Last week, thousands of authors, literary agents, publishers and book industry professionals met in Orlando, FL for the annual International Christian Retail Show (ICRS). The event is an excellent gathering place for those in the Christian publishing industry to learn about the latest trends and news in the Christian book world.

Nearly 5,000 attendees met to discuss the latest ventures in the industry, new books releasing and to network with some of the largest names in Christian publishing. Below are some highlights of the show.

Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL. Photo credit: TimWilson

Family Christian Stores announced their own e-reader

Family Christian Stores unveiled the first e-reader created specifically for a Christian audience this year at ICRS. The e-reader, competitively priced at $149, features a “safe search” web browser and will be able to play full-length movies and run other applications and media in addition to its e-reading capabilities.

There was a sneak preview of the 10-hour miniseries The Bible produced by Mark Burnett

Mark Burnett, producer of hits such as “Survivor” and The Apprentice,” revealed a few clips from his latest project, a 10 hour miniseries, “The Bible,” which will appear on The History Channel next Easter. Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey, of “Touched by an Angel” fame, appeared at the show after returning from Morocco where the miniseries is being filmed.

Many were discussing the recent HarperCollins acquisition of Thomas Nelson and how that will affect the Christian publishing industry

The acquisition of Thomas Nelson by HarperCollins, which was announced last fall, was finalized just before ICRS. HarperCollins, one of the world’s largest book publishers, already owns Zondervan, one of Thomas Nelson’s competitors. Many at the show speculated on what the acquisition will mean for the Christian publishing industry.