Unlike Ron, I can get good wireless & high-speed Internet at my hotel. But on the conference floor, it's a whole other story. Yes, I realize that making a buck is a high priority and gouging each attendee just so they can check their email - or, golly, actually do some real *work* - is a way of doing so. I'm a capitalist, I understand. But then at least open up the Internet cafe (nestled in the bowels of the exhibit hall) on Thursday and put more than three computers in the press hall. So if there's a bit more of an edge to overall BEA coverage this year, that's why.

With that rant off my chest, full coverage will begin in earnest tomorrow morning. But to kick things off, I'll strike a more positive note for the Convention Center, which - unlike Javits - has the advantage of being located fairly centrally. I can walk there from my hotel, imagine that! And though I've already heard some rumblings about how the exhibit hall requires "walking miles and miles" to get from one booth to the next, at least getting to the conference rooms didn't require a huge amount of effort.

Another thing to realize is that this is the first time since 1988 that BEA has been held in Washington. After running into program director Mark Dressler this morning just before the Canadian market panel began, I asked him why that was. Evidently this Center is fairly new (a couple of years old or so) and the old location simply wasn't large enough to hold BEA. "Oh, so in other words, the old venue was Olympia and this one's ExCeL or Earl's Court?" I asked. Dressler laughed, to his credit. Though chances are the venue switch wasn't nearly as drama-laden as what awaits the London Book Fair...