Christian Book Expo

Q&A with ECPA President Mark Kuyper


Published in: E-Link, July 2008

Q: What is Christian Book Expo?
A: In a sentence, Christian Book Expo (CBE) is a consumer book show open to everyone who cares about Christian books. This first-ever book fair, CBE Dallas 2009, will feature 150 - 200 workshops, seminars and mini-events lead by authors in their areas of expertise, as well as an exhibit floor showcasing the books. Some of the mini-events will be panel discussions featuring authors discussing contemporary or theological issues from varying perspectives.

Christian Book Expo is sponsored by ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) and will showcase authors and books representing a broad variety of genres, denominations, ethnicities and political viewpoints. The uniting element for our publishers, and by extension for CBE, is a commitment to making the Christian message widely known.

Q: Why was Christian Book Expo developed?
A: Christian publishers believe that consumer awareness of our authors and books has room for improvement. Recent research, conducted by The Barna Group, revealed that two-thirds of the “born again” demographic did not recognize the names of Rick Warren, T.D. Jakes, or Joel Osteen—who are, without question, some of today’s highest-profile Christian authors.

ECPA’s member publishers are eager to increase consumer awareness by connecting authors directly with readers. Fortunately, many of our authors are also excellent speakers and presenters, so we have the ideal resources for the right venue. Christian Book Expo provides the venue for media, internationals, church leaders, retailers and consumers to engage with authors and books like no other opportunity currently available.

Q: Where will Christian Book Expo 2009 be held?
A: The 2009 Christian Book Expo will be held at the Dallas Convention Center, March 20-22, 2009.

Q: How will the public be involved with Christian Book Expo?
A: The Christian Book Expo is basically a three-day opportunity for the public to interact with top authors and to discover up-and-coming Christian writers. We are setting up areas on the floor for live readings and/or performances. There will be activities for families, built around children’s books and characters, with an entire section of the floor dedicated to children’s events. The public will be invited to attend book signings and evening programming as well as the Christian Book Awards, an event that has previously been closed to the public.

A: Is there anything else like Christian Book Expo within the broader publishing industry?
Q: Consumer book fairs exist all over the world, with some of the largest in Spain, Germany, UK, Miami, and Los Angeles. The one most similar to the Christian Book Expo concept is held in Guadalajara, and it attracted 525,000 people in 2007. There are currently no other large Christian Book Fairs in the U.S., but a Christian book fair in the UK attracts up to 20,000 people and a church-focused event in Brazil draws around 100,000. We expect the public to attend CBE Dallas 2009 by the thousands; the potential attendance is limited only by our venue size.

Q: How will Christian Book Expo benefit the publishing industry, including retailers?
A: Christian Book Expo is a win-win situation for everyone involved. The end-consumer wins because he or she gains knowledge and inspiration from the authors and products at the event. The local retailers win because CBE will drive traffic into their stores with pre-promotions (such as coupons for reduced CBE admission), in-store author appearances during CBE, and post-promotions. All retailers win since they benefit from increased author awareness due to extensive national promotions, increased media attention and vast viral communications through the Internet. The author and the publisher win by making direct connections with readers. The impact of CBE will span the globe since we plan to webcast many of the CBE author presentations, including some in-store appearances.

A: Who is scheduled to speak at Christian Book Expo 2009?
Q: We are accepting author submissions right now, so it is a bit early to announce an official line up. But we see publishers focusing on high profile authors, to attract attendance, as well as on new writers they can introduce to a receptive venue of readers.

A: Is Christian Book Expo only for authors, or can Christian music artists also become involved?
Q: CBE is a book show, so our focus is books. We expect to have some music companies and artists involved, since many artists are also authors. These author/artists will help attract music ministers and young people to the show, and they may also provide some worship, inspiration and entertainment for the event. CBE also welcomes media companies that produce movies and film projects based on Christian books. In summary, all CBE participants will be directly linked to books and the publishing process.

A: How is Christian Book Expo connecting with churches?
Q: We have been meeting with church leaders for months now, both for input on the program as well as for promotion to their staff and congregation. We have identified several groups of churches, numbering in the thousands and representing diversity of denominations and races, with whom we can work with to get the message out.

We are creating CBE coupons (for reduced admission) which will be distributed exclusively through local churches, and we expect to place some CBE authors in local pulpits during the weekend. We surveyed pastors to find out how they might value the event for their congregants and staff, and the majority said they would expect to pay $200-$300 for admission to a program like this. With the church coupons and store coupons, most people will only pay $15 to attend. Children 12 and under are free.

A: What are plans for Christian Book Expo going forward? Will there be other cities?
Q: We know there are tremendous growth opportunities if we leave CBE in the same city, which is why we used the Dallas name in our logo. However, in our site selection process we identified three other cities where we could successfully host this event. So we may consider adding locations at some point in time, depending on how the metrics work for the 2009 event.


MARCH 20-22, 2009
Dallas Convention Center
Dallas, Texas


Your audience. Your message. Your Event. It’s what you’ve been waiting for. It’s time.