Cost-cutting move to reduce length of ICRS welcomed as a ‘positive change’ by industry leaders

CBA is to shorten its annual summer show—long the centerpiece of the Christian products industry—from five to four days.

The trade association said the decision—welcomed by industry leaders—was a cost-cutting move as well as response to feedback from exhibitors.
Marking its 60th anniversary in Denver, the retailers trade association’s International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) will be held July 12-15, 2009.

Announced in late November, the new four-day format—which includes three days of extended exhibit-floor hours—will allow exhibitors and attendees to maximize time away from their offices and stores, while reducing their costs, CBA officials said. Total exhibit time will be reduced by just three hours, while shaving off a day of travel costs, meals and time investment.

“Finding ways to reduce the cost of attending and exhibiting at (ICRS) … has been our focus since the close of the show in July,” said CBA Meetings and Expositions Director Scott Graham. “It can be challenging to meet the widely varying needs and preferences of the many contributors to the show, but those whom we’ve talked with are thrilled with this shortened-schedule solution.”
Kirk Blank, chief operations officer for the Munce Group, applauded the shortened schedule.

“Based on the significant reduction in attendees over the past five years, I think shortening the duration of ICRS is a good start,” he told Christian Retailing. “Denver is a very expensive city for travel, meals and lodging.”
Parable Group founder and CEO Steve Potratz agreed.

“We support the decision to shorten the show by a day,” Potratz told Christian Retailing. “In today’s economic environment, it is important to be great stewards of the resources God has given us.

“This shortened schedule will save money, but still allow plenty of time for business- and relationship-building,” Potratz added. “I hope it also allows enough time to focus and worship the Lord together as an industry.”

Andrew Criswell, CEO of Pee Dee Christian Book & Supply in Florence, S.C., said he was “pleased to see this positive change” with the new four-day format.
“I hope the cost savings from one less day helps everyone, stores and publishers alike,” he told Christian Retailing. “Three days is plenty of time to conduct business for any kind of store as well as visit and fellowship with old friends, which is my primary reason in going.”

In surveys CBA conducted at the end of last summer’s ICRS, 67% of exhibitors said they preferred a three-day exhibit with another 10% indicating no preference to a three- or four-day exhibit schedule.

For retailers, the most commonly expressed concern was having enough uninterrupted time to network and do business during the show.

CBA will also debut new specialized selling tracks—distinguished by product category—at the Denver show, which will be showcased on the exhibit floor and exhibitor booths.

The tracks will enable retailers to learn about various categories of product, while sponsoring suppliers can demonstrate their specific products for buyers, CBA officials said.

“We’ve gone back to the drawing board to figure out what aspects of the show are most valuable to our attendees and exhibitors, and we’re reshaping the show in significant ways,” Graham said.

Verne Kenney, Zondervan’s executive vice president of sales, said the Grand Rapids, Mich., publisher “remains committed” to ICRS.

“Even with the changing economic circumstances, we believe that the ICRS is important, and we will continue to support it,” he told Christian Retailing. “Every year we evaluate our resourcing commitment and overall strategy for ICRS.

“It’s safe to assume that with the challenges of this economy, we’ll be very careful and strategic with how we invest our money at ICRS,” Kenney added.

David Enrody, vice president of sales for Tyndale House Publishers, said the Carol Stream, Ill., publisher also planned to support ICRS in Denver.

“From a sales viewpoint, ICRS is still quite valuable to us,” Enrody told Christian Retailing. “For example, our special sales and international directors utilize every available hour at ICRS for business appointments, saving us thousands of dollars in travel costs and sales productivity.

“While we will keep our investment dollars steady in those areas, we will slightly reduce our presence on the exhibition floor (in Denver),” he added.

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