CIROBE, the Chicago International Remainder and Overstock Book Exposition, is strictly a trade show open only to attendees and exhibitors within the bargain book trade. This annual trade show which takes place in Chicago every fall and will have extended show dates this year, from Thursday, November 5 at and through Sunday, November 8, 1:00 PM. CIROBE organizers said the change is intended to get the most people under one roof at the same time.”
“Our buyer attendance has been picking up and is about 15% above last year for the last month,” said Chelsea Nash, CIROBE show organizer. “We hope this trend continues with our onsite registration.” Ms. Nash said they are expecting the show to be smaller in terms of exhibits this year,“”but given the attendee numbers we think it may be stronger than last year's show.””
Nash said they have also had ten exhibitors sign up in the last two weeks, “mostly ones brand new to us. Hopefully this will be an interesting show with new products for the buyers too,” she added.
Marshall Smith, co-owner of CIROBE, said in an earlier BBN edition that opening the show a day early was also due to listening to vendor's concerns. "One of the biggest perceived problems is that people are leaving early, so we are trying to address that so everyone gets a fair shot." (It has been brought up by vendors that due to break-out rooms, which open on Wednesday, buyers come early to shop with those vendors and then do not stay for the whole show which was open from Friday to Sunday.) According to Smith, break-out rooms will still open on their regular Wednesday schedule. Smith also pointed out that when the show first opened almost 20 years ago, that a weekend show was the most cost effective due to cheaper flights on the weekend i.e. Saturday layovers, and cheaper hotel rooms. "That is not so much the case anymore," he said.
Addressing the issue of Sunday, he said, "Sunday is the last day of the show, and the last day of a show...is the last day of a show. But there are still so many books being bought on Sunday; some between vendors, but all in all there is still a lot of buying going on. Part of the problem, he said, is that they book the Hilton years in advance for the show: "We are trying to do the best we can addressing people's concerns, and trying to make CIROBE a better show."
The show was scheduled for November this year due to the Hilton’s other commitments which meant the Northwest Hall was not available until after Wednesday, November 4th at midnight. For more information email: info@cirobe.com or call (773) 493-1389.
