Flashback Friday: BEA

Crunch time! I'm in the midst of wrapping up last minute work details (how can they possibly live without me!), running errands (buying shoes) and packing for the week-long orgy of publishers, librarians, bloggers, books, audiobooks, breakfasts, lunches, teas, cocktails and dinners in NYC known as, concurrently, APAC (Audiobook Publishers Association Conference culminating in the Audies, the audiobook industry's version of the Oscars,) BEA (Book Expo America) and BBC (Book Bloggers Convention.) My schedule looks pretty jammed packed, even though I'm deliberately keeping Thursday and Friday nights open for on-the-fly possibilities :-)

As I'm running around the office this morning, making sure I can leave with a clear conscience, my eye fell upon my BEA badge from four years ago. Four years ago! And only one day! And the last, lamest day! I was in NYC primarily for the Audies and Blackstone graciously granted me a pass for the final day of the expo. I've been dying to go back for the full event and this year is it, sorta. Even though I have a full pass for BEA because I'm on a panel for BBC, I will be working in the Blackstone booth, so I won't be able to circulate and take advantage of all the events I would like. But the tradeoff is that, for working the Blackstone booth, I get to go to the Audies! So it's all good :-)

This next week, will be interesting as I try to update my twitter followers et al with status tweets in an area notorious for bad cell and WiFi reception; but I'll do my best! Tomorrow, it begins with #undercoverspy, when I tweet what I see people reading in the airport... Anticipated hash tags for next week:

#undercoverspy (books I see people reading while I'm traveling)

#APAC2011 (mixer, plus actual conference)

#AUDIES2011 (live tweets of the winners)

#BEA2011 (from the booth and what happens when I manage to sneak away)

#iheartadriana (MC-host of the Audies, plus lunch on Thursday!)

#ShakenNotStirred (A James Bond thing involving, martinis, Casino Royale, Simon Vance and lithousewife)

#BBC2011 (book bloggers convention)

So, if you're not already, follow me on twitter! Better yet, come visit and gossip with me at booth #4281 at BEA!