MidAtlantic Book Publishers Association

The 2007 New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) show was held On October 14th and 15th at the Sheraton City Center in Baltimore, Maryland. The MidAtlantic Book Publishers Association exhibited at the NAIBA show in conjunction with PMA.

The exhibits were set up in a ballroom on the main level of the hotel, an open space that made walking the floor easy, and was more pleasant than last year’s basement location. There were approximately 295 booksellers in attendance, representing around 100 stores in the MidAtlantic area.

When I arrived at the Valley Forge convention center, I was a little nervous when I noticed the number of people entering the building carrying firearms. I soon discovered that, in addition to the NAIBA show, the convention center was also hosting a gun show. Walking past the gun-toting attendees to get to the NAIBA show was a little disconcerting, but after a while I got used to it, although I was tempted to carry a sign reading, “Buy books, not guns.”

I just got back from PMA University and Book Expo America. All I can say is, wow! PMA University was really helpful. I learned a lot and made some good contacts. If you didn't get a chance to go this year, I hope that you can find a way to go next year. Next year's BEA will be in New York, so it'll still be pretty convenient for those of us in the mid-Atlantic area. 2008 will be in Los Angeles, so that will be more of a hike.

On Saturday, April 8, Toni Albert and I attended the CityLit festival at the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore, and manned a table on behalf of MBPA. Treasurer Donna Wessell was there, as were several other members past and present.

Our goal at the festival was to spread the word about the MidAtlantic Book Publishers Association, to find new members, and to make contacts that would be beneficial to the organization. In that, I think that we were very successful.