2004 Book Fair Review

How are book fairs coping with the changing face of bookselling? TheBookGuide looks back over the past four years and finds a decline of 17.5%.

When we launched the Book Fair Calendar in January 2001, we were able to identify 788 events. There was a small increase in 2002, when the number rose to 800, or growth of approximately 1.5%. 2003 saw a decline to 749 fairs, or a loss of about 6.5%.

The 2004 calendar shows a fairly dramatic drop of 100 fair dates to 649. However, 2 dates where lost to venue renovation work, and 9 dates have yet to be confirmed. At best this represents a loss of almost 12% on the year, and a decline of 17.5% from the high point of 2002.

Of the most recent losses, by far the biggest is caused by the cancellation of Telford, which last year hosted 28 fair days. The reason given is high rent combined with unsuitable stalls. Interestingly, uneconomic rents and lack of suitable venues were the most frequently stated cause of a fair's demise.

Of the 61 organisers who had staged fairs in 2003, 8 were not planning fairs in 2004, and of their venues, only 3 had found new promoters. The total number of organisers has declined from a high of 71 in 2001 to 58 today, of which 2 are new.

The PBFA is still by far the largest organiser with 151 dates. This represents a net loss of 10 on the figures for 2003, although they do have several new venues and locations.

The London June book fairs have also seen significant changes, leaving just 8 from a high of 12 in 2000. This year sees the loss of the Print and Plate Book Fair, but also the return of the Military, Naval & Aviation fair at the Bonnington, were it will share space with Gerry Modell's fair.

It should be noted that the above figures must be regarded as approximate, and this should be borne in mind when drawing any conclusions. However, it's clear that there is a significant decline in fairs throughout the country. This is surprisingly evenly distributed between the north (53 dates lost) and the south (47).

Finally, an observation which we have heard from both visitors and exhibitors alike, that there appears to be a continuing decline in quality, particularly at some provincial monthly fairs. This must be a matter of concern to organisers and exhibitors alike, and it will be interesting to see how it's addressed in the coming year.

As ever, we are always keen to add your observations or experiences, just e-mail us.