The 42nd World Publishing Expo drew more than 260 exhibitors from 30 countries to showcase the technology to publish news in print, on tablets, mobile and online. More than 8,000 visitors are expected during the three-day event, organised by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
“The Expo serves as a platform and a showcase for innovative technology, but it is so much more,” said Jacob Mathew, President of WAN-IFRA. “It is an event that thrives on an exchange of ideas among colleagues from all over the world, and is built on the vital partnership of publisher and supplier, something that has deepened and strengthened in these challenging times.”
When the Expo began more than four decades ago, “the issues of concern were how to manage color printing, how to integrate color pictures into the newspaper economically, and how to handle the new technology of photo typesetting. In short, print and print production-related topics,” he said.
“Today, successful publishing houses are cross-media operations. They must be equally comfortable working in the digital business as in print. And the Expo reflects our industry’s transformation. It is now the leading exhibition for technology to publish news on all platforms, print and digital.”
Also addressing the opening ceremony were Markus Frank, City Councillor for Commerce of the City of Frankfurt, and Wolfgang Marzin, CEO of Messe Frankfurt.
The opening ceremony was followed by the presentation of the “My Dream Interview” awards to 12- and 13-year old aspiring journalists from Argentina who provided the best interviews with prominent people in a contest involving 2,000 students worldwide. The contest, supported by Fundación Acindar, the Argentine branch of the ArcelorMittal Foundation, is part of WAN-IFRA’s programmes to advance media literacy around the globe. More on the project and the winners can be found here.
The World Publishing Expo (formerly IFRA Expo), continues through Wednesday. In addition to the 9,000-square meter exhibition, the event features a wide array of conferences and presentations covering topics ranging from print production to tablets and apps. Follow the events on the conference blog or on Twitter with #wpe12
A World Publishing Expo App is available for free in Apple and Android versions.
