A visitor to the FBF, Rajnish Shirsat of Mumbai-based print management firm, Radikal Enterprise, said, “It is probably one of the biggest global gatherings of publishers with a diverse crowd from across the world.” Shirsat felt that the quality showcased was impressive but the quantity was missing.

According to Shirsat, a general feel among all was that Europe is back in business. He added. "While it may be true for a few, it is far from the peak seen few years back."

Speaking about digital publishing, Shirsat, said, “The e-business seems to be gaining more and more traction with many booths showcasing their services and strengths. The centre of attraction was the overwhelming presence of the Canadian company Kobo showcasing their e-readers in one of the busiest halls at the Fair.”

In terms of takeaway from the show, Shirsat said, “The publishing world is changing and it does appear that we are still in the transition but print is definitely here to stay for a long time.”

Over 3,500 participants from 72 countries took part in the more than 20 seminars and conferences of the Frankfurt Academy. According to the organisers, new conference formats, such as Contec and StoryDrive, have certainly contributed to the rapidly changing face of the Book Fair, and to the fact that it now attracts new groups of visitors.

The German Book Office, Delhi and Frankfurt Academy had jointly organised special guided tours for the first time visitors from India to the Frankfurt Book Fair to give them a more focused understanding of the Fair.

In addition, two more events were organised, which focused on the Asian visitors. On 10 October, the Globalocal Roundtable event discussed success stories from Asia and India at the Asia Lounge.  On 11 October, a paid guided tour was conducted for educational book publishers and exhibitors from India to meet and interact with international educational publishers and service providers.

Click here to view an exclusive 45 image gallery of the Frankfurt Book Fair