July 2026 Trade shows and you

Have you been to many author or book events in your author journey? They are wonderfully rich opportunities to learn.

At Buoyancy, we focus on two during the year – and one of them starts this weekend.

Today, the Buoyancy PR shop is closed as we are traveling with a carload of display booth material to the St. Louis area for the 2026 Summer Christian Product Expo being held August 2-4 at the St. Charles Convention Center in St. Charles, Missouri.

The event, sponsored by the Christian Retail Association, is important for all of us involved in the Christian book world. We’ve been talking about this event off and on for weeks now, as it’s a terrific time for authors to learn and network, while Christian bookstores attend to see and order product including books. Christian media also attends to interview authors. CRA hosts both winter and summer shows, and they move from city to city.

Buoyancy PR is an exhibitor again this year at the summer show, providing an opportunity for clients to showcase their creative efforts.

On a personal note, this CPE is also meaningful as I anticipate being back in a city that has special significance for me.  My husband and I lived and worked in the St. Louis area for 14 years – several decades ago—while raising our sons. Important years in our lives in a city we love.

When the Buoyancy team returns to the office after CPE, believe it or not, it’s going to be time to turn our attention to starting our plans for the other trade show in which we have been involved for a number of years – the National Religious Broadcasters convention, also known as the International Christian Media Convention.

Recent news from the NRB convention website provides this look ahead – the 2027 NRB will be Tuesday – Friday, February 23-26 and for the first time, at least in recent memory, will be held in the Washington, D.C. area. For this year in our nation’s capital, NRB will be held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in suburban Maryland. This sister property to Opryland in Nashville and the Gaylord Texan in the Dallas area is in the National Harbor on the Potomac River.

And we’ve booked our booth.

Details on how to participate with Buoyancy PR at this premier gathering of nearly 6,000 Christian media professionals should be available soon. NRB expects to open attendee registration in late August, but Buoyancy PR clients considering participating with Buoyancy should wait as registration is included in your NRB investment.

Watch for more on NRB, and if you’ll be at CPE, come by and see us at booth 800.