{BEA 2017} Tips & Tricks: What To Bring, What To Wear, and What To Do

We Can't Wait for BEA

This year would have been our sixth trip to BEA, and our fifth one in NYC (last year was in Chicago)! Due to unforeseen family events, we aren’t able to attend this year, but we still want to make sure that we pass along some info to those of you lucky enough to be going!

Even though we’ve been several times now, we never stop learning new things and coming up with ways to make the next trip an even bigger success. Because we love you, today we are sharing some of our favorite tips and tricks for BookExpo and BookCon! Hopefully it will help all of you who are going for the first time, or maybe even those who just want to see how someone else preps for their trip. Ready to hear more about what to bring, what pack in your backpack for the expo, and what to do before you head to NYC? Let’s do this…

 

What To Bring

  • POWER STRIP – There are four of us that stay together in one room. We’re all bloggers. That means we need lots of things that plug in. Hotels aren’t ready for our amount of electronics, so we bring power strips with us. This lets us plug in phones, portable charges, laptops, hairdryers, cameras, hair straighteners, or anything else we might need. It also prevents us from shoving each other out of the way to get the “good plug”… you wouldn’t want us fighting over plugs would you?
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  • SPECIAL BOOKS – Every year before we leave we look through the list of authors attending events we will be at and those that will be at BookExpo/BookCon and come up with a list of books we want to bring to NYC from home. Sometimes it’s for an author we’ve been dying to meet and we want ALL THE THINGS signed. Sometimes we just have that one edition that hasn’t been signed yet and so we bring that with us. We try to limit these to only the essentials, but sometimes that’s hard to do.
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  • A ROLLING SUITCASE – This is one of our best tips. You are allowed to check a bag at the front of the convention center for $3/day. This is a major back saver because between signings and book drops, etc. you can run out to your bag and drop things off so you’re not stuck lugging 100 lbs of books around the entire day. If you take no other tip from our list, take this one.
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  • NICE CLOTHES & COMFY SHOES – You want to be comfortable, but you also want to look professional. Layers are always a good idea. Sometimes you will need an outfit that can be worn during the day and then to a cocktail party at night. Or you can do what we do and pack a change of clothes in your rolling suitcase. We are nothing if not practical. Now, about those shoes. You are going to be on your feet all day. ALL DAY. You’ll be standing in lines and walking around and you seriously don’t want to be stuck in a pair of uncomfortable shoes or you’ll pay the price at the end of the day. Everyone is going to tell you this, no really EVERYONE, but we can’t stress enough how important it is. We are in awe of the women in heels every single year. We don’t know how they do it!
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  • BUSINESS CARDS – We can’t stress how much you will use these. It’s the easiest way to get publishers your information BUT it’s also an amazing way to connect with other bloggers! You’re going to have so much going on that it’s easy to forget who you talked to or what their info is. By providing a business card you can reconnect once you get home. You can order them through places like MOO, but Vistaprint also has a much less pricey version if you don’t want to spend a bunch of money!
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  • PACKING SUPPLIES – This is another important one, especially if you are flying. You will most likely get more books than what will fit in your suitcase. That means you’re going to want to mail things home. We’ve found that bringing flat boxes and packing tape (lots of packing tape!) saves us time and money! We box things up in the hotel room and then get them to USPS for mailing before we go home!
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  • SNACKS & DRINKS – We like to keep these things in our room. We usually buy bottle water once we are there and stick it in our hotel room fridge. The snacks we bring from home. Granola bars, snack cakes, trail-mix, etc. Basically anything that pre-portioned and easy to carry!

What To Pack In Your Backpack

Each day we carry a backpack with us to the convention center. It has all the essentials in it for the day. Want to know what’s inside? Here’s a quick rundown:

  • SNACKS/WATER BOTTLE (sometimes you are so busy you don’t have time to eat!)
  • HEADACHE MEDICINE
  • BUSINESS CARDS
  • A BOOKISH TOTE (Or two. You’re going to have A LOT of books and you won’t want to carry them in your arms!)
  • SHARPIES, PENS, ETC.
  • CELLPHONE
  • BAND-AIDS/BLISTER-PADS (even the comfy shoes don’t prevent the use of these!)
  • YOUR DAILY SCHEDULE/PLAN
  • PORTABLE PHONE CHARGER (conventions are bad for your battery!)

You’re There. Now What?

  • MAKE A PLAN – This is one of the most important things you can do for yourself to make sure that your trip is less stressful. There is so much going on during BookExpo and BookCon. Signings at the autograph tables, signings in the booths, galley drops, meetings with publishers, panels, and parties. You need to be organized so that you don’t miss anything that is important to you. It’s also important to remember to be flexible. There are times when we plan something and then find out it’s canceled. As long as you back-up your back-up plan you will be good to go.
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  • GET EVERYWHERE EARLY – The thing that you will do the most at BEA is wait. Lines, lines, lines. They are everywhere. Be prepared to get in lines early, especially for authors that you know everyone is dying to see. This is where your plan comes into play. It helps you know when you need to be in line for certain things.
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  • BE SELECTIVE – There are books everywhere, but that doesn’t mean you have to pick them all up. Don’t be afraid to say no or to walk away without taking a copy of every galley or finished copy you see. We learned this lesson the hard way. The first year we went we were a little overwhelmed and majorly book crazy. We grabbed everything we could get our hands on. The problem is that most of the things we took we didn’t read so then we had to figure out a plan for them. The last couple of years we have been much more selective which makes it easier to get everything home and carry around NYC.
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  • DON’T BE GREEDY – We already told you above to be selective, but we can’t emphasize enough how important it is to be respectful of everyone attending. Book drops in publisher booths can be stressful. But you can do your part to make it easier on everyone. Remember that you don’t need to grab a copy of a book for everyone you met on the subway that morning. Take one for yourself, or if you’re feeling generous pass one to the person behind you in line- then get out of the way. This keeps things running smoothly and prevents you from getting a death glare from the last person in line who doesn’t get a book because you took more than your share.
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  • MAKE FRIENDS – We obviously love it when we get to stand in lines together, but it doesn’t happen as often as you would think. Even with four of us. One of the great parts about being in lines is that you are surrounded by fellow books lovers. Take the time to say hello to your neighbors, let them know if you are saving a spot from a friend and offer to hold their spot if they need a potty break. It’s not only the right thing to do, but sometimes it can result in meeting someone awesome that you will see year after year.
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  • USE YOUR MANNERS – The golden rule is so important when attending these events. Say please and thank you. Don’t get upset if someone bumps into you (it will happen a lot!) and don’t yell at someone for cutting in line (because chances are someone was holding their spot while they used the restroom). Take deep breaths and remember that you are one of thousands there that day and that if everyone treats everyone else with a little kindness things go much more smoothly. (Also, when the day is over grab a drink and rant to your friends about how many times you were elbowed!)
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  • EXPLORE NYC – We love everything BookExpo/BookCon related, but we also love being tourists. The first couple of years that we went we did not make time to do anything that wasn’t for BEA, the last few years we changed that and it has been amazing. We’ve stayed a couple of extra days and done boat tours, ate delicious local food, and even visited a few bookstores we had been dying to see. (Because we hadn’t had enough books yet!) There is so much to do and see so take advantage of where you! Eat local and stay away from the chains. Make the most of your trip. You are in an amazing place!
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  • USE UBER – The first couple of years we went we had the hardest time getting a cab. We just weren’t good at it. We literally stood around for 45 minutes one time trying to figure out how the hell to get one to stop. We’ve gotten better, but we also discovered UBER. If you don’t want to bother catching a cab, you can download the UBER app and plug in where you are and where you want to go. It is easy to use and has been a lifesaver for us. The subway can also be a fun adventure and is much cheaper!

Have you been to BEA  or BookCon before? Is this your first year? Let us know what tips you would add to our list or if there is something that we didn’t answer that you want to know about before you go! We are always happy to answer questions!

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Comments

  1. Have a ton of fun at BEA. My daughter will be the lone WLABBer there this year, but I will tag in for BookCon. Can’t wait!
    Sam @ WLABB

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