Whatever they tell you, don’t get a booth.
I know what the arguments are: it’s the biggest book industry trade show in the US. It’s a way to get exposure and connect with larger publishers to try to get your book picked up and distributed by them. It’s a way to make connections in an industry you’re trying to break into.
All true - but you don’t have to buy a booth.
Trade show booths (particularly in New York, where BEA is going to be held through 2012) are riotously expensive. There’s the cost of the space itself. There’s the cost of a table, booth-dressing, collaterals to hand out. There’s wifi, which at Javits will run you $30/day as a regular user, and if you want it for displaying anything to people it costs far more. There’s the union labor, which sets your booth up and breaks it down (no, you cannot do this yourself - union rules). And there’s the cost of coming to New York and staying in a hotel, having copies of your book on hand to give away (you cannot sell books at BEA), and eating highly priced convention-center food (bleah).
Don’t do it.
There are more effective ways of marketing your book! Simply attending BEA, making appointments, and visiting with distributors and large publishers - these are great ways to get in the door, and much wiser than buying a booth. Attending conference sessions to learn more about the industry you’re entering - also valuable, and great for networking afterwards! Walking the floor and meeting people is much more effective than manning your booth over in the Siberia of “Writers Row” and praying people come by to see you. The best way to market anything is to be where your targets are - and your targets are in their own booths!
Don’t buy a booth. It’s not just a waste of money - it’s a waste of time and effort that could be better spent doing more effective marketing off the show floor.