Wrangling with the future: 3 Qs for Mark Dressler, BEA Director of Education

BEA week is here. Whatever that means this year. We caught up with Mark Dressler, BEA Director of Education as he sprinted by.

Mark, thanks for taking a moment to join us. What were some of the primary goals in planning programs for BEA this year?
Number one was meaningful author involvement. Second to that, practical and edifying content for trade professionals.

How has the scope and tone of BEA changed in response to the tectonic shifts in the industry?
We've reduced the number of show days while increasing the storyline for a greater number of books and authors. With respect to ed programs, we'll be addressing the issues publishers and channel partners are, and will be wrangling with in the near future. Hopefully, we're doing this in a way that helps decision makers eliminate some hurdles and obtain solutions.

What are you looking to get out of BEA on a personal level this year? Is there one particular event you won't miss?
Good question! Too many really good programs to narrow-down to one. It's most gratifying when industry professionals, whom I really respect, offer kudos about their experience at the show.

Visit the Book Expo America website for more.

Comments

Mylène said…
For the record, Mark and I are not related. Darn.