Trending topics at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2012

Frankfurt, October 9, 2012—Around 7,300 exhibitors from 100 countries are expected to attend this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair. The leading international trade fair for books, media and digital content reveals an industry that is redefining itself in the midst of the most comprehensive paradigm shift since the introduction of the printing press.

“New players are joining our industry every day and completely new relationships, product ideas and business models are emerging. We might very well refer to this development as the publishing industry’s ‘Big Bang’ moment”, said Juergen Boos, Director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, at the Opening Press Conference on 9 October 2012. “This year we’ve analysed where the change is most apparent. We’ve attempted to identify patterns and, in so doing, developed a ‘Roadmap to Publishing Trends’ that shows where new business models are starting to appear, what new cultural patterns are emerging, and what skills will be important in the future”, added Juergen Boos.

This “roadmap” is available online starting today at www.book-fair.com/blog – and is meant to encourage discussion. “The changes are most apparent in the field of children’s and YA media”, said Boos. That’s why there will be a special focus on this topic at this year’s Book Fair, with around 1,500 exhibitors and 340 events.

New players in Frankfurt

The Frankfurt Book Fair attracts international media groups with its reputation as a high-level cultural and media event. This year, Sony and Nintendo will feature their latest product innovations in Frankfurt. Seven weeks before the official launch in Germany, Nintendo will present its new TV console, the Wii U, to the general public for the first time in the StoryDrive Media & Entertainment Area (Hall 4.0). Fair visitors will have the opportunity to try out the first Wii U games and to get acquainted with completely new forms of interactive video games. Sony Computer Entertainment will also unveil its interactive “Wonderbook” at the Frankfurt Book Fair, far in advance of the official launch in Germany. Finnish app developer Rovio will exhibit in Frankfurt for the first time: “Angry Birds” is not only the most successful app of all time – the Finns will also introduce their first e-book app at the Frankfurt Book Fair.