A Frankfurt of the "mind": the Frankfurt Book Fair expands its reach.(Frankfurt Book Fair 2011)

It's that time of year again. On OCTOBER 12, the 2011 FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR kicks off, the publishing industry's annual pilgrimage to GERMANY, where rights are traded, connections are made, and more than 150,000 TRADE VISITORS, representing some 7,500 COMPANIES and 110 COUNTRIES, come together to do (and to talk) business.

Then again, with the launch last year of its ambitious Frankfurt Academy, Frankfurt is never far off any more. From its roots as a once-a-year event, Frankfurt is quickly becoming a year-round platform, with a slate of affiliated international conferences, seminars, and other trips. And with a revamped, Web-based platform--the Mind Network--Frankfurt organizers have embraced the digital change now hitting the publishing industry, and harnessed it to extend its brand, its reach, and to promote an ongoing exchange of ideas within the publishing industry.

Despite a global recession, last year's fair exceeded expectations, both in terms of attendance and in terms of energy, with a slate of new programs focusing on digital. And despite questions about the future of rights-based fairs in the digital age, traffic in the rights center surged, hitting record levels last year. As a result, in 2011 the Literary Agents & Scouts Center (LitAg), the meeting place for …