Through countless discussions, experiments, challenges, and conferences, the digital transition has been front and center in the publishing industry for over a decade now. And, through it all, the industry has found its way forward. We no longer ask whether to invest in digital infrastructure, create online products, or if our customers want digital services. The key questions today are, what are the next business opportunities, and where can we find them?

This is why the Frankfurt Book Fair will debut a new flagship event to kick off the 2015 gathering: The Markets: Global Publishing Summit. The conference will replace ConTec, which, for the last two years, had taken the place of the defunct Tools of Change digital conference. Set for Oct. 13, 2015, the new event will serve as the unofficial start of the 2015 Frankfurt Book Fair (October 14–18).

With publishing now a largely digital business, this new conference will shift the focus from the broader digital questions of the past to more specific ones facing publishers today: which print-on-demand options are available in Asia? What is fueling growth in Turkey’s book market? What kinds of children’s books work in South Korea? Who can help optimize and distribute mobile content? How can publishers license content from Germany’s leading STM publishers?

Co-organized with Publishing Perspectives, the one-day summit will showcase publishing segments from seven regions around the globe that offer opportunities for international business and partnerships, including:

China—international partnerships and joint ventures

Germany—STM publishing

Indonesia—market overview

Mexico—trade publishing

South Korea—education and children’s books

Turkey—trade publishing

U.S.—digital publishing and innovation

As a result of increased digital innovation, communication, and logistics, publishing in the 21st century is more global than ever. Content today quickly and easily travels the world, and mature markets are finding common ground with those still emerging, initiating partnerships, and sharing knowledge and resources.

With this new opening summit, the Frankfurt Book Fair is providing a platform for furthering the economic future of publishing, building on collective knowledge about the evolution of content, and working together to create global opportunities for authors, content, and services.

Hannah Johnson is the deputy publisher of Publishing Perspectives.

The Markets: Global Publishing Summit

Co-organized by the Frankfurt Book Fair and Publishing Perspectives

Oct. 13, 2015

themarkets2015.com