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Christian Book Expo: My Take

I didn’t attend the final day of the Christian Book Expo yesterday in Dallas. Instead, Gail and I visited my parents in Waco. However, I promised I would share my summary thoughts on the event.

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/RBFried, Image #4641268

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/RBFried

Let’s start with the obvious. The attendance at the show was abysmal. There’s no way to spin this or ignore it. We only got a fraction of the audience we were anticipating. According to ECPA (as quoted in Publishers Weekly), only about 1,500 consumers showed up. Frankly, we were hoping for 15,000 to 20,000.

If consumers had come, this would have been an incredible show. The “product” itself was superb. Programming, production, logistics, displays—everything was first class. The evening events were especially well-produced and effective. (Thank you Chris Thomason.) I could not have been happier with the quality of the show.

So then, why didn’t it work? We built it. But they didn’t come. Why?

Before we beat ourselves up too much, let’s remember two facts: first, we planned this more than two years ago. It was a very different economy. Many things made sense then that don’t make sense now. Our goal was to raise the visibility of Christian products, and this seemed like a great way to do it. What we didn’t anticipate was the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

Second, hindsight is 20/20. Any of us can look back and see the obvious misses. Unfortunately, things aren’t always so clear before they happen. Despite the fact that things didn’t turn out as we hoped, I’m proud of the fact that we abandoned “business as usual” and tried something new.

Now that I’ve got that out of the way, here are some of the “mistakes” I think we made and which can inform us going forward, should we decide to do so.

  1. The venue was too big. As Chip MacGregor stated,”the leadership at ECPA swung for the fences,… But they whiffed.” We should have probably done this in a mega-church in a more accessible part of town. The enormous scale of the Dallas Convention Center only highlighted the smallness of the crowd.
  2. The venue was in the wrong part of town. As I discovered in talking to locals, no one wants to come downtown for an event. The challenge and expense of parking is just more hassle than it’s worth. Plus people were concerned for their safety, especially at night.
  3. The event overlapped with spring break. Thousands of people were on vacation. But the mothers who stayed home couldn’t get away, because the kids were out of school and childcare would have been an added expense. I’m not sure how this happened; my guess is that we didn’t really have a choice. As a first-time event, you don’t have a lot of leverage with venues.
  4. We shouldn’t have charged for the event. I don’t know how we would have made the business model work, but the truth is, it didn’t work any way. Again, as Chip pointed out, people aren’t going to pay for the privilege of being able to buy books. Not in today’s environment.
  5. We should have given ECPA a bigger marketing budget. We spent all our money on the venue, production, and logistics. We should have downsized all of this and spent our money on marketing—especially on billboards and lots and lots of radio. We counted on our member publishers and local churches to get the word out. Frankly, it just wasn’t enough. Either it didn’t happen or it wasn’t effective. People stayed home in droves.

I am not sure publishers are going to want to try this again next year. With the current economic realities we are all facing, we really can’t afford to try too many things that don’t promise an immediate payback. That doesn’t mean that Christian Book Expo is a bad idea. It may just mean that we have to re-launch this at a different time with a different model.

One final comment: I am proud of Mark Kuyper, President and CEO of ECPA. Anyone can be a “Monday Morning Quarterback” and second-guess the decisions that were made. But the truth is that Mark executed the plan exactly as approved by the board. He and his team poured their life into this project and gave it their very best effort. I think we can all feel very good about the quality of the event. We simply need to determine where we go from here.

Question: What do you think it would take to make an event like this a success? Should we move forward?
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Posted on March 24, 2009

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  • http://www.harrisonfarr.com/ Harrison

    That makes sense. Like I said, different industries do it different ways. Anyway, if it was ever done in CA, I'd be there in a heartbeat.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/michaelhyatt Michael Hyatt

    Yes, I should have mentioned that. It was also a competing event.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/michaelhyatt Michael Hyatt

    Yes, I should have mentioned that. It was also a competing event.

  • Mark Kuyper

    Colleen,
    Thanks for the affirmation. i was proud of my team as well. it was good to see you there and I would love to get copied on any notes that would be appropriate. Blessings.

  • Mark Kuyper

    Colleen,
    Thanks for the affirmation. i was proud of my team as well. it was good to see you there and I would love to get copied on any notes that would be appropriate. Blessings.

  • Mark Kuyper

    Larry, I agree. We started with the word "Fair" instead of "Expo" and had input to change it. From the feedback we have had too many people thought it was trade oriented. Book Fairs traditionally have workshops and seminars, so now I wish we had stuck with it. There are some other good options as well.
    In all of our communication we focused on the authors and the workshops. All of our promotional material featured authors front and center, with the phrasing, "More than 150 Transforming Seminars Led by Authors" (or some variation). I think we just didn't get enough people to see more than the name of the conference.

  • Mark Kuyper

    Larry, I agree. We started with the word "Fair" instead of "Expo" and had input to change it. From the feedback we have had too many people thought it was trade oriented. Book Fairs traditionally have workshops and seminars, so now I wish we had stuck with it. There are some other good options as well.
    In all of our communication we focused on the authors and the workshops. All of our promotional material featured authors front and center, with the phrasing, "More than 150 Transforming Seminars Led by Authors" (or some variation). I think we just didn't get enough people to see more than the name of the conference.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/michaelhyatt Michael Hyatt

    Thanks, Mary. I read your post and agreed with almost everything you said.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/michaelhyatt Michael Hyatt

    Thanks, Mary. I read your post and agreed with almost everything you said.

  • Mark Kuyper

    Daniel, you are right. We really need to know who we are marketing to if we are to be effective. Before the event we asked consumers about their interest in a book fair concept with workshops and exhibits and got a very enthusiastic response. This is consistent with the anecdotal response we have had so far from everyone who attended. We also met with church leaders to find out what elements or content they would want to be a part of the event so they could enthusiastically support it with their congregations. Most of the feedback supported what we had already proposed but we did make modifications based on their input. We also researched tag lines and the clear winner was word "Transformation" which we added to our marketing materials. We surveyed pastors via Barna Research and found that most pastors would value the program at between $200-$300 for admission. When people thought of it as a conference, the price was not too high. We got the same feedback from live discussions with pastors and consumers. Of course we went with a fraction of that amount. Depending where attendees (or potential attendees) got their information, if they saw it merely as a huge bookstore, then our price was too high. We have had a lot of feedback on creative pricing options, so we will likely adopt a different strategy if we continue in the future. We will be doing follow up surveys with attendees and exhibitors.

  • Mark Kuyper

    Daniel, you are right. We really need to know who we are marketing to if we are to be effective. Before the event we asked consumers about their interest in a book fair concept with workshops and exhibits and got a very enthusiastic response. This is consistent with the anecdotal response we have had so far from everyone who attended. We also met with church leaders to find out what elements or content they would want to be a part of the event so they could enthusiastically support it with their congregations. Most of the feedback supported what we had already proposed but we did make modifications based on their input. We also researched tag lines and the clear winner was word "Transformation" which we added to our marketing materials. We surveyed pastors via Barna Research and found that most pastors would value the program at between $200-$300 for admission. When people thought of it as a conference, the price was not too high. We got the same feedback from live discussions with pastors and consumers. Of course we went with a fraction of that amount. Depending where attendees (or potential attendees) got their information, if they saw it merely as a huge bookstore, then our price was too high. We have had a lot of feedback on creative pricing options, so we will likely adopt a different strategy if we continue in the future. We will be doing follow up surveys with attendees and exhibitors.

  • Mark Kuyper, ECPA

    I am so glad it was such a wonderful experience for you, and I thank you for your suggestions and encouraging words

  • Mark Kuyper, ECPA

    I am so glad it was such a wonderful experience for you, and I thank you for your suggestions and encouraging words

  • Mark Kuyper, ECPA

    Cecil, it was good to see you there. We will definitely consider your suggestions and look at those options as we put together a possible plan for next time. We did consider many of these for 2009. Our challenge was space. We asked publishers how much booth space they would expect to use and how many authors/workshops they would need. If we were to try to accommodate thier requests, our only option was the Dallas Convention Center. if we were to move ahead we would likely have far fewer publishers and authors so we could fit into one of the other options available. By the way thanks for volunteering to help spread the word next time!! (If there is one.)

  • Mark Kuyper, ECPA

    Cecil, it was good to see you there. We will definitely consider your suggestions and look at those options as we put together a possible plan for next time. We did consider many of these for 2009. Our challenge was space. We asked publishers how much booth space they would expect to use and how many authors/workshops they would need. If we were to try to accommodate thier requests, our only option was the Dallas Convention Center. if we were to move ahead we would likely have far fewer publishers and authors so we could fit into one of the other options available. By the way thanks for volunteering to help spread the word next time!! (If there is one.)

  • Todd Hoyt

    I agree with much of your post, but would add some of the following. To blame much of it on the economy is maybe too strong. Of the attendees that came to the audio booth shared by Christianaudio/Oasis Audio, none had any misgivings regarding purchases. They were thrilled with the significant discounts and great selection. We had a great response from those that purchased. The main issue was the fact there were no consumers in attendance in spite of the great looking facilities, amazing authors in attendance and workshops provided, and other educational opportunities available. Speaking with various other publishers, authors, and event attendees, I heard multiple similar issues. 1)Publicity. There was no event information from local Christian radio, pastor/church email, bookstore offerings, etc. 2) The convention center was great, but was not a destination for an Expo such as this. 3) The cost to get in. To spend a sizable sum to attend, consumers must see the value in going. It is riskier in attempting something like this on a grand scale.

    I would also be hesitant to recommend one of the area mega churches for the reason being many pastors don’t send their flock to a different church. As the discussion continues, it would be great to offer suggestions regarding possibilities for next year. Hopefully, the lessons learned from this can be applied to CBE 2010.

  • Todd Hoyt

    I agree with much of your post, but would add some of the following. To blame much of it on the economy is maybe too strong. Of the attendees that came to the audio booth shared by Christianaudio/Oasis Audio, none had any misgivings regarding purchases. They were thrilled with the significant discounts and great selection. We had a great response from those that purchased. The main issue was the fact there were no consumers in attendance in spite of the great looking facilities, amazing authors in attendance and workshops provided, and other educational opportunities available. Speaking with various other publishers, authors, and event attendees, I heard multiple similar issues. 1)Publicity. There was no event information from local Christian radio, pastor/church email, bookstore offerings, etc. 2) The convention center was great, but was not a destination for an Expo such as this. 3) The cost to get in. To spend a sizable sum to attend, consumers must see the value in going. It is riskier in attempting something like this on a grand scale.

    I would also be hesitant to recommend one of the area mega churches for the reason being many pastors don’t send their flock to a different church. As the discussion continues, it would be great to offer suggestions regarding possibilities for next year. Hopefully, the lessons learned from this can be applied to CBE 2010.

  • Cecil Price

    Mark, your team and you provided a first-class event during this CBE. We North Texans just wish more of our people would have know about it.

  • Cecil Price

    Mark, your team and you provided a first-class event during this CBE. We North Texans just wish more of our people would have know about it.

  • Mark Kuyper, ECPA

    Janet, yes, we paid careful attention to what both consumers and churches thought about the development of the event. This was first and foremost a conference with 150+ workshops and seminars. We had several sessions directed toward pastoral staff and topics they would find interesting. We encouraged our publishers to provide programming for everyone from theologians to casual readers, and i think they had it covered. One Dallas area pastor with a congregation of 10,000-12,000 said he believed it was the largest Christian conference ever held in this country. The exhibit floor is like the retail outlet at the end of a ride in a theme park. Many attendees were there for the experience of the workshop and wound up wanting to buy something. Every pastor I spoke with was a reader himself, and was excited about encouraging his congregation to read by promoting the event. Christians who take in the Word of God and the wise counsel of Godly men and women on a regular basis, are more likely to become fully devoted followers of Christ. I never had an objection from them pastors about sending their staff or encouraging their congregation to attend. By the time the event was nearing, I think something was lost between the pastors decision when I was in the office and those who would actually distribute the information. I do agree that a church is probably not the best venue for this event.

  • Mark Kuyper, ECPA

    Janet, yes, we paid careful attention to what both consumers and churches thought about the development of the event. This was first and foremost a conference with 150+ workshops and seminars. We had several sessions directed toward pastoral staff and topics they would find interesting. We encouraged our publishers to provide programming for everyone from theologians to casual readers, and i think they had it covered. One Dallas area pastor with a congregation of 10,000-12,000 said he believed it was the largest Christian conference ever held in this country. The exhibit floor is like the retail outlet at the end of a ride in a theme park. Many attendees were there for the experience of the workshop and wound up wanting to buy something. Every pastor I spoke with was a reader himself, and was excited about encouraging his congregation to read by promoting the event. Christians who take in the Word of God and the wise counsel of Godly men and women on a regular basis, are more likely to become fully devoted followers of Christ. I never had an objection from them pastors about sending their staff or encouraging their congregation to attend. By the time the event was nearing, I think something was lost between the pastors decision when I was in the office and those who would actually distribute the information. I do agree that a church is probably not the best venue for this event.

  • http://www.tradingfathers.com/ Karen Rabbitt

    I was an exhibiting author at CBE. My impression is that many of the attendees were aspiring authors. They seemed to see it as a way to increase their understanding of the industry. I talked for ten minutes with one couple who were asking basic questions such as the difference between royalty and custom publishers.

    As others have said, few local people I talked to had heard or seen very much publicity about it.

    Indeed, Mike, thanks for working on learning from the mistakes.

  • http://www.tradingfathers.com Karen Rabbitt

    I was an exhibiting author at CBE. My impression is that many of the attendees were aspiring authors. They seemed to see it as a way to increase their understanding of the industry. I talked for ten minutes with one couple who were asking basic questions such as the difference between royalty and custom publishers.

    As others have said, few local people I talked to had heard or seen very much publicity about it.

    Indeed, Mike, thanks for working on learning from the mistakes.

  • http://www.tradingfathers.com/ Karen Rabbitt

    I was an exhibiting author at CBE. My impression is that many of the attendees were aspiring authors. They seemed to see it as a way to increase their understanding of the industry. I talked for ten minutes with one couple who were asking basic questions such as the difference between royalty and custom publishers.

    As others have said, few local people I talked to had heard or seen very much publicity about it.

    Indeed, Mike, thanks for learning from the mistakes.

  • http://www.tradingfathers.com Karen Rabbitt

    I was an exhibiting author at CBE. My impression is that many of the attendees were aspiring authors. They seemed to see it as a way to increase their understanding of the industry. I talked for ten minutes with one couple who were asking basic questions such as the difference between royalty and custom publishers.

    As others have said, few local people I talked to had heard or seen very much publicity about it.

    Indeed, Mike, thanks for learning from the mistakes.

  • http://www.twitter.com/danieldecker Daniel Decker

    Good stuff Mark. Glad you guys are taking a proactive stance on this and doing your best. Anything new is always a risk. Kudos to you and your team for taking that risk. If you do it again next year, which it sounds like you should, I'd be happy to offer my marketing services to help.

  • http://www.twitter.com/danieldecker Daniel Decker

    Good stuff Mark. Glad you guys are taking a proactive stance on this and doing your best. Anything new is always a risk. Kudos to you and your team for taking that risk. If you do it again next year, which it sounds like you should, I'd be happy to offer my marketing services to help.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/RonSharp RonSharp

    I forgot to mention that the Festival of Books is free to attendees, but parking at UCLA is $8.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/RonSharp RonSharp

    I forgot to mention that the Festival of Books is free to attendees, but parking at UCLA is $8.

  • http://www.javawithjennifer.com/ Philip Rothschild

    Cudos for trying Mark and ECPA. And great wrap up here Mike (Wonderful to see you and Gail there). Agree, production values were second to none, great opportunity to meet authors. Agree with improvements noted above. One new thought may be to not create our own event but instead tie into other well known events. Wouldn't it be FANtastic to have signfiicant presence at the well established MIAMI BOOK FESTIVAL, or other festivals across the country. Just noodling here.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/RonSharp RonSharp

      I like that idea a lot. One thing lacking at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is a strong Christian presence. It would be great to go "coast to coast" with Los Angeles and Miami!

  • http://www.javawithjennifer.com/ Philip Rothschild

    Cudos for trying Mark and ECPA. And great wrap up here Mike (Wonderful to see you and Gail there). Agree, production values were second to none, great opportunity to meet authors. Agree with improvements noted above. One new thought may be to not create our own event but instead tie into other well known events. Wouldn't it be FANtastic to have signfiicant presence at the well established MIAMI BOOK FESTIVAL, or other festivals across the country. Just noodling here.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/RonSharp RonSharp

      I like that idea a lot. One thing lacking at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is a strong Christian presence. It would be great to go "coast to coast" with Los Angeles and Miami!

  • Mark Kuyper

    Ha! I just asked our event planner to check Miami and LA out yesterday!! Glad you think it's a good idea!!

  • Mark Kuyper

    Ha! I just asked our event planner to check Miami and LA out yesterday!! Glad you think it's a good idea!!

  • Dan

    I had no idea it was for the general public. I thought it was for book buyers from stores like the other large book events. So my questions would be:

    - why would a Christian book buyer pay to go inside a large book store? To meet some authors? To browse a large selection of books? what was the point of this expo? I am still confused.

    - as someone who buys a lot of books, why would I fly to Dallas for this? what advantage does going there help me as a book consumer? were there a lot of seminars like a conference? what would draw me to this when I can look online for books to browse vs. flying somewhere? Or was this for Dallas folks primarily?

    I would maybe go if:

    - there were enough seminars of interest for the average person, not just church leaders

  • Dan

    - it was known this would be a massive discount on books at this event (at least as much as amazon.com)

    - it was free, or close to free. maybe a minimal fee.

    - maybe if it s was designed more like ComicCon in San Diego. that draws tens of thousands. I have been there and it is a Comic Expo, but much more. Maybe you should look at that model to see what they are doing in drawing in such large numbers.

    those are some thoughts!

  • Dan

    I had no idea it was for the general public. I thought it was for book buyers from stores like the other large book events. So my questions would be:

    - why would a Christian book buyer pay to go inside a large book store? To meet some authors? To browse a large selection of books? what was the point of this expo? I am still confused.

    - as someone who buys a lot of books, why would I fly to Dallas for this? what advantage does going there help me as a book consumer? were there a lot of seminars like a conference? what would draw me to this when I can look online for books to browse vs. flying somewhere? Or was this for Dallas folks primarily?

    I would maybe go if:

    - there were enough seminars of interest for the average person, not just church leaders

  • Dan

    - it was known this would be a massive discount on books at this event (at least as much as amazon.com)

    - it was free, or close to free. maybe a minimal fee.

    - maybe if it s was designed more like ComicCon in San Diego. that draws tens of thousands. I have been there and it is a Comic Expo, but much more. Maybe you should look at that model to see what they are doing in drawing in such large numbers.

    those are some thoughts!

  • http://www.intensedebate.com/people/RonSharp RonSharp

    Mike – I wanted to encourage you and the industry as a whole that this type of consumer driven show can work and work tremendously. As you know, I lived in southern California for years, and one of the highlights of the year for me is the Festival of Books held on the last weekend of April at UCLA. It is amazing to see publishers, retailers, and consumers massing at the UCLA campus to celebrate books and reading. It is really something else. And even though we moved to Arizona, my 15 year old son and I are going back. It's something we plan on doing every year. The link for info is <a href="http://www.latimes.com/fob” target=”_blank”>www.latimes.com/fob (the stages and panels are not yet set for 2009, but I believe you can see who was there in 2008). Blessings to you. Ron

  • http://www.intensedebate.com/people/RonSharp RonSharp

    Mike – I wanted to encourage you and the industry as a whole that this type of consumer driven show can work and work tremendously. As you know, I lived in southern California for years, and one of the highlights of the year for me is the Festival of Books held on the last weekend of April at UCLA. It is amazing to see publishers, retailers, and consumers massing at the UCLA campus to celebrate books and reading. It is really something else. And even though we moved to Arizona, my 15 year old son and I are going back. It's something we plan on doing every year. The link for info is <a href=”http://www.latimes.com/fob” target=”_blank”>www.latimes.com/fob (the stages and panels are not yet set for 2009, but I believe you can see who was there in 2008). Blessings to you. Ron

  • http://www.tyoramoody.com/ Tyora

    Out of curiosity, were meetings set-up with local pastors of the mega-churches in TX? I'm sure they would have announced the events and publicized them in the church book stores.

    I know Max Lucado was included, but were invites given to Rick Warren, T.D. Jakes, John Hagee, Joel Osteen – there are so many pastors that are well-known. I know Joyce Meyer and Beth Moore would have been big attraction for women.

    I'm a big Christian Fiction fan, but it seemed your nonfiction authors and their platforms should have been highlighted up front. A lot of Christians still prefer nonficion and fiction is still new to them.

    Also, I've learned that the African American audience was included more as an after thought instead of integrated more into the expo. There are CBA African American authors that are well-loved and would have brought you an enthusiastic crowd. I hope this is considered next time.

    Didn't mean for this to be such a long post. But I've been curious about the expo since this past weekend. I hope to see it rise up in a year or two with more success.

  • http://www.tyoramoody.com Tyora

    Out of curiosity, were meetings set-up with local pastors of the mega-churches in TX? I'm sure they would have announced the events and publicized them in the church book stores.

    I know Max Lucado was included, but were invites given to Rick Warren, T.D. Jakes, John Hagee, Joel Osteen – there are so many pastors that are well-known. I know Joyce Meyer and Beth Moore would have been big attraction for women.

    I'm a big Christian Fiction fan, but it seemed your nonfiction authors and their platforms should have been highlighted up front. A lot of Christians still prefer nonficion and fiction is still new to them.

    Also, I've learned that the African American audience was included more as an after thought instead of integrated more into the expo. There are CBA African American authors that are well-loved and would have brought you an enthusiastic crowd. I hope this is considered next time.

    Didn't mean for this to be such a long post. But I've been curious about the expo since this past weekend. I hope to see it rise up in a year or two with more success.

  • http://www.marketingthemuse.com marketingthemuse

    I didn't read all these threads but I think you may have missed an obvious: the christian movement is moving toward the margins again. it's not just that the economy stinks, many of the people at the center of this mess are leaders who label themselves christians. the former president, Tom Debay, that Senator caught in the public bathroom co-noogling with a young man—the list goes on.I live in Orange County, specifically Newport Beach, home of the christian far right. Last week, president obama's visit here caused traffic jams and brought people from all walks to the fair grounds. Young Republicans love this man; they've moved beyond their parent's ideology that defines christianity narrowly. If you want your next book expo to be successful, catch this wave.

  • http://www.marketingthemuse.com marketingthemuse

    I didn't read all these threads but I think you may have missed an obvious: the christian movement is moving toward the margins again. it's not just that the economy stinks, many of the people at the center of this mess are leaders who label themselves christians. the former president, Tom Debay, that Senator caught in the public bathroom co-noogling with a young man—the list goes on.I live in Orange County, specifically Newport Beach, home of the christian far right. Last week, president obama's visit here caused traffic jams and brought people from all walks to the fair grounds. Young Republicans love this man; they've moved beyond their parent's ideology that defines christianity narrowly. If you want your next book expo to be successful, catch this wave.

  • Pingback: Portrait of a Writer…Interrupted » Christian Book Expo: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly...

  • Michael

    I'd be careful to not get sidetracked by the #2 comment of "no one wants to come downtown for an event," because to begin with, 1,500 apparently did in this case, and I know there are plenty of well-attended events in downtown Dallas.

    So "only 1,500 people wanted to come downtown for this event," or "the people we are targeting for this event tend to not attend events downtown" may lead you in a more productive direction, and immediately open up the question of "where would our target audience most likely show up for this event?" which could help something like this in the future.

  • Michael

    I'd be careful to not get sidetracked by the #2 comment of "no one wants to come downtown for an event," because to begin with, 1,500 apparently did in this case, and I know there are plenty of well-attended events in downtown Dallas.

    So "only 1,500 people wanted to come downtown for this event," or "the people we are targeting for this event tend to not attend events downtown" may lead you in a more productive direction, and immediately open up the question of "where would our target audience most likely show up for this event?" which could help something like this in the future.

  • ddd

    Maybe nobody believes in the crap your selling.
    All religions are Fairy Tales.

  • ddd

    Maybe nobody believes in the crap your selling.
    All religions are Fairy Tales.

  • http://www.dynamicdads.blogspot.com/ Paul Pettit

    We need to remember this was a beginning effort.
    1) The event (authors mixing with readers) could easily become a tradition consumers look forward to it each spring.
    2) The golf outing and Thurs. night dinner were wonderful and would probably both grow in size next year.
    3) Adjust the model, somehow, to make it free at the door.
    4) I agree with a smaller venue.
    Anyway, thanks for choosing Dallas, TX. Hope we can hold it here again next spring as I think it will organically grow through reputation and human (face-to-face and word-of-mouth interactions.

  • http://www.dynamicdads.blogspot.com/ Paul Pettit

    We need to remember this was a beginning effort.
    1) The event (authors mixing with readers) could easily become a tradition consumers look forward to it each spring.
    2) The golf outing and Thurs. night dinner were wonderful and would probably both grow in size next year.
    3) Adjust the model, somehow, to make it free at the door.
    4) I agree with a smaller venue.
    Anyway, thanks for choosing Dallas, TX. Hope we can hold it here again next spring as I think it will organically grow through reputation and human (face-to-face and word-of-mouth interactions.

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