The London Book Fair –what’s new for 2014

New dates, fresh awards and innovative features
– London Book Fair 2014 is all set to stage another successful show from April 8-10, 2014. An update.

New dates: This year The London Book Fair (LBF) will run from Tuesday (April 8) to Thursday (April 10) 2014, instead of the traditional Monday-Wednesday schedule, bringing the fair in line with other international book fair and conference programmes. This has also led to a change in date for the annual Publishing for Digital Minds Conference, which will now take place on Monday April 7, 2014.

New awards: LBF, in association with The UK Publishers Association is now accepting submissions and nominations for the International Publishing Industry Excellence Awards 2014. These brand new international awards for the publishing industry will consist of 15 categories that cover all aspects of the business of publishing, including academic publishing, the supply chain, education, children’s publishing and digital innovation and have been designed to represent the UK’s recognition of international publishing industry excellence. International organisations and individuals are encouraged to make submissions themselves and/or nominate colleagues, and entries for the awards need to be registered online via the LBF website, www.londonbookfair.co.uk/awards, by February 22, 2014.

New features: A number of other new initiatives have been implemented for 2014 across the fair. The digital zone, which has been renamed Tech Central, is located in Earls Court Two, and is the part of the fair that will showcase all the new ways in which content can be treated – be it an app, a game, a mobile development or enhanced ebook, or a development not yet launched. Alongside this, PS @ Tech is a brand new dedicated area within Tech Central consisting of exhibition stand space for publishing solutions providers. The fair will be welcoming over 50 exhibitors from India across these and the other areas of the show. LBF 2014 also launches new feature pavilions in the Brand Licensing, Gaming and Comics sectors, and an enhanced TV & Film content offering.

New for 2014 is a brand new academic theatre located in LBF’s Academic & Scholarly zone. The theatre, called The Faculty @ LBF, is sponsored by Publishing Technology, in association with The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP), and supported by the Publishers Association. The theatre will provide a forum for the academic community to share and discuss issues relevant to the sector, through a programme of session topics covering academic, scientific and professional themes, at a time this sector is at the forefront of the industry’s ongoing digital revolution and unprecedented change.

For 2014, LBF welcomes Korea as ‘market focus’ country, which will see a full programme of professional and cultural events, in partnership with The Korean Publishers Association and UK partners The British Council and the Publishers Association (UK). The Market Focus programme has created both commercial and cultural partnerships around the world since it was first introduced by The London Book Fair in 2004. India was ‘market focus’ country in 2009 and has been the third largest exhibiting country ever since.

LBF’s ‘Insights’ seminar and events programme will once again cover the full spectrum of issues affecting today’s publishing industry with over 250+ seminars taking place over the course of the three days of the fair, with all seminars free to attend.

LBF 2014 will be the last to take place in its current location, Earls Court, London. Reed Exhibitions recently announced that from 2015, LBF will move from Earls Court to an equally iconic new home at sister ECO venue, Olympia, London.