From thousands of customers, special collections, and countless interactions, this week we’re reminiscing about one of our favourite times of the year. Of course, we’re talking about the Frankfurt Buchmesse, which is one of the biggest tradeshows we attend every year.
It’s an event that celebrates everything book lovers and stationery addicts could dream of. You find yourself wandering through the stands, getting completely lost in inspiration, with your next favourite brand or product just around the corner, waiting to be discovered.
We spoke with Larissa Matzak, who oversaw the creation of beautiful Paperblanks stand this year, to hear more about how her vision came to life and what made this October week so special.
What Is Frankfurt Buchmesse?
“The Frankfurt Book Fair is the biggest book fair in the world, bringing together visitors and exhibitors from over 130 countries. It’s not just a trade event, but it’s also a huge celebration for book lovers. Alongside publishers, you’ll find all kinds of companies connected to the world of books, like Paperblanks.
“Over five exciting days, there are countless activities and events organized by different groups, all shining a light on important topics in the industry. The fair welcomes both professionals and the general public, giving us a great chance to connect directly with our customers.”
Larissa described our stand as “magical, attractive, and fresh,” introducing a new look for Paperblanks this year. When we saw the final result, we couldn’t help but ask the question on everyone’s mind.
What Inspired the Paperblanks Stand This Year?
“The design process always starts by deciding which titles we want to highlight for the year. This time, the choice was clear: Shadows of Navarre and our Harry Potter Collection would be at the heart of the stand. Alongside them, we wanted to showcase our regular releases and special collaborations, such as The Magic of Wicked and Carrie designs.
“From the very first meeting, we knew that because the Frankfurt Book Fair is open to the public, we wanted to include something that would really catch people’s attention. The photobooth idea came out of team brainstorming sessions, and it felt perfect because we wanted to give visitors a fun experience and something they could take home as a Paperblanks memory. It was so lovely to see people leaving with a little keepsake from us.
“When it came to building the main stand, we aimed for a design that complemented our partner brands while still letting Paperblanks shine in its own way. The final version you saw was actually the third or fourth edition we developed!”
Bringing “A World of Paperblanks” to Life
“Our CEO, Graham, had one key request, and that was to encapsulate our ethos by bringing ‘A World of Paperblanks’ to life. It was incredibly exciting, as we used our new brand colours for the very first time. The pops of colour scattered throughout the design added a vibrant contrast to the clean base, tying everything together and creating a cohesive, inviting space.”
How Visitors Reacted
“The feedback for our Fourth Wing and Harry Potter collections couldn’t have been better. The products were flying from the shelves, just as we’d hoped! We were also delighted to see how many people were looking for our planners. Many of the visitors I had the pleasure to talk to were already Paperblanks fans and enjoyed the exclusive discounts at the show.”
Why Tradeshows Matter
“To be in direct contact with our customers is the number one benefit, without a doubt. The Sales team has the opportunity to present our newest collections to buyers, while the Marketing team can go deeper into market research and see firsthand how the public engages with our products. It gives us the chance to ask questions about what people think of our collections, something we rarely get to do in other settings.”
Until Next Time
A huge thank you to Larissa for walking us through the creation of our beautiful stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair! If you visited us there, we hope you enjoyed your time, loved our stand, and discovered all the wonderful new products we’ve released.
Here’s to another unforgettable year, and we can’t wait to return for an even more spectacular one next time.
