EIBF member shares useful tips with fellow booksellers to make the most of the Frankfurt Book Fair

1. Join The Hof sessions online prior to arrival! Expertly hosted by Felix Zeltner and his team, these sessions feature diverse guests and are deeply welcoming, fun, and
exciting! They’re wonderful opportunities to connect with both experienced and new fair goers from around the world. Apart from The Hof, different years will offer varying opportunities to connect online as well. I would take advantage of all of them.

2. Check out Frankfurt Connect and the Frankfurt Messe App (releasing end of
September). The app was super useful for keeping track of events, appointments, and for the floor maps. Study the maps and strategize your transport to arrive at the closest entrance to your first appointment of the day. For those exploring publishing as well, check out Publishers Without Borders. This group’s Whatsapp community is particularly useful for its active chats for different book fairs around the world.

3. If you are travelling from far away, try to arrive a day or two before the fair begins to counteract the time difference and take advantage of any adjacent/trade events. In 2022, I vastly underestimated jetlag, and was on the verge of work burnout even before arrival. I had just opened Nooroongji Books 2 months prior! This year I am arriving 3 days ahead, with a more relaxed workload leading up to the fair. I’m looking forward to the Rights Meeting on the 15th and the Kids Conference on the 16th. Also this discussion between Yuval Noah Harari and Japanese philosopher Kohei Saito.

4. If you are participating in one of Frankfurter Buchmesse’s International grant programmes, please read all communications from programme managers carefully! So much work goes into the intricate schedule of seminars, workshops, and other fun activities. The team thinks of everything from the hotel, to transport passes, and everything in between. The care and thoughtfulness of all involved truly blew me away. In my jetlagged daze I definitely missed a few details that would have been helpful. I will forever light a candle for our programme manager Pernille Starck, who was so patient, kind, and fun, leading us through the week. Thank you so much Pernille.

5. Schedule a day without appointments to purely wander and discover new delights. 2022 highlights for me were Stiftung Buchkunst, Büchergilde, Books from Taiwan, Swiss publishers, and the Philippines stands. Be sure to also search and save a few local bookstores and art happenings happening concurrent to the fair. I loved Buchhandlung Walther König, the Portikus Art Book Festival, and the Schirn Kunsthalle.

6. OK, now onto the smaller details:

• Wear the comfiest, squishiest runners you can. I cannot stress this point enough! This year I will pack my trusty Asics for the fair and Oofos recovery sandals for the hotel afterwards.
  
•  I used Google Maps to create a list of quickly referenceable saved spots including the fairgrounds, Haus des Buches, event venues, my hotel, the airport, consulate, bookstores, restaurants, etc.
• Dress light in thin, packable layers. I found myself getting hot and cold throughout the day, taking layers on and off frequently. The less bulk the better.
  
• I heaved a metal water bottle all the way from Vancouver that I never used because that tiny bit of extra weight quickly became a burden! A small plastic hotel water bottle to refill and hydrate throughout the day will be more practical.
• Be sure to pack a power-bank or charger and adapter for your phone. I bought an Orange sim card for Europe ahead of my trip as well. Plentiful data really helped.
• Last but not least, if you have a hard time resisting beautiful books, bring a second suitcase or duffle bag. This year I will try layering a small suitcase inside a bigger one. Wish me luck!