From The Director's Chair: 52 Weeks Later

It was exactly one year ago we pulled it off.

The return of the L.A. Black Book Expo (LABBX) and it felt good.

But I’m not going to spend time talking about the LABBX, that’s been talked to death. I would rather discuss how I felt leading up to the first major venue I directed. I was nervous, didn’t know what to expect and to be painfully honest, was up against adversity after adversity, after adversity but a new committee and I made it in spite of all that.

The past year has led me to even more risks and changes that you read about. We already had our 2008 LABBX so that’s a thing of the past and getting ready for next year, 2009. That is, should we live to see it. Based on what’s happened to Bernie Mac and Issac Hayes the past weekend, reminds us that tomorrow is never promised. You’re fortunate to live each and every day.

The challenge of taking on a book fair isn’t different than accepting a higher position on your job, starting a new business or moving to a new city. Each has its own challenges to overcome, but eventually should all goes well, the rewards are worth it. When I was presented the opportunity to continue LABBX, I didn’t have a staff of my own. Most of the staff are volunteers and the only payment we receive is the fact we put on a great event year after year. Can we do better? Of course we can, but let’s consider how much effort it takes to coordinate a book event. It involves time, patience and although emotions are expressed, at the end of the day we’re still family and that’s what it all comes down to. No bad vibes, just a ton of smiles and pats on the backs for a job well done.

So 52 weeks ago, the book expo committee did a fantastic job and I’m proud of what we’ve done so far. We’re growing and getting better each year which is why I’m excited and looking forward to the next time we plan our expo. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ve done a lot too. The positive comments from our exhibitors, panelists and performers speaks for itself.