Four years ago when I first started seriously (and consistently) blogging, Bermuda Onion posted that SIBA was heading to Daytona Beach for their annual trade show. It was the first time I'd heard of a trade show dedicated to books, and at the time, I only lived an hour and a half north in the Jacksonville beaches area. I dragged my amazing and supportive partner/husband/father-of-our-cute-son, Jason, and couldn't believe my eyes. A conference room filled with exhibitors and books! Not only did I have the best time walking the floor, speaking with publicists about which books to select, I met four key ladies that day: Sandy from You've Gotta Read This, Kathy from Bermuda Onion, Heather from Raging Bibliomania, and Stacy from The Novel Life. I was a lowly blogger with about four months writing under my belt, but these ladies were so welcoming and treated me as though I had been blogging for years. I thought all trade shows were like that.
Until I went to BEA in New York the following year. Keep in mind that I'm used to big cities and absolutely love them. I grew up outside of Baltimore, went to school six miles outside of Washington, D.C., and regularly visit Boston, New York, and more. I love big cities. I love the energy and the ability to walk two feet and have an overwhelming number of restaurants to choose from. Surprisingly, BEA was just a bit too much for me, even though the Blogger Conference and my own sightseeing resulted in the actual fun that I took away from that time. With the BEA trade show however, gone was the intimacy, to interact with representatives and authors without an uptight atmosphere. I missed the smaller get-togethers. I made the decision that if I were to attend BEA again, it would likely be only for the Blogger Conference, which back in 2011 was when I met *the* gal, Jenn from The Picky Girl, who motivated me to start my own blog.
When my husband and I moved to Virginia Beach a few years ago, I was excited to attend the Virginia Festival of the Book held in Charlottesville. This was an even smaller event, and although I enjoyed it, I missed SIBA. I wasn't able to go the past couple of years because of moving, or I was pregnant, etc. But this year? This year is different.
SIBA is being held this year in... Norfolk, Virginia! And since Virginia is for lovers, it's now also going to be for book lovers as well! A short twenty-five minute drive will bring me back to an event that I have the best memories of and I urge you to check it out. If you're even just a few hours away, make the drive. SIBA is so much fun and the author and publisher events are aplenty!
Here are the details:
- Dates: September 19 through September 21, 2014
- Location: Norfolk Virginia
- Site: Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel
- Click here for the Schedule of Events
- Click here to register as an attendee.
- Click here to register as an exhibitor.
- If you tweet about it, use #siba14 as your hashtag.
And if you're planning on attending, let me know!
I grew up in that area so I'd love to go but it's just too far out for me to commit to anything like that right now.
ReplyDeleteI hope to see you there! I can't wait, I can finally go to an event and not have to calculate travel costs! :)
DeleteI'm so glad you'll be able to go...and that it's so close! For the second year in a row I'll miss BEA. But I'll be in New York in November for my brother's wedding, so I'm trying not to be too disappointed.
ReplyDeleteAs you saw this morning, my blog has been dead in the water for a while now, but it was officially dead for about the past week. I miss it, though. So much. I'm ready to get back into my groove. I'm still reading, but the urge to review had just left me. In fact, I'm still trying to figure out what I want my weekly posts to look like. I'm not sure yet, but I do know I'm not ready to let go. It's been four fun years, and I love having the outlet.
New York is such a fun and beautiful place to visit. Have fun at your brother's wedding! I'm sure it's going to be a blast, and at least you'll be in New York during the fall, which is one of my favorite times to visit.
DeleteI go through phases with my blog. As you can see from last year, I barely blogged. This year, same thing, but I'm trying to change it up. I think my blog might change focus a little bit and blog less, but with content that I am more interested to write about, versus solely posting about books. I don't think I could really ever say good-bye to blogging, either. It's become such a part of my life. I might take the occasional sabbatical, but I think I'll always try to keep this little corner of the web. Chin up, my friend. You run a great blog, and inspiration will strike you when you least expect it. I especially enjoy your "Fridays at Home" series, by the way!
I want to go to BEA (one time; just to say I did and see it) but I doubt I will love it. I crave that interaction too. I bet I would dig SIBA.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely try to go at least once to BEA; you might like it more than I did! The best part was the Blogger Conference, a dinner with bloggers, and then my own personal vacation and sight-seeing with my husband. Otherwise, that was it for me with BEA.
DeleteI won't be there or at BEA. Flying from So Cal if just too expensive these days. It would be hard for me to justify the airfare for such a brief trip.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand. The fact that I don't have to factor excessive cost and travel is the only reason why I can go. Finally! That should keep me satisfied for a few years... I think. :)
DeleteThis sounds so much more appealing to me than BEA. I really should try to make it happen, especially since my granddaughter lives in VB (Kempsville area)!
ReplyDelete