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Trade show Book Expo America will run over three days next year after the organisers admitted that "a lot of people genuinely need 3 days to meet their objectives at BEA".
The show was moved to midweek and cut down to two days for the first time this year because of concern over the costs and length of the event, which has traditionally ended on a Sunday. But the move has caused concern among international publishers who have had not had enough time to justify the expense of attending the event in New York.
Steve Rosato, event director for the Reed-owned BEA, announced the intention to move the show back to a three day schedule on his blog "The Bean", where he wrote: "Moving to mid-week was absolutely the right decision. We also felt strongly that the 2 day format was the right thing to do because the value of BEA is in the audience we deliver. We executed a strong plan that we knew would deliver that audience for BEA 2010 and that the quality would prove that was the right choice as well. A lot of people genuinely like the 2 day format and it did work for them. However - I have to acknowledge while people liked the 2 day format - a lot of people genuinely need 3 days to meet their objectives at BEA. While our mantra has been quality versus quantity - there is a reality of what people can accomplish in 2 full days. We will always do what will make BEA the best event possible for the people we serve."
Rosato concluded: "In the end while many people liked BEA as a 2 day show - more people need BEA to be a 3 day show." Rosato said his intention was for the show to remain mid-week with the show days being Tuesday, Wednesday, and the final day Thursday.
Under the old format the the last day of the show was on a Sunday, which in the words of Roger Bilheimer, who handles the show's PR, was regarded as "fun day, but also a wasted day". Bilheimer said the third day might be "less fun, but perhaps more useful going forward".
Rosato added that the conference program would continue to be on the day before the show officially opens, which in 2011 would be the Monday (23rd May).
On this year's show, Rosato added: "I have to admit that I could not have hoped, planned or imagined for a better event this week than what has unfolded for BEA 2010."