There are only three month until the next Paris Cookbook Fair opens its doors for publishers, authors and visitors. From March 3-6 2011 the new art center of the city of Paris  “Le 104” will be the place to be for food and wine book professionals from 50 countries. Gourmand President Edouard Cointreau organizes this summit.

 

What can visitors and publishers expect of the next Paris Cookbook Fair?

Cointreau: “The Paris Cookbook Fair will again turn out as four days of feast that combines business, delight and fun. That is why we have chosen the motto: Trade meets pleasure. The trade activity at the stands is only one part of the fair. With non-stop cooking demonstrations, two show kitchens, where authors and chefs promote their new books, product presentations, wine tastings, master classes, press conferences and celebrity chefs from all around the world, the Paris Cookbook Fair is truly a culinary summit.”

 

But the focus of the fair is still on selling foreign rights?

Cointreau: “That was the original idea and it still is. But the first Paris Cookbook Fair this year proved to develop a life of its own and we experienced that things happened, we did not expect. For example there was a German publisher who met a German cookbook author from the same town where his company is situated. They have never met before, but immediately agreed to do a cookbook together and signed up a letter of intent. Or look at the young cookbook author Ravinder Boghal who presented her first cookbook in Paris with a cooking demonstrations – she is now a big celebrity chef with TV series and the book has been translated into German. If you just look at the facts the Paris Cookbook fair is a meeting of cook and wine book professionals from all around the world. We anticipate that there will be around 4,000 professional visitors from more than 45 different countries, including France, the USA, Japan, Canada, Australia, Germany, Argentina, Malaysia, Great Britain, Brasil, Lebanon and many more.Just from China more than 50 publishers, authors, chefs and media have confirmed to come to Paris. A meeting of so many creative high-potentials combined with the unique location, Paris, sets free all kind of opportunities.”

 

What will be completely new?

Cointreau: “We will have a special focus on three topics: Cheese, Street Food and Italy as the guest of honour. The country will present itself with its books, products, authors and publishers. I think in Paris we will have for the first time a special focus on the world cheese market, including the products, the producers, cheese books. Last but not least we will offer a world tour through the Street Food cuisine with participants from Africa, Latin America, China, North America, the Middle East and of course France.”

 

How is the demand of international publishers?

Cointreau: “Beyond all expectations. The crisis is over and the publishers start to expand their programmes again. And they have realized that there is a need for a fair that sets lights only on this special sector of the book market. Only the Paris Cookbook Fair is able to show the whole range of ideas that publishers and authors of food and wine books have around the world. For publishers the Paris Cookbook Fair is the perfect place for networking, selling foreign rights and to find out about the new trends.”

 

For big publishers it is perhaps easy to book a stand. Do you have special offerings for small publishers too?

Cointreau: “Without any presumption we can say that we really care for every professional who wants to join the fair. We do not make any difference between big players, a small publisher or an author with his first self-published cookbook. Of course you can book a big area for your company at the fair. But you can also buy VIP Professional Badges for the fair that allows you to be listed in the catalogue, present your book in the foreign rights center and use it for meetings with publishers and gives you free access to the whole fair and the events in the evening, which are perfect for networking.”

For information and booking contact