London, 18 May 2022. Andy Ventris, Director of The London Book Fair (LBF), has decided to step down in the summer, leaving RX (Reed Exhibitions) to take on a new challenge in his career. His replacement will be announced in due course.

Andy was appointed as Director in November 2020, against the backdrop of one of the most challenging periods of the Covid-19 pandemic. He took up the role from within RX where he started in 2013 and brought with him over a decade of experience delivering global events. Andy led LBF through the postponement of the 2021 event, the creation of The Online Book Fair, and its return to a fully face-to-face show in 2022.

Andy commented: “It has been a pleasure to be LBF Director over the last two years, working with such a great team and bringing the industry back together in April. It was an incredibly proud achievement to see the halls of Olympia buzzing with people from across the publishing world, gathering again to do business, network and connect face to face, after such a long time apart. We’ve been delighted with the positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors alike, and early indications are that 2023 looks set to be even more of a success. LBF has been running for over 50 years, and I feel honoured to have been a part of its story in recent times. I’ve no doubt that the new Director will continue to grow the event as it remains a key moment in the publishing industry calendar.”

David Roche, Chair of the LBF Advisory Board, said: “The LBF Advisory Board was unanimous in its positive reaction to the return of LBF this Spring. It was a real achievement given the multiple obstacles over the last 2 years. Particularly pleasing was the feeling that LBF was a point of reconnection for so many publishing professionals. It has been great working with Andy over recent years, and I wish him all the best in his next role. The London Book Fair’s position as a critical annual event in the business of publishing was re-enforced in April and we look forward to welcoming a new Director into the role who can build on this year and into the future.”

Kerry Prince, Chief Growth Officer of RX UK, added: “Andy had an immediately positive impact when he took on the role of LBF Director nearly two years ago. We are sad to see Andy leave and wish him every success in the next chapter of his career. Everyone at RX was delighted to see the return of one of our blue-ribbon global events to Olympia in April, with 15,000 members of the international publishing community in attendance. The wonderful response to this year’s show is not only testament to Andy and his team but also to the heritage and strength of the LBF brand. Our focus is now to continue to build upon this year’s success for 2023 and beyond.”

LBF returns to Olympia London on April 18th – 20th 2023.