They’re still bitching about LBF

Even though the London Book Fair took place at the beginning of the month, the move to the ExCeL so traumatized industry folk that they’re still talking about it to the Bookseller. Liz Bury rounds up some of the reactions, good and bad. Faber Marketing Director Noel Murphy said: “It’s an exhibition centre. I don’t see that much difference from Olympia. We didn’t feel particularly put off by it–we were there for the books.”

But Agent Carole Blake, whose table was situated by the IRC’s entrance, was “freezing for all three days”, being in the path of a cold wind even after a screen was put up to shield the centre from draughts. “The whole IRC needs to be overhauled.” And Transworld managing director Larry Finlay sums things up more succinctly: “Move back to Olympia, please–I don’t think it’s salvageable at ExCeL. If it is to be at ExCeL, my God, they’ve got some work to do.”

Of course, Alastair Burtenshaw, the Exhibition Director for LBF, sees some silver linings: “A 5.3% increase in attendance, 22% more exhibitor space, 513 International Rights Centre tables, a great bookseller offering, over 1,000 journalists from across the globe, and a record 110 very popular seminars and events.” All of the above, he says, “made for a good first outing at ExCeL that truly brought the publishing world together in London; something never before achieved.”

And on it goes. But one change that may actually happen for LBF is to push the start date from Sunday to Monday. A final decision won’t be made for another two weeks, but as the main reason for starting the fair on Sunday was to allow booksellers to come — and now shops are open that day, too — it might make sense.

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