As the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds, Messe Frankfurt was proud to once again hold the Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse), as a guest event on its grounds from 20 – 24 October 2021.
Now in its 73rd edition, the Frankfurt Book Fair is the most important international trade fair for publishing and written content of all kinds – from novels and children’s books to scientific databases. With the theme “Re:connect – welcome back to Frankfurt”, the 2021 edition was the international book industry’s first major physical event of the year. It attracted 73,500 attendees from 105 countries and regions, as well as 2,013 exhibitors from 80 countries and regions who were present both in the exhibition halls and via digital formats.
In the lead up to the fair, Mr Wolfgang Marzin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Messe Frankfurt had said that the group made all the necessary preparations to ensure that people could take part safely, and that the company is ready for the return of more in-person events. “Although the situation remains volatile, both rising vaccination rates in Germany and worldwide and the loosening of travel restrictions are extremely promising developments. We are in close contact with our industries and will continue to provide them with the best platforms for their needs.”
Commenting on the successful event, Mr Juergen Boos, President and CEO of Frankfurter Buchmesse said: “After 18 months, Frankfurter Buchmesse represented a new start and, considering the travel restrictions in place around the world, it far exceeded our expectations. It just shows how resilient and creative our industry are. Many exhibitors and trade visitors expressed satisfaction at the quality of their interactions. Thanks to our digital programme for professionals, we were able to build a bridge to participants who were unable to travel this year.”
Besides guest events, Messe Frankfurt has gradually resumed its own trade fairs since September 2021. Automechanika Frankfurt Digital Plus and Hypermotion Frankfurt were organised with an extensive online programme and a physical exhibition from 14 – 16 September. Just a few weeks ago, IndoorAir, the trade fair for ventilation and air quality in German-speaking countries, was launched successfully from 5 – 7 October. The upcoming trade fair is Formnext, the leading industry platform for additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing, taking place from 16 – 19 November 2021.
