Thomas Nelson's large display 'creates a lot of buzz' at National Religious Broadcasters convention 

There were not as many Christian publishers exhibiting at this year's National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) 68th annual convention, but the event still had a strong publishing emphasis, thanks to a large exhibit of historic Bibles that spotlighted the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible (KJV).

During the Feb. 26-March 1 event in Nashville, Thomas Nelson unveiled its The Living Legacy of the Bible exhibit as part of KJV400—"400 Days of Celebration" commemorating the historical, religious and cultural impact of the KJV Bible since its publication in 1611.

Occupying 10,000 square feet in one of the ballrooms at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, the exhibit—showcasing more than 4,000 years of Bible history—featured artifacts such as Dead Sea Scroll fragments, cuneiform tablets and numerous historic Bibles, including an original 1611 KJV Bible. The exhibit also featured a 6-minute sneak peek of KJB: The Story of the King James Bible, a new film by British filmmaker Norman Stone and narrated by actor John Rhys-Davies that dramatizes the birth of the Bible. 

The exhibit "created a lot of buzz" at the convention, NRB Vice President of Operations David Keith told Christian Retailing. "It was a museum-type setup. (Nelson) did a reception, program and scheduled interviews during the convention in that space."

Carla Ballerini, vice president of Thomas Nelson's Bible marketing, said that the exhibit was seen by millions through 17 live satellite television segments, which broadcast footage of the display around the world. Nelson was "exploring additional opportunities to showcase the exhibit" at other venues, Ballerini said.

Thomas Nelson's Director of Key Accounts and Ministry Development Brian Bishop said that the publisher's booth was half the size from previous years. "But since our booth was an extension of the branding of the exhibit, we felt it still gave us a good presence," he said. "The exhibit was something new, and seemed to add some buzz to the convention."

Nelson hosted six authors for book signings at the event, including Jack Countryman, Beth Ryan, Larry Stone and Pete Wilson. "NRB provides a valuable platform for networking, meeting and learning about new and trending ministry needs," he said. "Having most of our major clients present allows for us to economically share with them the products that we feel will benefit them most."

Final attendance figures for the convention were not available at press time, but Keith said that it would probably be 4%-5% more than last year's event. Down from 12 publishing houses in 2010, approximately half a dozen publishers exhibited at the convention—including Harvest House, Charisma Media, Nelson and Tyndale House Publishers. 

"There was a minor shift (in exhibitors), but (it was) not just a publisher issue," Keith said. "We view publishers as one of the partner groups for media development and distribution. All (publishers) serve a valuable role in our convention and association."

With the theme "Extend Your Reach Through Media" for the second year in a row, the convention provided a place for interaction with station managers, producers and guest coordinators, vendors and ministry representatives, according to Tyndale House Publishers Corporate Publicist Mavis Sanders.  

NRB "is also an opportunity to identify with Tyndale authors" who have broadcast ministries—including Erwin Lutzer, James Dobson and Randy Carlson, she said. 

Featured speakers at the event included Tyndale authors Gracia Burnham (In the Presence of My Enemies) and Charles Swindoll ("Paws & Tales" children's DVD series, which launched this spring).

During the convention, best-selling author and radio and television Bible teacher Kay Arthur was honored with an NRB Hall of Fame Award. Meanwhile, Harvest House Publishers author nd radio host June Hunt was recognized with a NRB Board of Directors Award.  

"Networking is the major aspect of the convention for us, as it allows us to continue building relationships and explore new projects," Harvest House Senior Publicist Christianne Debysingh told Christian Retailing. 

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