Commercial and Nonprofit Exhibitor Information

The Festival is a three-day literary event, which is free to the public and annually attracts thousands of readers and writers from across the country. The Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written WordSM, one of the first festivals of its kind, features more than 200 authors from across the nation, three performance stages and more than fifty popular book-related exhibitors.

The Festival will take place on War Memorial Plaza in Nashville, Tennessee between 6th and 7th Avenues. We will provide you with:

  • A tented booth with 100 square feet of exhibitor space,
  • One eight-foot table (more available if needed),
  • A table cover,
  • Two chairs (more available if needed),
  • Signage for your booth
  • Two tickets to the Saturday night Southern Festival of Books reception,
  • A link to your website on the exhibitor segment of the Festival website,
  • A chance to network with others in the industry,
  • The opportunity to meet some of your favorite authors,
  • Access to a book loving regional audience.

Exhibitor hours are: Friday, October 12 from Noon–6 pm, Saturday, October 13 from 9 am–6 pm and Sunday, October 14 from Noon–5 pm.

Exhibitors are encouraged to bring banners and additional items with which to decorate their booths, provided that all materials are kept within the confines of the booth. Exhibit materials can be shipped from vendors located fifty miles or more outside of Nashville to a Nashville warehouse prior to the Festival. Shipments will be delivered to your booth on the afternoon of Thursday, October 11. The Festival will retain 24-hour security on site from Thursday night until Monday morning. Please arrange for shipments to arrive no less than three days prior to the Festival. Instructions for shipping materials and the shipping address will be sent approximately six weeks prior to the Festival date to ensure adequate shipping time.

Exhibitor setup will begin at 8 am on Friday, October 12. Exhibitors are expected to remain open until 6:00 pm on Friday and Saturday and until 5:00 pm on Sunday. Humanities Tennessee will provide return shipping for exhibitors, provided that all materials are packaged, ready to go and clearly labeled with a UPS or FedEx shipping label that bills the exhibitor.

Cost per booth is $550 ($450 for non-profits) plus 10% of gross sales over $3,250 (less sales tax). Multiple booths can be reserved. Electricity is available on a first-come basis in some spaces for an additional $100. Booths are reserved on a first-come basis with payment required no later than September 21, 2007. Exhibitors who have not paid in full by the first day of the Festival will not be allowed to set up their booths without full payment being made.

For more information: If you have any additional questions about the Southern Festival of Books, please contact Lacey Cook at 615-770-0006, ext. 19. Send email inquiries to lacey@humanitiestennessee.org.

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