The Small Press Expo

Warren’s note to exhibitors, to be followed within the next day or so with table confirmation notifications via email:

All,

Let me start by saying an enormous THANK YOU to everyone for sticking with us as we sort out the best response to last weekend’s SPX 2013 registration woes.

I know you are all anxious to hear about what’s next, especially regarding your table confirmations for the show.

I want to assure you all that while we’ve been quiet over that last week, we’ve been very busy.

THE SMALL PRESS EXPO IS GOING BIG

At last weekend’s meeting of the SPX Executive Committee, after much discussion - and taking into account the feedback we’ve received from exhibitors, both large and small - we have agreed unanimously to expand the number of tables for SPX 2013.

We have contacted the hotel and reserved THE FULL BALLROOM. This expansion means opening the exhibitor floor to accommodate as many of our table orders as possible. The new space will allow us to increase the table count from last year’s 210 tables to approximately 280.

With any expansion to the SPX festival, like last year’s addition of new tables, our top priority has been growing the number of exhibitors in balance with our ability to draw attendees. Exhibitors at SPX generally do great business and we don’t want that to change.

So, to be clear, this will be an experiment - and an acknowledgement that we let our community down last weekend. This expansion may not be a permanent move for SPX, but we’ll do our utmost to make sure that this year’s show is the best - and best attended - yet.

As to whether the expansion is permanent will be dependent upon how well you exhibitors do in terms of sales and the resultant feedback we get about this expansion after the show.

GETTING THE WORD OUT

Given that this will be the biggest SPX in history, we could use your help more than ever before in getting the word out! As we near September it will be tremendously valuable for you all to be an active part of our expanded outreach campaigns.

We will be coming up for air in the next few weeks with some ideas on this front. So stay tuned!

TABLE CONFIRMATIONS

Now, on to the most pressing issue - when we’ll be confirming tables. We’ve done our best to document and organize the paid and attempted orders from last Sunday’s meltdown. The expansion of the show floor will allow us to accommodate MOST but not all of these folks.

Later this week we will notify people as to the status of their table orders as well as advising any folks who will be placed on the Wait List.

For those who are waitlisted, if you’re not ultimately confirmed for a table we hope that you’ll still consider attending SPX.

If you do come to the show, because we feel real bad about about what happened, you will receive 2 free two-day passes and a free SPX tote bag designed by Dan Clowes when checking in at the Registration Desk.

So this is The Plan.

We hope that this response will make most of the people who were swept away by the tsunami last weekend happy but we know it is not perfect. At the least, we hope this response reflects our sincere desire to acknowledge and address our shortcomings last weekend.

Any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at spxcomics@gmail.com.

Thanks for your patience and support,

Me and Kevin and Mike