A lot has happened in the 365 days since the last Frankfurt Book Fair. The ash cloud from Iceland brought air traffic to a halt for a short time – and with it, the international trade fair business. For many the financial crisis seems to have passed its peak. Google, with its Google Books and Google Editions projects, ensured there would be heated discussions within the industry. Apple brought its long-anticipated iPad onto the US market in April. And the iPad was just the beginning. The industry is currently taking huge and significant steps forward into the digital future. Countless publishers, technology firms and book chains all over the world have launched their own tablet PCs or ereaders in recent months – or plan to in the coming weeks.
Thanks to recent technological developments, the ground has been broken for a new form of business with digital products. At the same time, one thing is more important than ever before: content. Never has the demand for good, creative content been so great. Technology is simply a means of conveyance – and it is nothing without content. This is precisely where we come into play: 2010 will see the launch of Frankfurt SPARKS, the new digital initiative of the Frankfurt Book Fair. Its aim is to provide an initial "spark" for future publishing projects, and it brings together providers of innovative technology and those working with creative content – thus breaking traditional industry boundaries.
Frankfurt SPARKS consists of the Frankfurt Hot Spots and Frankfurt StoryDrive. The Frankfurt Hot Spots are six presentation platforms specifically designed for digital publishing. They showcase exhibitors from the fields of Publishing Services, Information Management, Mobile, Devices, Education and Literature, and Special Interest. Frankfurt StoryDrive brings the worlds of media and entertainment together, and features a two-day conference, along with a marketplace for buying and selling cross-media rights.
The sale of rights and licences has always been the core business of the Frankfurt Book Fair. New digital products increase the need for know-how when it comes to selling rights and marketing content. We will help provide this know-how and will continue to work hard in the future to develop these skills even further.
I am looking forward to a successful and exciting Frankfurt Book Fair 2010!
