Grupo Nelson, the Spanish division of Thomas Nelson Publishers, has announced that it will no longer participate in two large Spanish Christian book fairs, Expolit and Expo Cristiana.

The move follows the company's decision earlier this year to miss this month's International Christian Retail Show in favor of its own "Open House" event in Nashville for top accounts.

Held annually in Miami, Expolit is the largest trade fair in the U.S. for the Spanish-language Christian literature and music world, drawing more than 5,000 people a day to view exhibits and attend nightly concerts. Expo Cristiana is held in Mexico.

Vice President and Publisher Larry Down said the company has "been discussing this move for quite some time. New market trends are forcing us to re-evaluate the expenditure of every marketing dollar. ...We have determined that these trade shows provide very little return on a very significant investment."

Historically, trade shows had played an important role in publishing and bookselling, Downs added. "Today the communication flow is constant, and we can no longer justify the enormous costs associated with these events."

Grupo Nelson officials said the company will continue to attend trade shows where there is a strong return, including the Guadalajara Mexico Book Fair this November.

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