The Nation's First New York Times Bookstore Opens at Blue Grass Airport

Oct. 13, 2005
Bestselling author Rita Mae Brown is joining the festivities with a book signing of her new murder mystery novel, The Hunt Ball.

LEXINGTON, Ky., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Grass Airport is opening the doors today to the nation's first-ever New York Times Bookstore. Airport officials will be joined by The Paradies Shops, an airport and hotel retailer,The New York Times and MODA International Marketing, the licensing agency representing The New York Times, for a ribbon cutting ceremony and opening door celebration. Bestselling author Rita Mae Brown is joining the festivities with a book signing of her new murder mystery novel, The Hunt Ball.

"The Paradies Shops takes great pride and pleasure in bringing the first New York Times Bookstore to the traveling public at Lexington's Blue GrassAirport," said Dick Dickson, Chairman of the The Paradies Shops. "The demographic of the Lexington area is rich in heritage and diverse culture, providing a wonderful opportunity for building a destination celebrating The New York Times Company brand."

Located in Concourse B, this new retail store includes unique features such as an online station with access to The New York Times website, a plasma screen television running excerpts and programming from the Discovery Times Channel, a children's section, New York Times gift and specialty items -- and of course, books from the famed New York Times' bestseller list.

"The new bookstore will be a valuable asset for both our business and leisure travelers," said Michael Gobb, executive director at Blue Grass Airport. "The New York Times is a trusted source of news and the most respected authority for bestselling books. We are thrilled to be the launch location for a store of this stature."

Cristian Edwards, president of The News Services division of The New York Times, stated, "As the nation's leading seven-day newspaper, The Times is honored to have its first bookstore open in this critical region, reinforcing our expanded distribution and printing plans as announced last fall."

The Paradies Shops currently operates two news and gift shops and The Paddock Gallery at Blue Grass Airport. The New York Times Bookstore is now the second retail outlet located beyond the security checkpoint.

"A bookstore of this quality will provide a superior travel experience for those passengers waiting for departing flights," said Gobb. "We are continuously seeking to add new amenities for travelers who have checked inand entered the concourse area."

Visitors to the store today will be welcomed with a book signing by Rita Mae Brown. Ms. Brown has authored numerous bestsellers including Rubyfruit Jungle, In Her Day, Six of One, Southern Discomfort, High Hearts, Bingo, Venus Envy and many other novels. She is also an Emmy-nominated writer and poet.

Blue Grass Airport is served by six major airline brands providing convenient non-stop service to 14 major hub cities and direct service tohundreds of destinations worldwide. The airport proudly serves over one million central and eastern Kentucky travelers each year.

About The New York Times

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2004revenues of $3.3 billion, includes The New York Times, the InternationalHerald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, eight network-affiliated television stations, two New York City radio stations and 35 Websites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. For the fifthconsecutive year, the Company was ranked No. 1 in the publishing industry inFortune's 2005 list of America's Most Admired Companies. The Company's corepurpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

About The Paradies Shops

Established in 1960, The Paradies Shops is an Atlanta-based family-ownedbusiness operating over 400 stores in 62 airports across the United States andCanada. The company has been recognized by World Airport Revenue News, theairport industry's leading publication, as the "Best Airport Retailer" for tenconsecutive years. With extensive experience in operating both local andnational brands, including CNBC, PGA TOUR, Brooks Brothers, BrightonCollectibles, and Harley Davidson, The Paradies Shops maintains a substantialpresence operating in more airports than any other retail concessionaire. Foradditional information, please visit www.theparadiesshops.com.

About MODA International Marketing

MODA International Marketing is a full service licensing and marketingcompany with offices in New York and Geneva. MODA specializes in the globalrepresentation of brands, trademarks and patents. MODA is proud to havedelivered untapped profits across diverse industries and distribution channelsfor the following major brands:

The New York Times*; Champion(R) Athleticwear (a division of Sara LeeCorporation)*; Lycra(R) (Invista, formerly DuPont Textiles and Interiors)*;Trader Vic's*, Bolli(R), Bushnell(R) and Tasco(R) (Bushnell PerformanceOptics)*; National Trust for Historic Preservation*; Ritz Hotel Limited --Ritz Paris; Unipal Corrugated Pallets (Mondi-Anglo American plc)*; BetterHomes and Gardens (Meredith Corporation); Snap-on Tools; Mack Trucks, Inc;Victoria and Albert Museum-London; and AskJeeves.

*Indicates current clients

SOURCE Blue Grass Airport

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