The show is a highly effective platform for the international promotion of the Spanish-language book sector.
Between 12 and 14 October, Liber is inviting around 500 distributors, booksellers, agents and key representatives of rights-buying publishers, along with public library managers and academics from 60 countries, to come and discover what's new in the Spanish language book sector. These trade missions will put Spanish publishing companies in contact with key international buyers and influencers with the aim of increasing their sales abroad.
The organization of the Buyers' Programme and the Influencers' Programme to target people of priority interest for these business meetings at the next edition of Liber is being undertaken by the Spanish Publishers' Federation (FGEE) in collaboration with Spanish Economic and Commercial Offices abroad and ICEX España Exports and Investments, and with the support of various organizations and sponsoring institutions.
The promotional entities have focused their efforts on identifying and attracting key professionals in the import and distribution of publishing products, mainly from European and Latin American countries (25 and 19 representative respectively) as well as the United States and Canada, the main destinations for Spanish book exports. Another 14 markets have also been targeted as offering growth potential, these being Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Israel, China, South Korea, Turkey, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and Australia.
According to the president of the FGEE and the organizing committee of Liber, Daniel Fernández, 'the excellent performance of exports in the book sector has partly offset the drop in turnover that the sector has experienced in the last few years.' Fernández is convinced that the publishing industry will continue to focus on ‘improving its international growth' and acknowledges the role of Liber 'as an effective platform for international promotion and access to new markets, especially for small and medium-sized publishing houses, for which the fair offers a unique opportunity to make business contacts.'
Indeed, Spanish book sector exports grew in 2015 to 552.37 million euros, 1.96% more than the previous year, according to figures from the FGEE. Of these, publishing products accounted for 358.81 million euros (+3.28%). Furthermore, the sales of rights, which have been growing constantly in the last few years, accounted for 70.6 million euros, an increase of 6.3%. The biggest book exports were in the segments of social sciences (16.5%), religion (15%), literature (13.9%) and children's books (13.6%). After the UK and the USA, Spain is the world's third biggest book exporter.
Liber, one of the benchmark events for the Spanish publishing industry, will be bringing together some 300 exhibitors at Fira de Barcelona's Gran Via Exhibition Centre this October, who will be showcasing the latest publications and book-related technological innovations. The trade fair also includes an extensive programme of professional seminars for addressing and debating the current sector situation, along with other more cultural activities, some of them associated this year with the celebration of the Year of Cervantes in commemoration of the fourth centenary of the great writer's death.
The choice of guests on the buyers' and influencers' programme was based on the suggestions of 800 members of different publishing guilds and associations in the Federation, as well as on the proposals and information sent by Spain's Economic and Commercial Offices abroad. Over the three days of the fair, the international participants will be holding business meetings and scheduled interviews with exhibitors at Liber and can also attend specific seminars. Particular mention should be made of the delegation of American librarians, organised by ICEX in collaboration with Spain's Economic and Commercial Office in Miami and the FGEE, with the aim of increasing interest in Spanish-language books in the more than 100,000 public libraries in the United States.
Barcelona, July 2016
Maria Dolores Herranz
Tel. 93 233 25 41
