ICRS ATTENDANCE DOWN

This time of year the Christian publishing industry is all a buzz about the annual convention--which was held in July. Although a number of people I spoke with indicated it was the best ever--the numbers show a different side. Ten years ago the attendance at the convention was just under 15,000. This year it was down to 7,000--half of that. I announced earlier at Thomas Nelson pulled out of the convention some time ago. Since they are the largest Christian publisher, that can't help but have an affect on the smaller publishers. By next year it is expected that more publishers will either withdraw from the show or significantly reduce the size of their booth. Some insiders are even predicting that the show will close entirely in the next year or two. Buteven in the light of this news, Christian book publishing continue to be a strong presence. The downturn is likely a reflection of both the economy and the internal changes in the industry.