The London Book Fair came to a close on April 10, 2014. Highlights for 2014, include: The London Book Fair International Book Industry Excellence Awards; Gaming @ LBF - new feature area in Publishing Solutions @ Tech in Earls Court 2; The Faculty @ LBF - brand new theatre in the academic zone; and Conferences.
The London Book Fair International Book Industry Excellence Awards, was launched in association with The UK Publishers Association (The PA) showcasing the best international companies and individuals from across the publishing industry who competed for 16 prestigious awards. The awards celebrate international achievement across the whole business of publishing, and provide an opportunity for the UK publishing industry to recognise, and celebrate, the excellent achievements of their international book industry colleagues.
A brand new sector on this year's show floor was Gaming @ LBF. The new pavilion, supported by UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie), the UK's premier trade body representing the gaming industry, is designed to connect the creative and commercial talents of gaming developers, publishers and distributors with their publishing counterparts. The initiative is one of several new areas of focus (TV & Film and Brand Licensing) that capitalise on the continued convergence between aligned creative industries to exploit IP across a multiplicity of platforms.
Additionally, a brand new academic theatre in LBF's Academic & Scholarly zone launched for 2014.
Building on the success of the inaugural conference last year, the second edition of What Works? Successful Education Policies, Resources and Technologies took place on April 10, 2014. This year's line-up included keynote addresses from Francis Gurry, Director General of WIPO and Pablo Zoido of OECD. The conference, programmed by the IPA, and run in association with The Publishers Association, will provide an open-minded look at educational outcomes with top-level policy makers from government, international agencies and major organisations.
Sponsored by the Copyright Clearance Center, the Publishing for Digital Minds conference, took place on April 7, at the QEII Conference Centre, London. Some of the speakers for 2014 included: Anna Rafferty, Chair; Anthony Horowitz, Author keynote; Bill Thompson, BBC Archives; Baroness Martha Lane Fox; and Rosie Allimonos & Jake Chudnow from YouTube.
