Booksellers gather for education, enrichment at RBTE 2009

Liturgical retailers will soon embark on what for many is an annual pilgrimage to the Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibit (RBTE), a four-day trade show gathering Catholic, Episcopal and other liturgical retailers and suppliers. As for the last 18 years, the Chicago suburb of St. Charles, Ill., will host the show, held this year May 26-29.

Known as much for camaraderie—often in evidence at the sponsored luncheons built into the admission fees—as for its retail training sessions and order writing, RBTE has been called “one of the last civilized conferences because everyone stops and goes and eats lunch together, and in that experience of interaction, you have an exchange between the store owners and each other and store owners and vendors.”

That’s the view of Chris Weickert, president and director of the Catholic Retailers Association, which changed its name last year from the Association of Christian Booksellers to more closely reflect the product mix in member stores.

Cliff Knighten, installed in February as executive director of the Catholic Book Publishers Association (CBPA), also views the show as key in relationship-building.

“It is a significant opportunity for these members to connect with trade bookstores, renew relationships and introduce new products,” he said.

RBTE President Bob Byrns, whose “day job” is in sales and marketing with Paulist Press, has been involved with the show from its beginning.

“Ultimately this is all about vendors getting together to sell and (to) meet retailers,” Byrns said. “It’s a mutual business, it’s a mutual struggle, and let’s do this as best we can in light of each of our own experiences.”

AN ‘AFFORDABLE’ SHOW

This year the economy will be much on the mind of retailers, but Byrns believes RBTE can still be a money-maker for them. He encouraged stores to pay attention to vendor specials, to “do their homework and pay for their trip.”

A relatively small show but one of only two main events designed for the Catholic market, RBTE entrance is offered at minimal cost.

“We bend over backwards to make their journey to St. Charles, Ill., as cost-effective as possible,” said Byrns, noting that either $75 or $100—the higher price including the Friday banquet—“buys all of their meals from the moment that they get there on Tuesday morning till they leave on Friday afternoon.”

The location is central to a significant number of retailers who drive in from neighboring states. “Part of the rationale in terms of making it affordable is that 60% of Catholic and liturgical stores are probably within a day’s drive of the city of Chicago,” Byrns noted, adding that despite the transportation costs, a “good number of California stores” also attend.

Dealer (retailer) prices have remained the same for many years, and exhibitor rates have not changed in the last few years, he said. Convention hotel costs also are the same as last year.

From year to year, about 150 vendors take up 200 booths. At press time, Byrns expected continued exhibitor registrations, but had processed more than 100. He also noted “no fall-off at all” in attendance from international publishers, who tend to register early.

TAILORED TALKS

This year’s show will likely be less controversial than 2008, which included an appearance by author and bishop of New Hampshire Gene Robinson, a polarizing figure for his views on homosexuality. Though well-received by the booksellers of his denomination, a few Catholic stores opted out of attending RBTE this year in protest of Robinson’s appearance at the 2008 show, though he only spoke at an Episcopal Booksellers Association event.

In light of denominational differences at the RBTE event, choosing speakers can be like walking a tightrope.

“We don’t take a theological stance,” Byrns said. “We try to offer programming that meets the needs of our attendees from the educational perspective, from the inspirational perspective, from a liturgical perspective.”

Bert Ghezzi, author and senior acquisitions editor for Our Sunday Visitor’s book division, wrote Everyday Encounters With God with Benedict J. Groeschel (The Word Among Us Press), and is the speaker for Wednesday’s luncheon, sponsored by The Word Among Us Press.

Esther de Waal, a scholar in the Benedictine and Celtic traditions, has written multiple books, including the upcoming Liturgical Press release Seeking Life: The Baptismal Invitation of the Rule of St. Benedict. She will speak at Thursday’s luncheon, sponsored by Liturgical Press and Canterbury Press/SCM Press.

Additionally, Richard J. Foster and Gayle D. Beebe, who together wrote the InterVarsity Press book Longing for God: Seven Paths of Christian Devotion (Formatio/IVP Books). Foster and Beebe will speak Tuesday morning.

LeAnn Thieman, who has contributed to several “Chicken Soup” books, has co-authored Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living Catholic Faith (Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing) with Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, and will speak Thursday at the Catholic Booksellers Breakfast.

For Thursday’s banquet, Catholic author and award-winning documentary filmmaker Paul Wilkes will speak of his own experience of faith. His memoir, In Due Season: A Catholic Life, was published in March by Jossey-Bass.

GATHERING THE ‘LIKE-MINDED’

Two retail associations—the Catholic Retailers Association and the Episcopal Booksellers Association—have annual meetings at the show.

“Since most Catholic stores are doing half or more of their total business in books, that extensive access to publishers (found at RBTE) is tremendously valuable,” said Weickert, who owns Vineyard Books & Gifts in Rockford, Ill., as well as three e-retailing sites.

Though outnumbered by Catholics at the show, Episcopalian booksellers—with 81 stores spread out across the country serving not only Episcopalians, but also “Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics (and) the family of Eastern Orthodox churches,” according to the group’s executive director, Henrietta Speaks—find it valuable to get together at RBTE.

In addition to the retail training on offer, “just having that many like-minded colleagues in the same space at the same time is very nourishing for our geographically spread-out membership,” Speaks added, citing the benefit of building relationships, which is “strengthening for all of us.”

Additionally, on the publisher side, CBPA’s board of directors meets at the show, and also conducts a professional skills workshop for its members.

Considering the need for cooperation in the industry, Knighten said that CBPA members have a “keen interest in the overall health and success of Christian retailers.” He sees RBTE as “an important opportunity to learn how we might better support them in their mission and ministry.”

Rbte will be on May 26-29, St. Charles, Ill. For the 2009 show schedule, visit www.ChristianRetailing.com.

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