BookExpo America is returning in 2019.
The show once known as the ABA was renamed BookExpo America in the 1990s but dropped "America" from its name in October 2016. Since then, BE has been severely criticized on social media. Among typical comments in the last year and a half: from @IvanBookMan, "Amerika's not Godunov 4 ur show?!" @GlocksRFun: "What r u ashamed of u commies" And @RealMeanDonald: "U shld drop Books not AMERICA!"
BookExpo event director Brien McDonald said that the return to BookExpo America has several advantages. For one, it's easier to refer to the show as "BEA" rather than "bee eee." Also, the more familiar name ties in with the show's current efforts to reinvent itself, leading to the show's new slogan: "Make BookExpo America Great Again."
McDonald indicated, however, that if Republicans lose control of Congress in November, the show might jettison "America" again. He had no comment when asked about related rumors: one insider has said that if the Democrats win the White House in 2020, BookExpo will drop even more parts of its name, including "k," "e," "p" and "o," leaving a sleek, post-modern "BooX." --John Mutter
