Frankfurt Book Fair 2016 sees marginal rise in attendance

Other than that, it was business as usual at FBF 2016. According to the organiser, total attendance at the fair rose modestly for the second year in a row. On the trade side, attendance was up 1.3%, with 142,300 trade visitors this year, compared 140,474 in 2015. In total, including the public day of the fair, attendance topped 277,000, a modest increase over the 275,791 that attended last year.

Fair officials also said that the Frankfurt Business Club, now in its third year, also posted a bump in attendance. The 2016 Business Club attracted 3,400 visitors from 74 countries, up from 3,200 in 2015. Over five days, the Business Club hosted 45 events, and more than 1,200 appointments were made using the fair’s online booking tool. Juergen Boos, director, Frankfurt Book Fair, said the club is especially appealing to innovators who want to explore working with the publishing industry but do not need to take a booth on the show floor. The rights centre also set another record, with over 700 agents attending, and some 460 tables.

According to Rajnish G Shirsat, CEO, R&S Enterprises, who attended the show, this year the crowd was less, but the quality of people visiting was definitely good. “It was all business,” he said, despite the fact that stand sizes had shrunk.

Also, Shirsat said, the recent political events had an impact on the outlook of business. The impact of Brexit (UK leaving the EU) was felt more acutely as UK publishers are bearing the brunt of Pound Sterling plummeting.

With digital slowing down and print coming into prominent again at the show, a trend that we started noticing since the last edition of the show, Shirsat said there were very few Indian printers, barring the regular ones who visit the show every year.

Talking about digital, Shirsat said there is a second coming of digital revolution in the offing. In the first round, the publishers made the mistake of only creating a book replica in digital form, which hit a plateau. Now, they are sitting on loads of content digitally converted, which they need to present in an interesting manner to gain revenues. “I think we need to find a character like Pokemon and be able to create a reading experience akin to the virtual reality video game Pokemon Go, combining virtual reality in books using a hand held device – may be a mobile handset or a tab,” Shirsat said.

FBF Highlights: On belonging and on sharing

During the exhibition, the new segment, THE ARTS+, succeeded in attracting new customer groups to Frankfurt from the adjacent media sectors, as well as prompting discussions and opening up new business models. “This year we managed to demonstrate our competences in the field of the creative industries as well. With many high-profile exhibitors, speakers and visitors, the new ARTS+ area was, from the very first minute, every bit as lively and dynamic as we had hoped. That just serves to underscore the relevance of intellectual property for the worldwide media industry,” Boos said.

At the same time, the FBF was characterised by political appeals and discussions which reflected today’s social tensions. At the heart of these debates was the defence of freedom of speech. “From this Frankfurter Buchmesse, we’ve sent a loud message for freedom and democracy out into the world. Never before has the book and media industry dealt so intensively with the theme of freedom of opinion,” said Heinrich Riethmüller, chairman of the German publishers and booksellers association. Well-known authors, as well as artists, numerous politicians and EU delegates made use of the industry’s biggest global meeting place to put across their messages.

Across almost 2,000 m² of exhibition space, visitors to the new ARTS+ area were able to experience virtual reality and 3D art; they visited the museum and creative hubs, and learned all about digital platforms. Across the five days, 150 speakers from 16 countries discussed their topics at a large number of workshops, labs and presentations.

The Literary Agents and Scouts Centre (LitAg) at the Frankfurter Buchmesse has set a new record. This year, over 700 literary agents from 300 agencies used the Rights Centre in Hall 6.3. Its 460 tables, shielded from the general hubbub of the fair, provided the venue for discussions and rights deals at a rate of one every half-hour. Around 50 per cent of the LitAg customers came from the English-speaking world.

In its third year of existence, the Business Club of the Frankfurter Buchmesse had established itself as an exclusive work centre and the ideal place for networking. More than 3,400 visitors from 74 countries made use of the Business Club this year. Across the five days, it hosted 45 events.

France Guest of Honour at the FBF 2017

From the 11 to 15 October 2017, France will be the guest of honour of the 69th edition of the Frankfurter Buchmesse. During the launching conference on 20 October 2016, the French prime minister Manuel Valls emphasized the relevance of this prestigious invitation which honours France almost 30 years after the 1989 edition: “culture, and especially the culture of the book, has always been central in exceptional relation between the two countries”. French is indeed the second most translated language in Germany, German is the third most translated language in France and the cession of rights from French to German has strongly progressed for 2017.

Transcending the industry boundaries

After a successful first event last year, this year’s second outing for the conference ‘The Markets - Global Publishing Summit’ once again provided a resounding start for the Frankfurter Buchmesse. The conference opened with a keynote speech by Mark Allin, CEO of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Titled “The New Customer Relationship,” Allin’s presentation discussed how the digital transformation has upended how Wiley and the publishing and education industries at large interact with the customer. This year, the focus was on established markets like Brazil, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK, but it also examined less familiar places with great potential, such as the UAE and the Philippines.

“Detailed knowledge and forecasts of the markets are becoming ever more important for the international publishing sector. The Markets fulfils this role with the right session formats and excellent opportunities to meet new people,” said Katharina Ewald, the conference manager.

The Frankfurt Book Fair is the international publishing industry’s biggest trade fair – with 7,100 exhibitors from more than 100 countries, around 275,000 visitors, over 4,000 events and approximately 10,000 accredited journalists – including 2,000 bloggers - in attendance.