In a recent Bookseller article, agent Peter Cox of Redhammer Management, stated that “the Corona virus might be the death knell of the physical book fair.” He went on to say that for years it hasn’t been necessary to “do the face-to-face.” Robert Gottlieb, chairman of the Trident Media Group, countered by saying that “the fair plays a central role in the rights business for us from hand selling to personal relationships, which we value and depend on when managing our clients careers.”
Source: Making the Case for In-Person International Book Fairs