Frankfurt Book Fair organizers are looking at ways of combining real world and virtual experiences to provide an event that will be valuable, “not only to those who have come to the fair in the past, but even those who have never been to Frankfurt before.”

This week, Frankfurt Book Fair President and CEO Juergen Boos sat for an in-depth interview with Publishers Weekly International Editor Ed Nawotka and broadcast by the Publishers Without Borders Facebook channel.

As PW senior writer Andrew Albanese reports, Boos said that the fair will go on in October as scheduled, but it will be a “completely different” experience.

“Our world has changed and it will never go back to what it was before,” said Boos, noting that Frankfurt Book Fair organizers are looking at ways of combining both real world and virtual experiences to provide an event that will be valuable, “not only to those who have come to the fair in the past, but maybe even those who have never been to Frankfurt before.”

As Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally, “Boos admitted that he doesn’t expect to see everybody coming to Frankfurt this year. There will likely still be possible travel restrictions and concerns over a second wave of Covid-19 infections in the fall. But there will be a fair.”

Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.