Reed Flexes Muscle, Wins London Book Fair Battle

Firm garners dates, site in book show fray with a Frankfurt group

By Rachelle Crum -- Tradeshow Week, 5/29/2006

It appears that two large spring book fairs is one too many for London — a city that has been home to some of the greatest literary voices in the English language.

Earlier this month, a battle erupted over preferred dates (April 16–18, 2007) at Earls Court & Olympia, a venue in the West End of central London. When the smoke cleared, Reed Exhibitions had beat out Frankfurt Book Fair.

Reed's 2007 London Book Fair, in its 36th year, will represent a return to its roots. Although the show this year took place March 5–7 at ExCeL London, a waterfront venue located just outside the city, it has been at EC&O since 1987.

Because of the London Book Fair's move this year to ExCeL London, Frankfurt Book Fair announced May 5 that it had secured dates of April 16–18, 2007, at EC&O for a new show, called Book Fair, Earls Court, London 2007.

According to Frankfurt Book Fair, the show launch came after United Kingdom-based publishers and agents (apparently disgruntled about the new London Book Fair location) approached them to arrange a central London show.

In the May 5 announcement, Frankfurt Book Fair CEO Juergen Boos declared, "We are in this for the long term, and have already negotiated a multi-year contract with EC&O Venues for Earls Court."

The firm said it agreed on the show's commercial terms with EC&O on May 4, got EC&O's approval of the show announcement on May 5, and received the contract from EC&O on May 10.

Even with all of that assurance, Boos seemed to have spoken too soon.

On May 11, six days after the Frankfurt announcement, Reed announced that its 2007 show would take place at EC&O on the lucky April 16–18 dates, and that it had signed a long-term contract with EC&O.

In a statement on the London Book Fair's Web site, Reed acknowledged that there were "operational difficulties" with its 2006 show and that it wanted to return its book fair to EC&O.

"It is very clear that our customers want the London Book Fair to be located in London's West End, and our top priority is to deliver what they want," said Alistair Burtenshaw, London Book Fair group exhibition director. "Following Frankfurt's announcement on May 5 to launch their own book fair at Earls Court, we approached Earls Court and were able to negotiate and formalize an immediate deal."

The choice between a book fair run by Reed and one run by Frankfurt Book Fair was simple, according to EC&O Venues spokesman Jeremy Probert.

"Earls Court & Olympia Group was in negotiations with the organizers of the Frankfurt Book Fair to bring a new event to Earls Court," he said. "These negotiations were not concluded and, in the interim period, we were able to sign a deal with Reed Exhibitions to bring the London Book Fair back to Earls Court for 2007."

Probert added, "Obviously, we are sorry to disappoint Frankfurt, but we have a longstanding relationship with Reed."

Meanwhile, Frankfurt Book Fair and ExCeL were left with a bad taste in the mouth.

"We believed we had an agreement with EC&O Venues, which was subsequently broken by them," Boos said in a statement. "We are currently evaluating with our lawyers whether legal action can be taken."

The Frankfurt firm was planning to open an office in London, to add to those it has in New York; Moscow; Warsaw, Poland; Beijing, China; and Bucharest, Romania.

ExCeL London Deputy CEO Kevin Murphy said the firm was "bitterly disappointed" that it wouldn't be able to capitalize on future London Book Fairs.

Nevertheless, he said his firm understood Reed Exhibitions' desire to return to West London.

"With the competition of the Frankfurt Book Fair launching at Earls Court, it left the LBF team with no choice other than to block that move," Murphy said.

On the London Book Fair Web site, Reed stated, "ExCeL is a modern facility, and we will continue to run many of our other world-class exhibitions there."

In North America, Reed produces BookExpo America, and BookExpo Canada. It also organizes publishing and book shows in Tokyo and Montreuil, a suburb of Paris.

Frankfurt Book Fair 2006, known as the world's largest book show, will take place Oct. 4–8 at Messe Frankfurt. Organizers expect it to showcase 7,200 exhibitors from 101 countries. Since the show was relaunched in 1949, it has grown from 205 exhibitors (from only Germany) and 14,000 visitors. The 2004 show attracted more than 270,000 visitors.

The company also organizes the participation of German publishers at more than 25 international book fairs and is co-founder of the Cape Town Book Fair, which will take place for the first time June 17–20 at the Cape Town Intl. Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa.

The 2006 London Book Fair featured 1,996 exhibiting companies and drew 23,719 total attendees.