Expolit Director Marie Tamayo said attendance at the 13th annual Spanish Evangelical Product Association's (SEPA) convention in Miami has exceeded last year's daily total of 4,500.

“It's great, wonderful, said Tamayo, about the weeklong conference, which ends Tuesday. “But the thing that's impressed me most is people's attitudes. They're catching the vision of Expolit to help reach the world for Christ.”

The exhibition floor was sold out weeks in advance with more than 30 companies on the waiting list. David Ecklebarger of the SEPA board called 2004 a “banner year for Latin America publishers, distributors, booksellers and music companies.”

So far, attendees have taken in six concerts, featuring many music styles and dozens of top musicians from across Latin America.

Casa Bautista de Publicaciones (Baptist Publishing House), the first evangelical Spanish publisher, held a centennial anniversary celebration on Saturday, the same day hundreds of people saw the premiere of the film Amor violento (Violent Love), addressing domestic abuse.

Among this year's keynote speakers/seminar leaders were Rick Warren, Neil Anderson, John Mason, Tommy Tenney, Dave Rae and Marcos Witt. Expolit publishers and music labels also have held 15 sales conferences and receptions.

Expolit organizers also reported that more than 800 booksellers also attended 11 Encuentros (Encounters), or mini-Expolits, in 11 cities across the Americas last year with 16 planned for 2005.

A full story on Expolit will appear in the July 4 issue of Christian Retailing.