"So far, so good," Lance Fensterman, who has been the event director of BookExpo America for a month, told Shelf Awareness
earlier this week. "I haven't been caught completely offguard by
anything, but I am amazed at the sheer number of details that go into
assembling this show. As an attendee, I would walk into Javits or
McCormick Place and think the banners came with the building."
A former bookseller at Elm Street Books, New Canaan, Conn., and Bound to Be Read Bookstore, St. Paul, Minn., Fensterman said that "it's enjoyable to interact with some of the same people I used to interact with from a different perspective. Before I used to be their customer; now they're my customer."
He also said that in contrast to his last job, where he was the only fulltime person and "I did it all," BEA has many "really capable people and professionals. It's so nice to have people to help."
Despite the immediate need to make sure next week's show goes on, Fensterman already is working on "rethinking BEA and how it interacts with attendees, exhibitors and visitors while continuing to be the mirror and harbinger of the industry."
Toward that end, he's relying in part on his own entrepreneurial experience, particularly when he and a partner launched a dot com company focused on design and marketing that was "basically an alternative newspaper for a medium-sized community" in Ohio. At the same time, he opened several restaurant/coffee shops. Between that and running several independent bookstores, he said, "I better be prepared to free wheel a bit."
Concerning BEA, "everything's on the table," he continued. "I want to keep the energy high but introduce some new ideas and maybe speak to a little bit larger audience in the book and publishing world. We're never going to stray from the core of booksellers and publishers, but I think we are missing some people. We can do a better job of going out and getting people to the show."
One early change is the addition of the BEA Podcast (Shelf Awareness, May 1), which Fensterman called "a step in the right direction." The Podcasts, which feature some 20 events, are both for people who can't come to the show or can't make every event (which is just about everyone!).
Fensterman is not contemplating changes specifically based on his bookseller's background. Rather, he said, "I hope that I bring an understanding of the bookseller's viewpoint to the position. I bring a unique perspective of what the show brings to an attendee, particularly what they get out of it and frankly what's frustrating about it sometimes."
In general, Fensterman would like to take an approach to the show similar to "what the ABA is doing with emerging leaders. We want to make it professionally relevant and enticing and sustainable."
As for the sometimes contentious issue of location, BEA next year will be in New York and in 2008 will go to Los Angeles. After that the show will be in New York every second or third year with breaks elsewhere in the country, possibly in a city or cities other than Los Angeles in the West. "We're making New York our most consistent base of operations," Fensterman said. "Based on feedback and pure participation, New York is popular." The main challenge in the Big Apple is the cost of hotels, "but we're working on some things that could help."
The return of the show next week to Washington for the first time in 17 years is not as simple as it might seem. Because the convention center is new, "we're returning to the show's longtime home [when it was ABA, for years it was held annually in Washington] but at the same time, we've never been there." He said he hoped the experience "works because I would like to see us come back." He praised the capital for its "fairly small-town feel. It's comfortable and there's plenty to see and plenty to do and most of it's free."
Fensterman said he's looking forward to the 2.0 Revolution program on Thursday at BEA, which focuses on recent trends in Internet development (Shelf Awareness, April 11). "In the room, we're going to have representatives of company on two sides of this revolution," he commented. "In some cases, they're on two sides of a courtroom. It's what's exciting about this show: they'll both be there talking and exchanging ideas and arguments." He said he's also eagerly awaiting Saturday's book & author breakfast, when "Barack Obama and Amy Sedaris will be at the same table--with John Updike in-between."
A former bookseller at Elm Street Books, New Canaan, Conn., and Bound to Be Read Bookstore, St. Paul, Minn., Fensterman said that "it's enjoyable to interact with some of the same people I used to interact with from a different perspective. Before I used to be their customer; now they're my customer."
He also said that in contrast to his last job, where he was the only fulltime person and "I did it all," BEA has many "really capable people and professionals. It's so nice to have people to help."
Despite the immediate need to make sure next week's show goes on, Fensterman already is working on "rethinking BEA and how it interacts with attendees, exhibitors and visitors while continuing to be the mirror and harbinger of the industry."
Toward that end, he's relying in part on his own entrepreneurial experience, particularly when he and a partner launched a dot com company focused on design and marketing that was "basically an alternative newspaper for a medium-sized community" in Ohio. At the same time, he opened several restaurant/coffee shops. Between that and running several independent bookstores, he said, "I better be prepared to free wheel a bit."
Concerning BEA, "everything's on the table," he continued. "I want to keep the energy high but introduce some new ideas and maybe speak to a little bit larger audience in the book and publishing world. We're never going to stray from the core of booksellers and publishers, but I think we are missing some people. We can do a better job of going out and getting people to the show."
One early change is the addition of the BEA Podcast (Shelf Awareness, May 1), which Fensterman called "a step in the right direction." The Podcasts, which feature some 20 events, are both for people who can't come to the show or can't make every event (which is just about everyone!).
Fensterman is not contemplating changes specifically based on his bookseller's background. Rather, he said, "I hope that I bring an understanding of the bookseller's viewpoint to the position. I bring a unique perspective of what the show brings to an attendee, particularly what they get out of it and frankly what's frustrating about it sometimes."
In general, Fensterman would like to take an approach to the show similar to "what the ABA is doing with emerging leaders. We want to make it professionally relevant and enticing and sustainable."
As for the sometimes contentious issue of location, BEA next year will be in New York and in 2008 will go to Los Angeles. After that the show will be in New York every second or third year with breaks elsewhere in the country, possibly in a city or cities other than Los Angeles in the West. "We're making New York our most consistent base of operations," Fensterman said. "Based on feedback and pure participation, New York is popular." The main challenge in the Big Apple is the cost of hotels, "but we're working on some things that could help."
The return of the show next week to Washington for the first time in 17 years is not as simple as it might seem. Because the convention center is new, "we're returning to the show's longtime home [when it was ABA, for years it was held annually in Washington] but at the same time, we've never been there." He said he hoped the experience "works because I would like to see us come back." He praised the capital for its "fairly small-town feel. It's comfortable and there's plenty to see and plenty to do and most of it's free."
Fensterman said he's looking forward to the 2.0 Revolution program on Thursday at BEA, which focuses on recent trends in Internet development (Shelf Awareness, April 11). "In the room, we're going to have representatives of company on two sides of this revolution," he commented. "In some cases, they're on two sides of a courtroom. It's what's exciting about this show: they'll both be there talking and exchanging ideas and arguments." He said he's also eagerly awaiting Saturday's book & author breakfast, when "Barack Obama and Amy Sedaris will be at the same table--with John Updike in-between."