Exhibitor Information


Mark your calendars! The 2024 Louisiana Book Festival is scheduled for Saturday, November 2, and exhibitor registration will open on Monday, July 15. Links for online registration will be made available on this page at that time, as will registration forms for those paying by check or money order.

Festival Exhibitors

The Louisiana Book Festival is a celebration of readers, writers, and their books that is free and open to the public! It's a wonderful opportunity for exhibitors -- authors, booksellers, publishers, scholarly programs, and other literary-related businesses and organizations -- to showcase their products and services to thousands of book lovers.

For a list of LBF 2023 exhibitors, please go to the 2023 Exhibitors page.

If you are interested in being added to the exhibitor mailing list, please email the Exhibits Coordinator.

Please note! Authors who participate as exhibitors are distinct from those who are invited to participate in the festival as featured authors. If you register as an exhibitor, your location and listing will be in the exhibitor section of the website and program. For selection criteria for featured authors, please refer to the Selection Criteria page.



Exhibitor Spaces & Pricing

Please note! Pricing listed here is not guaranteed for 2024; all pricing is subject to change before registration officially opens.

Booth spaces are 10'x10' pipe-and-drape spaces located within exhibitor tents on N. 4th Street between the State Library of Louisiana and the Capitol Park Museum. Booth packages include one eight-foot draped table, two chairs, a sign, and a wastepaper bin. Discounted rates are available for nonprofit organizations with proof of nonprofit status (501(C)3 status certificate). Past pricing for booth spaces ranged from $375-525, depending on registration period and nonprofit status.

Minibooth spaces are 8'x6' pipe-and-drape spaces located within exhibitor tents on N. 4th Street between the State Library of Louisiana and the Capitol Park Museum. Minibooth packages include one six-foot draped table, two chairs, a sign, and a wastepaper bin. Past pricing for minibooth spaces ranged from $300-350, depending on registration period.

Exhibitors' Row spaces are external tables located along the west walkway between Spanish Town Road and the State Capitol. Exhibitors' Row packages include one six-foot draped table, two chairs, a sign, and a wastepaper bin. Past pricing for Exhibitors' Row spaces ranged from $100-150, depending on registration period. Please note that these external tables are vulnerable to weather, hence the lower pricing.



Exhibitor Registration

Registration for 2024 will open in July.

Please read the FAQs below if you register; they contain a lot of important information!

In order to receive a refund (less a processing fee), exhibitors must cancel in writing to lbfexhibitor@state.lib.la.us by close of business on the Friday four weeks prior to the festival. (For example, if the festival falls on Saturday, November 2, cancellation must be received by Friday, October 4.)

No refunds or credits are given past the deadline or in the event of poor weather or other unfavorable conditions that result in lower than anticipated attendance but do not cause cancellation of the festival.

For more details, see the Exhibitor Terms and Conditions link above.



Louisiana Sales Tax

Exhibitors who will be selling items need to register for a free Louisiana sales tax account number, even if you are from out of state. For information regarding fairs and festivals, please go to this Department of Revenue web page. For the Louisiana sales tax account number, you may apply for an account number online, or you can download the paper form. Please direct any questions to the contact given on the Department of Revenue Fairs and Festivals page; we cannot answer questions about their process, requirements, or how to apply for an account number!



FAQs

When do I need to be there?
  • Arrival and set-up is from 7-9am and exhibitor operating hours are 9am-4pm.
  • Exhibitors agree to occupy their spaces for the full day of the festival, until 4pm.
How many people will be there?
  • We estimate attendance to be around 15,000.
What should I put on my sign? Can I bring my own sign?
  • For the sign that we provide, you should put your name and/or the name of your book or business. Keep in mind the size is limited, so the more words you add, the smaller the font will be.
  • You can bring your own sign as long as it fits within the footprint of your space and doesn't block your neighboring exhibitors' airflow or sight lines.
What do I do when I get there?
  • New for 2024 - you do not have to check in at the Exhibitor Registration tents!
  • For exhibitors in tents and sponsors, you can pull in past the barriers on North Street and N. 4th Street to unload. Please move your vehicle as quickly as possible.
  • For exhibitors on Exhibitors' Row, you can park in your designated area and unload at your leisure.
  • Set up in your appointed space and we will bring your packet to you.
  • You will receive instructions via email telling you where to park and where your space is located.
  • We provide some dollies to transport items when you unload but they are in constant use so if you have a small one, consider bringing it.
How should I dress?
  • Casual but neat
  • No inappropriate slogans or logos (as determined by the Louisiana Book Festival)
  • Wear comfortable shoes
  • Dress in layers (it tends to be cold in the morning then warms up as the day progresses)
  • Sunglasses and possibly sunscreen and a hat in case you are seated in a sunny spot
What else should I bring?
  • Lots of energy!
  • A cell phone and/or tablet, for communication and calculating sales
  • Phone numbers of all staff or volunteers working your space
  • Change for cash sales
  • A sufficient amount of your work to sell
  • A camera to take pictures of your space for your newsletter/Facebook post/Instagram/mom
  • An umbrella or shade is allowed as long as it does not penetrate the ground or extend into the walkway
  • DO NOT bring a pop-up or canopy tent
What makes exhibits successful?
Your exhibit space is an invitation to festival-goers to view your work, ask questions, and perhaps decide to buy! It’s also an opportunity to create a relationship with interested people. Think of it as your own little shop. 

  • Greet each guest with a smile, even if you are with someone else.
  • Show enthusiasm for your work and engage interested guests in conversation about it.
  • Put up a neat and easy-to-read poster or display to show more about you and your work.
  • Arrange your materials in an appealing, clean, clutter-free way.
  • Make sure any displays you bring fit within your allotted space.
  • Free food (such as small candies) doesn't hurt!

What about sales?

What else do I need to know?
  • Pop-up tents or canopies are not allowed.
  • Free-standing umbrellas are allowed as long as they don't extend into the walkway.
  • Nothing that pierces the ground is allowed.
  • Wi-Fi is not guaranteed along Exhibitors' Row, if you are using something like Square® for sales.
  • We provide complimentary bottled water to exhibitors throughout the day, available in coolers near the exhibitor spaces.
  • Be a good neighbor! Be mindful of your fellow exhibitors and do your best to keep your noise level - your own and that surrounding your space - reasonable.
  • The festival is always scheduled on an LSU bye week so there are often other events happening in downtown Baton Rouge. Please check traffic before heading to the festival and before leaving.
  • Exhibitors' Row spaces are assigned in a first come-first served manner, so the earlier you register, the more favorable your placement will be.
  • Keep in mind that Exhibitors' Row tables are exterior, which means they are vulnerable to the weather, hot, cold, rainy, etc. We do our best to make alternate arrangements in case of predicted rainy weather but we are limited in our options. Please be aware of this and understand that this is the nature of an exterior space and why they are less expensive.
  • Overall, please show patience and kindness to your fellow exhibitors as well as festival attendees!


More questions?

Please contact our Exhibits Coordinator at lbfexhibitor@state.lib.la.us.

Volunteer

Book-loving volunteers are essential to the Louisiana Book Festival's success. Whether it's escorting authors, guiding visitors, selling refreshments, working with children in the Young Readers Pavilion or other fun and rewarding assignments, the Louisiana Book Festival wants you to join the volunteer team.

Read More

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