Previous Post
The Penguin stand in Hall 8.0
Hall 8.0 is busy. A quick tour round earlier on and lots of familiar faces from the UK publishing trade were seen huddled around tables, engaged in conversation, meetings well under way, even at 9.30am. For someone like me, experiencing Frankfurt for the first time, it’s everything I expected it to be and more. Yes, the scale of the place is daunting to begin with but after you’ve got your bearings it all makes perfect sense and the fairground is surprisingly easy to navigate round.
The Clients Lounge in Hall 8.0
The Clients Lounge in Hall 8.0 is proving a popular place for events already. This morning there was a panel discussion entitled ‘Global Ranking’ with a panel of four speakers from around the world. It was well-attended and as i listened from the back there were a number of interesting questions about globalisation raised by members of the audience. It was refreshing to seeing visitors stop and want to engage in discussion.
The mood of the fair today is good i would say. People are here because they want to do business. Yes, times are tough and some publishers may have cut down on their numbers, but i get the impression that those who are here are very focussed. They have an agenda, they have plenty of meetings, and they are not wasting time. Half-hourly slots on their Blackberrys are filling up fast…
This afternoon i’m off to explore the other halls and get a taste of what other international publishers are up to. It’s hard to think of anywhere else that you would find so many people from so many different parts of the world all congregated in one place. I guess that’s what makes Frankfurt special.
Top
