USA - Organiser Reed Exhibitions is currently in talks with the American Library Association (ALA) to merge ALA’s annual June convention, which is peripatetic, with Reed’s BookExpo America (BEA), which takes place annually at the Jacob K. Javits Center, New York in May.
Reed has talked to a number of trade houses about the prospect of combining BEA with the ALA annual meeting, according to trade news agency Publishers Weekly. BEA’s event director, Steven Rosato, has confirmed the organiser is in discussions but there was nothing to report yet.
It is believed if a deal is reached Reed will hold both 2012 events under the one roof in Chicago. Publishers Weekly noted that a combined show could attract around 40,000 visitors.
The possibility of a co-located event has faced strong position from exhibitors of BEA such as publisher Penguin Group. "We are not in favor of combining the two conventions," the company said in a statement. "The shows are designed for very different audiences and we do not feel they are compatible under one roof. We feel more discussion is needed before a final decision can be reached."
