The Frankfurter Buchmesse Invitation Programme allows 20 publishers from developing book markets to present themselves and to engage in international networking at Frankfurter Buchmesse from 14 to 18 October 2020. The programme, taking place from 8 to 18 October 2020 in Frankfurt, is aimed at small, independent publishers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Arab world and Eastern Europe. This year’s programme will put children’s publishing into focus, encouraging children’s book publishers from developing book markets to apply. Candidates for the programme should have a good level of English; the application deadline is 30 April.
The carefully selected guests receive a free stand at the book fair, and their travel and accommodation costs are covered. Before the fair begins, programme participants take part in a two-and-a-half-day seminar. The programme is funded by Frankfurter Buchmesse and the German Federal Foreign Office.
Deborah Ahenkorah, chief executive officer and publisher of African Bureau Stories (Ghana) and participant in the 2019 Invitation Programme says; “Being part of the invitation programme was a real eye-opener and gave me an inside look into how the business of international publishing works. The programme opened the door wide to massive opportunities for a small publisher like us to play in the big leagues – what a rewarding experience!”
2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India
Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and
multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.
The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry.
While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately
their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book
printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.
The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.
Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.
Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.
Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.
