It can be prohibitively expensive for an author or small publisher to attend a trade show. Booth space, furnishings, and travel expenses add up. CIPA helps you get exposure at shows for a fraction of the cost. You must become a member to have your books displayed and marketed by CIPA at a trade show.

February 20–23, 2024 Nashville, Tennessee (Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center).

Registration for the 2024 convention will open September 1, 2023. Sign up for NRB representation HERE.

The NRB Convention is the world’s largest gathering of Christian communicators and offers a unique opportunity to reach media and ministry professionals. If you want to be interviewed on Christian radio, podcasts, and television shows—this is your opportunity to meet with the those outlets in person. Basically, you can obtain a year’s worth of media interviews through this valuable convention (Susan Neal had five TV interviews this year from contacts made at the 2022 NRB Convention.) Watch the highlights from last year’s show HERE.

After you sign up, CAN/CIPA will send you a list of media attending the NRB convention. You can contact them before the show to set up an interview to be performed in the Press Room at the convention.

The fee to attend the show with CAN/CIPA and exhibit one book is $499. To exhibit a second book, there is a $75 fee. You will be scheduled a book signing at the CAN/CIPA booth so you can highlight yourself and your book.

August 4-6, 2024 in Fort Wayne, Indiana (Grand Wayne Convention Center)

Registration for representation with CIPA at the CPE is closed. Registration will open in March, 2024.  It costs $325 to exhibit one book and another $100 to exhibit a second book.  At the summer CPE, the CIPA booth sold $1500 of author books directly to Christian retailers on the first day.

CAN/CIPA will provide trade show representation for CIPA Members at CPE International. Members can receive exposure for their books with independent Christian retailers at an affordable price without needing to attend. We have space to represent twenty books. Members who are exhibiting book(s) can also attend the show with us. This is a great chance to showcase your books to Christian retail buyers.

One of the most exciting parts of CPE is attending the bookstore/author event on the first evening of the conference. Up to 100 Christian bookstore owners stop by your book signing table to receive a signed copy of your book. Therefore, they may end up carrying your book in their store.

“If you want to increase book sales, you need to let more people know your book exists. You can do this through different media outlets such as blogs, magazines, podcasts, radio shows, and television. But how do you find these media outlets? Trade shows provide the perfect opportunity. Recently, I attended the Christian Product Expo and National Religious Broadcasting shows.

Christian Product Expo

The night before the Christian Product Expo (CPE), fifty-plus authors displayed their books at the CPE Book Signing Party. Ninety Christian bookstore owners visited each author to receive a signed book. These owners get a great selection of Christian books that they can choose to carry in their bookstore. This event resulted in my IngramSpark sales tripling the next month and my books being carried in numerous Christian bookstores. Therefore, I plan to attend annually.

Attending the CPE also allowed me to meet the director of the Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA), who was representing her members. At the CIPA table, a CIPA member conducting a book signing met loads of conferees and experienced an incredible book marketing opportunity. Wanting the same exposure, myself, I signed up for membership with CIPA.

National Religious Broadcasting Convention

My CIPA membership saved me hundreds of dollars off the NRB convention price. I was pleasantly surprised by the opportunities that arose from this conference. Before the conference, the CIPA director sent me a long list of Christian media outlets attending this conference. I contacted them for potential interviews resulting in a podcast interview performed at the conference and a Faith Radio interview a couple of weeks later. A radio station I contacted asked if they could use my healthy living YouTube clips on their station in between their shows. Those clips were edited for radio and included my website and contact information.

At the NRB conference, I was filmed for a 10-minute slot on a television show. I was also invited to be on two other Christian television talk shows with expenses paid except airfare. I met numerous hybrid publishers who were interested in publishing my children’s picture book and cookbook. One of those Christian publishers was impressed with my book marketing skills, and we signed a contract for me to create marketing plans for his authors.

Part of the NRB convention included an expo with over 700 exhibitors that took three days to peruse. A press room contained all forms of media that interviewed attendees. Interview opportunities arise while you are there.

My NRB book signing through CIPA was announced in the NRB program, and it was so well attended I ran out of books before the hour was over. I also sold my books and met conferees while sitting at the expo CIPA table during my daily scheduled times.

In the Christian book publisher’s industry, developing professional relationships is key to expanding your platform and income. I also met two conference directors who showed interest in having me as a speaker next year. The contacts you make at conferences are invaluable, and you have no idea how those contacts will blossom to fruition in the future.

A trade show provides the opportunity to promote your masterpiece and ministry passionately. Attending a Christian trade show is spiritually and monetarily advantageous. Our ultimate goal is to further the kingdom of God and help people. A trade show allows us to spread God’s message through our prose.”