Frankfurt Book Fair – special edition 2020 – try the new!

Yes, there will be a book fair in Frankfurt – but without stands – that was the message that was broadcasted by FBF’s Director, Juergen Boos.

A very tough decision it was, to cancel the physical part of the fair, but there was no other choice: While more than 800 exhibitors had signed up to come to Frankfurt and showcase their products to a limited audience, and were looking forward to it – the COVID 19 situation in some European countries deteriorated, and the number of infections in France and Spain kept rising. Travel restrictions were announced, so that some European colleagues would not have been able to attend the Fair. Therefore the Frankfurt Book Fair team has been busy working on a digital fair and digital services – so we don’t have to stop where we are in the name of the virus, but can continue business online, even though it is not the same, ever!

Although nothing can replace connecting with people in person, the virtual environment has given us the opportunity to make the fair truly global. We can now connect with publishers and partners, culture enthusiasts’ and trade visitors from various sectors and industries and for this year it is, FREE FOR ALL.

Truly global…

The focus of the digital book fair is like that of the physical one, i.e. to provide maximum visibility to our exhibitors, to bring them a global audience and facilitate business. Therefore, professionals from publishing value chain, from companies, big and small, across the globe can be an exhibitor, in the digital space. Showcasing their products and promoting their services at the click of a button from the comfort and safety of their homes. The digital place of business www.buchmesse.de has been revamped with technology enabled options to suit one’s requirements and give greater accessibility.

Value-additions…

As a digital exhibitor one has access to:

• Frankfurt Rights – where one can get listed on the platform for rights trading
• Thematic pages – the virtual avatar of thematic halls, will help one navigate through topics like, Frankfurt Edu, Kids, international market and many more.
• Advertising tiles – will be centerstage for promotional purposes
• Exhibitors catalogue – where one can now, include clickable links, digital files such as, documents, images, videos etc. for easy discoverability.
• Calendar of events – will help one use the book fair buzz to promote book launches, product promotions, literary discussion and many more, with exciting banners, pictures etc.
• Professional programme – gives entry to networkings, matchmakings, conferences, and business sessions

One can avail all the above mentioned services and more by downloading, filling up and signing the following form: (https://www.buchmesse.de/files/media/pdf/FBM_2020_Anmeldung_Digitale-Services_EN.pdf ).

Other events…

At the BookFest City with 120 events in the city of Frankfurt, at different locations will be shown, and a Digital BookFest with as many events on different channels will be streamed on FBF’s website – 140 events from 30 countries are in the making at this moment!

GBO, New Delhi…

The German Book Office New Delhi (GBO, New Delhi) is closely involved in the making and promoting the digital services at FBF this year. Angela Albert and Surti Bangia are conducting different Zoom sessions to inform about the formats and options. One can contact them at contact@newdelhi.gbo.org

GBO New Delhi is also planning an extensive literature exchange programme for the South Asian audience exclusively, during the book fair from October 14-18, 2020. The programme is set to unify publishers, storytellers, translators, and content creators from different countries to celebrate their cultural legacy through literature.

While Covid 19 has forced the whole world to gear up the digital measures, GBO has started a while ago to bring podcasts to you. GlobaLocal Talks series features leaders making an impact in the creative sector and we speak to them about how the industry has evolved and their own journey. Visit www.globalocalforum.com to listen to such podcasts with experts across industries.