LIBER 2023 ends on a very positive note.
Held at IFEMA MADRID, from 3 to 6 October 2023
The attendance by professionals at The International Book Fair surpassed all expectations, with 9,235 visitors from over fifty countries, meaning a 10% rise from the 2021 Fair held in Madrid. In terms of participation, the event also saw significant growth, attracting 373 companies from 13 countries from the Spanish publishing sector. The next LIBER International Book Fair will be in Barcelona during the first week of October 2024.
LIBER 2023 closed its doors on a successful Book Fair showing the dynamic growth experienced in the Spanish Publishing industry. The Fair has once again shown its significant role as a leading platform for the book industry to boost the Spanish Publishing industry's representation in global markets. The participating companies expressed overall satisfaction for the interactions and contacts made. However, the actual figures for this year’s Fair surpassed all expectations, regarding both participation and attendance by professionals.
During the three-day event from 4 to 6 October, LIBER welcomed 9,235 industry experts from over fifty nations, resulting in a 10% rise in participation from the 2022 Fair. The Fair set the stage for the latest ideas and innovations in the publishing industry, with 210 organisations exhibiting directly. This figure marks the highest in the past six years and represents growth of nearly 80%. In total, 373 companies from 13 different countries participated in the event.
Daniel Fernández, President of the Spanish Association of Publishers Guilds, expressed his contentment: “The results of the latest LIBER Event surpassed expectations regarding business and the interest in the professional conferences. All of this demonstrates the significance of the Fair, which is a pivotal gathering spot for the Spanish book publishing industry. Despite international organisations announcing a decline in global trade, we are confident that LIBER will serve as a catalyst for the publishing industry to regain its position as a thriving exporter of both economic and cultural value, thereby enhancing Spain's brand image and its prestige.”
LIBER 23 Day Events
The LIBER Day Events Programme convened a wide range of participants featuring numerous attendees, more than 80 concurrent sessions with professional and cultural activities as well as prominent experts from the institutional and commercial sectors linked to publishing industry, tackling some of the hottest issues in the sector at present, in conjunction with major publishing houses. In this context, as stated by Daniel Fernández, "the heightened interest in round-table discussions at professional conferences, especially those regarding Artificial Intelligence, demonstrates the sector's apprehension and anticipation surrounding its emergence. It is also the sector's pledge to continue advancing the expansion of eco-friendly practices.”
Organised by IFEMA MADRID and promoted by the Spanish Association of Publishers Guilds (FGEE), LIBER 2023 welcomed Poland as its Guest of Honour. The event featured an extensive display by 20 Polish publishing houses and the promotion of prominent Polish authors and publishers to disseminate and promote Polish publishing in Spain.
As with every year, it is important to emphasise the significant institutional backing for LIBER, inaugurated by Minister of Culture and Sport, Miquel Iceta, and supported by the Ministry, ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones, Community of Madrid, Madrid City Council, Centro Español de Derechos Reprográficos (CEDRO), along with the cooperation of Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) and the Asociación de Editores de Madrid (Madrid Publishers' Association).
LIBER 2023 Awards
In the afternoon of Thursday 5 October, the customary LIBER 2023 Awards ceremony took place and led by the Spanish Association of Publishers Guilds to honour distinguished personalities and institutions associated with the book industry. The Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Héctor Gómez chaired the event, which was attended by various officials including the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida; the Deputy Councillor of Culture, Tourism and Sport for the Community of Madrid, Daniel Martínez; the Delegate of the Department of Culture, Tourism and Sport for Madrid City Council, Marta Rivera; the President of CEDRO, Carme Riera, and other representative from authoritative bodies. Representatives from the book industry, FGEE, and IFEMA Madrid were also present.
This year's winners were Casa del Libro; the network of Madrid City Council Libraries; and the television adaptation of Almudena Grandes' novel Los pacientes del doctor García, featured in the supplement La Lectura of El Mundo newpaper. Journalist and writer Elvira Lindo and Joaquín Sabaté, the founder of Ediciones Urano, were also award winners.
The next LIBER International Book Fair is scheduled to take place in the first week of October 2024 in Barcelona.