Neumann Out as Head of Frankfurt

by John Mutter and Ruediger Wischenbart, PW NewsLine -- Publishers Weekly, 9/14/2004

A number of personnel moves today from companies in and around publishing, if not from traditional houses themselves.

Perhaps the biggest is the departure of director Volker Neumann from Frankfurt three weeks before the start of the fair. He will reportedly stay on through the show.

In a statement, the board said it had voted unanimously "to arrange the directorate of the Frankfurt Book Fair with a long-term perspective" and therefore decided not to renew Neumann's contract, which expires on December 31, 2005. It thanked Neumann for his achievements as a "troubleshooter."

Neumann, who does expect to stay at his post until his contract expires at the end of 2005, said in an interview today, "I am startled and also a bit sad," adding that the decision had come as a surprise to him. "I took over the Frankfurt Book Fair under difficult conditions in 2003 and started with substantial investments for the improvement of the fair, so that we are well prepared for the future."

In his two years at the helm, Neumann had many successes and made a few blunders in seeking to enliven the fair and address exhibitor concerns about costs. Insiders say that among other things, Neumann's efforts to please exhibitors by keeping booth prices from rising as fast as had been planned and loosening area hotels' usurious policies ruffled feathers with the board and Frankfurt groups. Neumann's threat to move the fair to Munich (also welcomed by many exhibitors) particularly irritated he company that owns the fair grounds (owned jointly by the city of Frankfurt and the state of Hesse), which now wants to buy an interest in the fair. Another possible charge against Neumann: according to BuchMarkt, the book fair may have a deficit of more than a million euros this year.

In 2002, Neumann replaced Lorenzo Rudolf, who lasted less than two years after making many highly-criticized moves.