Many BookExpo attendees were sorry to hear that Canadian Manda Group would not be hosting a Sunday night party this year. When asked about it, vice-president Carey Low noted that the annual event typically bears a price tag of $25,000 and that this year, “We asked a few other publishers if they were interested in helping with it, but we didn’t get much response, so we decided to take a year off.”

However, Low added that showgoers have said they’ll miss the party and that it will likely be “back by popular demand” next year. And lately the company has had some offers for help. “More than the money, we want more companies involved, so that they will bring more people, and it will be a better party,” Low said.