enough to miss a whole day of BEA for $65 extra .

That is different. I don't think I would miss the floor for the blogger conference. They did that last year too, though, if you remember. Hardly anyone was at the afternoon conferences because they opened the floor on the day of the conference.

Having to pay extra doesn't sound good either.

I can't make the BEA this year, but that is making me sad that I can't go and also what you told us about the Blogger Conference.

Thank you for the information.

Nope, I won't do it either! Especially with that info!

Not attending BEA next year, and can't seem to be sad about it lol

I registered, and it looks exactly the same to me (although I think the 3 day rates went up). The $65 is if you ONLY want to attend the blogger conference, and not the rest of the show. If you buy the 3 day pass, it is good for Wed - Fri (Wed. being the blogger conference). Someone else correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember being confused last year, but my 3 day pass included the blogger conference.

Donna wrote: "I registered, and it looks exactly the same to me (although I think the 3 day rates went up). The $65 is if you ONLY want to attend the blogger conference, and not the rest of the show. If you buy ..."

That is how it has always been.

Three day pass that included the blogger conference.

I hope that is still the case.

If I remember correctly, last year there were two different registration options. One was the regular three day BEA pass and the other was a Blogger Con pass that included a three day BEA pass in addition to the Blogger Con access. I might be crazy but I think the Blogger Con option was actually less expensive than the 3 day non-editorial media pass. The only reason I remember this is because I was unsure if I could be there for the Blogger Con on Wednesday but ended up buying the Blogger Con ticket because it was actually less expensive then the regular BEA pass. In the end I did go to the Blogger Con (morning sessions only) and enjoyed it but I don't think it's worth an additional $65 to do it again if it means missing out on a day of the floor.

Yeah I'm looking at the 2016 prices and it's different than last year...

Last year the blogger con pass included a three day BEA pass. It was $152. Just a three day pass was $184. This year a three day pass is $188. The blogger con pass is $65 and does not include access to BEA (and vice versa). Unless I'm somehow reading this wrong (I really really hope I am. But I don't think I am)

I wrote to the BookExpo people to confirm the pricing - this was their response:
"Correct, this year the Blogger’s Conference does not include the BEA day pass. So yes, you would need to the designated fee for your three day pass, and then the additional $65 for the Blogger’s Conference."

It's ridiculous to think people would pay an extra $100 over last year to go the Blogger's conference AND be missing out on a day of the show!

Laura wrote: "I wrote to the BookExpo people to confirm the pricing - this was their response:
"Correct, this year the Blogger’s Conference does not include the BEA day pass. So yes, you would need to the desig..."

Hahahahahahahahahahaha yeaaah right. I don't see many atendees at this year's Blogger Conference, in fact I see the Blogger Conference disappearing all together due to low funds. And the BEA people don't seem very, am, conflicted in helping this along.

Not to mention their move to Chicago which puts an extra burden on every single blogger (that lives close to or even IN NY) that doesn't get paid to review books, plane ticket, hotel, food, etc.

Taschima wrote: "Laura wrote: "I wrote to the BookExpo people to confirm the pricing - this was their response:
"Correct, this year the Blogger’s Conference does not include the BEA day pass. So yes, you would nee..."

Exactly. Bloggers definitely aren't their top priority.

2017 will be back in NYC though! :)

I don't think it not being in NYC puts any more stress on bloggers in general... There are definitely tons of blogger who have to travel to it no matter where it is. However the ridiculous price jump certainly does. I know there's no way I'm paying an extra $100. I'm annoyed enough paying the extra $35+(since it was only $152 for bloggers last year.)

Laura wrote: "I wrote to the BookExpo people to confirm the pricing - this was their response:
"Correct, this year the Blogger’s Conference does not include the BEA day pass. So yes, you would need to the desig..."

Wow, this being only my second time registering, I did not notice the difference that the 3 day pass did not include Blogger Con. Pretty disappointed, but not sure I'm willing to spend an extra $65.

What's blogger con? And what would be the regular passes?

What's blogger con? And what would be the regular passes?

Hi Melanie!

Blogger Con is a special event that is hosted as part of BEA. This involves panels about blogging and you would spend the day with other bloggers. It's more specialized for blogs and has a lot of networking opportunities.

A Regular Pass would allow you to access the exhibit floor where people are signing books and there are galley drops.

Ohhhhhh okay thank you! This will be my first BEA so just wanted to clear up some confusion! Thank you!

Of course! That's what we're here for!

Melanie wrote: "Ohhhhhh okay thank you! This will be my first BEA so just wanted to clear up some confusion! Thank you!"


Have fun....you will love the BEA.

Hello all! I was wondering about bringing a guest with you- do you need to register them was well?

Yes! You can't get in without a pass - each person needs their own.

Hi everyone! I've gone to BookCon the past two years, but this will be my first time at BEA. Looking at the site, I've got some questions for you pros.

I was going to ask about the BloggerCon, but seems you guys already covered that ;) So my next question is about the Reader Passes. From what I can tell, it's a donation to cover the cost of any ARCs you pick up, correct? Rather than making a donation each time? And then the Avid Reader pass also gets you 10 ticketed autographs? Are either of these worth it?

Sadly I cannot make it to Chicago from Connecticut this year. I cannot afford the cost of the lodging and mailing books back home and food and transpo.
I know this is nice for people who live in the Chicago area so I cannot begrudge them the luxury that people who live close to NYC get every year because they go through the same exact thing that I am going through now. I'm kind of sad I will be missing it because I love Chicago and I have not been there since I moved away back in the 90s. I would have a place to stay with some friends but then I'd have to find my way down to the expo every day which would be kind of a pain in the butt from where they live

Ashley wrote: "Hi everyone! I've gone to BookCon the past two years, but this will be my first time at BEA. Looking at the site, I've got some questions for you pros.

I was going to ask about the BloggerCon, bu..."

Honestly I would pick up the autograph pass immediately.
I was so angry at myself for not getting it because I really struggled to get a few books that I really wanted and I missed out on quite a few completely. because by the time I showed up it was like crazy long lines. I know that there is one pass were you get two front of the line pass. Those are great but if the book you are looking for requires a ticket that front of the line pass will do nothing.

☆∞Pumpkin Spice☮ wrote: "Ashley wrote: "Hi everyone! I've gone to BookCon the past two years, but this will be my first time at BEA. Looking at the site, I've got some questions for you pros.

I was going to ask about the..."

So the Avid Reader Pass (the one with the 10 ticketed passes) is worth it then? Good to know! Thanks!

Hi guys! I'm bringing my mom with me and was wondering, since I'm getting the Avid Reader Pass, does she need one too? She obviously wouldn't be getting any books signed, just following me around, but for the 10 ticketed passes and the onetime jump-to-the-front, will she able go with me without the ARP? Thanks!

Does anybody know if there is a Post Office on the exhibit floor? There's usually one at ALA...

hi everyone. I'm attending BEA for the first time and I thought I saw somewhere you can bring a friend. how does that work? do you get them their own tickets etc? I am a friend of the library but the person I want to bring is not. thanks

Mariah wrote: "Hi guys! I'm bringing my mom with me and was wondering, since I'm getting the Avid Reader Pass, does she need one too? She obviously wouldn't be getting any books signed, just following me around, ..."

If the lines are structured like last year there will be a point where your Mom can not be in line with you if she doesn't have a pass of her own. I was able to stand in line with friends who didn't have passes until the final queue area when they took our tickets. At that point any of us who did not have a ticket had to leave the line. The same was true for the front of line pass.

That said, I don't know if it's really worth her getting her own avid reader's pass just to wait in line with you. Chances are you'll want to be on two lines at once anyway and may ask her to wait on one line while you are on the other--or maybe that was just me ;)

Rose wrote: "Does anybody know if there is a Post Office on the exhibit floor? There's usually one at ALA..."

I don't know for sure but a friend of mine (who attends other conferences at the venue regularly) said that there is shipping on site. It might be UPS or Fedex though and not an actual post office. She didn't remember which vendors were there.

On another note--Does anyone know if there will be a bag check like there has been at Javits? It's so convenient to drop off books throughout the day.

Jessica wrote: "Mariah wrote: "Hi guys! I'm bringing my mom with me and was wondering, since I'm getting the Avid Reader Pass, does she need one too? She obviously wouldn't be getting any books signed, just follow..."

Thank you!! Yeah, it definitely doesn't sound worth it to get her an Avid Reader Pass.

Hi everyone! I'm a Chicago native so I'm happy to help with any Chicago questions.

There's a couple of FedEx offices in the building, but no USPS. I'm pretty sure they will have a baggage check again since there will be plenty of room for that.

Cambear wrote: "Hi everyone! I'm a Chicago native so I'm happy to help with any Chicago questions.

There's a couple of FedEx offices in the building, but no USPS. I'm pretty sure they will have a baggage check ag..."

Thanks!

I'm still trying to figure out how to bring a friend with me to BEA. I am a member of the librarian friends group but they are not. how does it work and where can I get their tix?

This will be my first year attending BEA. I know many of you have indicated that it's best to ship books home. I'm just wondering if there's any benefit to bringing an empty suitcase vs. shipping?

Ann Marie wrote: "This will be my first year attending BEA. I know many of you have indicated that it's best to ship books home. I'm just wondering if there's any benefit to bringing an empty suitcase vs. shipping?"

Taking an empty suitcase could work but then I'd be worried about going over the weight limit at the airport. I know when I shipped my books (media mail is cheapest) from ALA it was cheap and easy. Boxes are around and if you bring extra tape and mailing labels it's makes things easier.
However, I believe that Fed Ex will be at the site and hotel. Does Fed Ex have a cheaper media mail option?

In the past, when dealing with getting books home, taking them to a local post office in totes, with our own boxes, tape and labels worked best. Media mail is our best friend, but remember, ONLY books can be sent. Don't add a tote to protect the books or you'll be facing some angry USPS employees.

I don't believe FedEx has a media mail option, or we would have used it. That could have changed, so don't hesitate to double check that. :)

BEA is NOTHING like ALA. ALA has USPS on site, it's calmer, more civilized and WAY less people than BEA.

Though a LOT of people are not going to BEA this year due to it not being in NYC, I would expect that it's still going to be crowded and fast paced.

BEA is a lot of fun, but there will be very little down time and you will be exhausted, a happy exhausted, but if you're my age or older, expect to ache, lol.

I find it's helpful to carry some snacks and water, as eating is easy to forget to do with all of the excitement and BOOKS everywhere. Comfortable shoes and clothing is a must and if you are as book fiendish as I am, research what's going to be there so you get what you want and don't end up shipping home stuff you have no interest in. Books will be practically thrown at you to take and it can be VERY tempting to take them all, but when you unpack your boxes, you want to squeal with joy, not scratch your head going, why did I get THAT?

Also, research ensures you don't miss your favorite author ever and can plan to start the line at an appropriately early time.

I'm not going this year, but will live vicariously through all of you. Have a great time! :)

Jen wrote: "In the past, when dealing with getting books home, taking them to a local post office in totes, with our own boxes, tape and labels worked best. Media mail is our best friend, but remember, ONLY bo..."

Thanks! This will be my first BEA and I've been a bit concerned about the size and nature of the crowds as well as getting books home. Having the post office on the exhibit floor was great at ALA so I wanted to prepare myself for BEA.

Nooooooo! I waited too long and the Avid Reader pass is sold out :(

Ashley wrote: "Nooooooo! I waited too long and the Avid Reader pass is sold out :("

Wow, it sold out really early this year. Wonder if that means attendance is up.

Hi everyone! I'm a middle school teacher who is attending BEA for the first time, and I'm super excited! I have a Friday day pass and the Avid Reader pass. What sort of things should I be expecting? How many books are usually given away versus purchased? Do I need to bring a lot of cash? I'm driving (I live in the 'burbs of Chicago) so I don't need to worry about shipping things. Any info that you can share would be helpful! Thanks!

Megan wrote: "Hi everyone! I'm a middle school teacher who is attending BEA for the first time, and I'm super excited! I have a Friday day pass and the Avid Reader pass. What sort of things should I be expecting..."

Everything is free except the display items. If you see something on display that you want, you can negotiate for it on the last day because publishers don't want to ship it home. The galley drops are often on the floor, huge stacks of them. Some you will need to stand in line to get, even if you don't want the author's autograph.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know when the authors/galley schedules and such were released last year? This is my first year so I was just trying to get an idea on when to expect when things will be known.

Amber wrote: "Out of curiosity, does anyone know when the authors/galley schedules and such were released last year? This is my first year so I was just trying to get an idea on when to expect when things will b..."

I don't know when the schedules go up but it's all pretty loose and subject to change without notice anyway. It's good to try to be organized and maximize your time but sometimes you have to just be flexible and go with the flow. A lot of my best moments at BEA have been serendipitous.

To Amber,
Keep checking the BEA forums and individual postings. I don't recall a specific schedule for the galley drops. From what I remember, most were done towards the end, or on the last day. I gave away freebies throughout the whole event, so asking never hurts. If you're a writer, blogger, PR, etc., have some business cards on hand. Bottom line: Authors are there to get their work in the hands of interested readers, so don't be shy.

Have fun,
jw

The signing schedule went up late last year (only a few weeks before BEA). Hopefully it will be earlier this year since Chicago seems to be doing everything early.

Galley drop schedules are at the publishers discretion - some will post them on their website prior to BEA, but more often than not, you can get a galley drop schedule from the booth the first day of BEA.

Hannah wrote: "The signing schedule went up late last year (only a few weeks before BEA). Hopefully it will be earlier this year since Chicago seems to be doing everything early.

Galley drop schedules are at the..."

Johnny wrote: "To Amber,
Keep checking the BEA forums and individual postings. I don't recall a specific schedule for the galley drops. From what I remember, most were done towards the end, or on the last day. I..."

Janet wrote: "Amber wrote: "Out of curiosity, does anyone know when the authors/galley schedules and such were released last year? This is my first year so I was just trying to get an idea on when to expect when..."

Thank you for the replies! I figured that was the case with the galleys. :)

This year I have to be so picky and choosy with which books I take. I took the New York location for granted the last few years because I was less than one hour from home and could lug home as many books as I chose.
This year I'm going to have to media mail them home and do Uber to a post office unless there is one by my Airbnb place. The one good thing about where I am staying is the bus is directly in front of my house and it's one bus stop to McCormick Place :)

Hey! Does anyone know anything about the shuttle service from hotels to the convention center? BEA was supposed to release info about it a couple of days ago, but I haven't seen/heard anything :/