This is our fourth trip to NYC for BEA. Every year we figure out ways to make the next trip more successful. We love sharing our our tips and tricks with all of you who are going for the first time, or maybe just looking for a little help getting ready. Today we’re talking about what to bring, what to wear, and what to do before you head to this year’s expo.
Ready to get started? Here we go…
What To Bring
- POWER STRIP – There are four of us staying in one room… that alone should indicate that we won’t have enough plugs for all our stuff. Last year we brought a power strip with us and it was the best thing ever. We had all out things charged and ready to go each day and there was no fighting for plugs! This year we are bringing two, because can you ever really have too many plugs?
- SPECIAL BOOKS – Last year we brought a handful of books by authors we knew were going to be there and we wanted to track down and get a signature from. We haven’t made a list of what we are bringing this year, but it’s definitely a great opportunity to get those books signed!
- SNACKS/WATER BOTTLE – Pack them in your bag so you don’t have to spend a million dollars on the food that is sold in the convention center. We aren’t lying when we tell you that it is pricey. Plus you need to stay hydrated, our first year we really didn’t and we paid the price. Last year we grabbed a huge pack of bottles to keep in our hotel fridge and we made sure we didn’t leave “home” without one when we headed out each day!
- PORTABLE PHONE CHARGER – You will absolutely need this while you are in the Javits. If your phone is like ours, it will spend time searching for a network and drain your battery and you won’t want to be stuck finding a plug when you should be in line to meet authors and grab books!
- A ROLLING SUITCASE – This is the best thing ever. You are allowed to check a bag at the front of the convention center for $3/day. Which means that 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.
- BUSINESS CARDS – We can’t stress how much you should have 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 blog address is. By providing a business card you can reconnect once you get home. We ordered ours through MOO but Vistaprint has a much less pricey version if you don’t want to spend a bunch of money!
What To Wear
- You want to be professional, but comfortable. 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.
- Comfortable shoes!! You are standing practically ALL day 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 says this, but we can’t stress enough how important it is. We are in awe of the women in heels every single year.
What To Do
- 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 BEA. Signings at the autograph tables, signings in the booths, galley drops, meetings, 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.
- 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 everyone is dying to see. We have lined up hours before certain events to make sure we are toward the front of the line.
- 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.
- 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.
- EXPLORE NYC – We love everything BEA 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, last year we changed that and it was amazing. We stayed a couple of extra days and did boat tours, ate delicious local food, and even visited a few bookstore we’d been dying to see. (Because we hadn’t had enough books yet!) This year we are going early so that we can do all the fun stuff before we have sore feet from BEA!
- 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 a lifesaver for us.
Have you been to BEA 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! Stay tuned next week when we talk all about the books and authors we are dying to see at BEA 2015.
