#lbm26: MVB at Leipziger Buchmesse

This year's Leipziger Buchmesse is marked by a premiere. Instead of a guest of honor, there is a focus topic for the first time:

Donau – Unter Strom und zwischen Welten

The Danube river is predestined for the opening. It flows almost 3,000 km through Europe, from the Black Forest to the Black Sea. In doing so, it connects the diverse literature of ten countries.

On a specially created stage in Hall 4, curated book presentations, discussions and debates will now showcase the literary, social and political history of the Danube region and bring it to life.

We are very much looking forward to this innovation and are already buzzing with excitement...

Also, we are eagerly anticipating the many encounters and discussions with familiar and new faces at our stand. We will be welcoming you there together with our colleagues from Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, Frankfurter Buchmesse and Mediacampus Frankfurt. Come and visit us!

You can find all the information about our appearance at #lbm26 on this page.

See you in Leipzig
Your MVB team

Our listening tip: To get you in the mood for the focus topic, the Podcast Donau-Flaschenpost introduces authors from the Danube region.

Thursday, March 19, 2026

• 10:30 – 11:00 Uhr | Als Klein- und Selbstverlag erfolgreich im Buchmarkt positionieren
• 12:00 – 12:45 Uhr | #yeaward26: Speed-Meeting
• 14:00 – 15:00 Uhr | Alfred-Kerr-Preis für Literaturkritik 2026: Verleihung
• 14:00 – 14:45 Uhr | MVB-Sprechstunde: Büchergutschein für Buchhandlungen
• 15:00 – 15:30 Uhr | Metadaten und Magie – wie Daten die Zukunft der Buchbranche gestalten

Friday, March 03, 2026

• 10:30 – 18:00 Uhr | Karrieretag Buch und Medien 2026
• 11:00 – 11:45 Uhr | MVB-Sprechstunde: Büchergutschein für Buchhandlungen
  

Please also note the information provided by our colleagues from Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels and Mediacampus Frankfurt and the programme of Stiftung Buchkunst.

VLB-TIX as launched Suche+, its own advanced search function for complex searches in the premium area of the platform..

This allows booksellers and publishers to set up and save very precise search queries and, if necessary, run or adjust them again at any time.

The search results can be transferred directly to watch lists and order lists or exported. This gives users of our platform the opportunity to further optimise their purchasing processes and identify market developments at an early stage.

Introductory offer for bookshops: Booksellers who have subscribed to the Verzeichnis Lieferbarer Bücher (VLB) can directly access Suche+ in VLB-TIX and all other premium benefits, such as backlist integration. Bookshops that decide to take out a new VLB subscription now benefit from an introductory offer that gives them a 30% discount for the first year of subscription.

Tip: If you are looking for relevant trade journals, you will find the answers you need at Zeitschriften-Informations-Service (ZIS). The updated annual catalogue "Fachzeitschriften" was published for Leipziger Buchmesse. It is available free of charge at our stand. You can browse and search the catalogue online here: Livebook | buchhandel.de

We asked the premium publishers on our VLB-TIX platform for their book recommendations for event highlights at the Leipziger Buchmesse. More than 130 top titles were collected. Enjoy discovering them!

To the preview

Further recommendations and the titles on the monthly #BookTok bestseller lists can be found on the VLB-TIX website.

From now on, bookshops that publicly declare on the VLB-TIX website that they are no longer using printed preview catalogues will not only receive fame and glory, but also official proof of sustainability in the form of a certificate.

In line with best practice principles, we are giving a high-profile platform to those who are already making a clear contribution to the sustainability of our industry through their active use of our system.

And as a thank you for their exemplary reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, we are also planting a tree for each bookshop.

Would you like to switch your bookshop completely to digital book trading? Then feel free to discuss your options with our colleague Rahel.

Our reading tip: We asked our colleague Franziska how the idea for the campaign came about and why a certificate for more climate-conscious book trading is needed in the first place. To the interview

One for all: Büchergutschein replaces Bücherscheck. In future, bookshops and retailers in Germany will jointly focus on a brand that leads customers exclusively to partner bookshops.

Bücherscheck can only be sold until Tuesday, 31 March, 2026.

The changeover was preceded by a pilot phase involving more than 100 bookshops. Over several months, they tested the standardised book voucher and the digital processes for its sale, acceptance and settlement.

Bookshops can register to participate in the Büchergutschein scheme at any time – membership of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (German Publishers and Booksellers Association) is a prerequisite. Due to the revised terms and conditions of participation, existing partner bookshops of Bücherscheck scheme must also re-register.

Our reading tip: In an interview, our colleague Karolin talks about what the changeover entails and why it is worth switching or joining the scheme.

Inspired by the Danube, this year's focus theme of the Leipzig Book Fair, we are releasing messages in a bottle across the entire exhibition grounds. Usually, these contain dramatic cries for help, secret notes, or cheerful holiday greetings. The contents of our bottles are surprising and nearly as valuable as treasure:

We are giving away 20 guaranteed moments of reading pleasure!

Keep a sharp eye out as you wander through the fair; you might discover one of our bottles (see photo) washed up at various locations throughout the site.

If you find a winning message, head straight to our booth (Hall 5, H 600) to collect a 10 Euro book voucher.

Good luck with the search!

Please note: Vouchers are issued only upon presentation of the original winning notification from the bottle and exclusively at our trade fair stand during the event (until Sunday). Postal delivery of prizes or redemption after the fair has ended is not possible. The organizers' decision is final.

Attention, young professionals! If you would like to find out more about starting your career and job prospects in publishing, wholesale book trade and bookshops, we recommend visiting the Book and Media Career Day on Friday at the fair. The Fachforum + (Hall 5, G 511) offers a wealth of information for pupils, trainees, students, young professionals and interns – networking included.

Das umfasst neben kompakten Vorträgen und Diskussionen auch Speed-Datings für den persönlichen Austausch mit verschiedenen Branchenprofis. Außerdem gibt es vor Ort ein Jobboard mit aktuellen Stellenausschreibungen.

In addition to compact presentations and discussions, the programmealso includes speed dating for personal exchanges with various industry professionals. There will also be a job board on site with current job vacancies.

The Career Day is organised by Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels and Leipziger Buchmesse in cooperation with our trade magazine Börsenblatt and Mediacampus Frankfurt. The event is supported by our career portal medien.jobs.

By the way: if you want to stay up to date 24/7, you can always find the latest job offers and our career guide with information on applications, job profiles and more at medien.jobs. We are happy to advise companies individually on recruiting opportunities on our platform at our stand.

PS: If you are interested in the Börsenverein Group as an employer, you can find everything you need to know here: www.boersenvereinsgruppe.de

Once again, we are on the lookout for young talents up to age 35 who achieve outstanding results and make a difference in their field. Just in time for the spring industry gathering in Leipzig, the Börsenblatt Young Excellence Award is launching a new round.

Submissions and applications are welcome from all sectors of the book and media industry.

Simply send an email to the editorial team of our trade magazine with a brief explanation including contact details and age of the person youa re suggesting: boersenblatt@mvb-online.de – Subject: #yeaward26.

All information about the award can be found here: www.young-excellence-award.de

Our tip: If you are looking for inspiration and/or new contacts, we recommend the #yeaward26: Speed-Meeting with alumni of the competition.

Our trade magazine Börsenblatt, together with the Stiftung Buchkultur und Leseförderung des Börsenvereins des Deutschen Buchhandels, is awarding journalist, writer and translator Dietmar Dath the Alfred-Kerr-Preis für Literaturkritik this year for his reviews (press release).

Congratulations!

According to the jury, his texts are characterised by ‘their witty, well-composed and refreshingly idiosyncratic use of language’. This promises to be an entertaining acceptance speech.

We are already very excited about the public award ceremony during the Leipzig Book Fair. The full reasons for the choice of winner can be found in our trade magazine Börsenblatt. To the article

Would you like to know what we are up to before and after the book fair? Then subscribe to our monthly company update.