Pierre-Yves Bérenguer: “The partnership strategy implemented for a year participates in the success of the Paris Book Festival”

Books weekly: two months after the end of the festival, what economic assessment do you get from this 2025 edition?

Pierre-Yves Bérenguer: We end the budget of the event in balance. Furthermore, It was a challenge because we had a lot of unknowns and only eight months to make it happen. For example, We did not know the place and its additional additional possible costs caused by 33 % additional volume compared to the 2024 edition. In addition, the number of scenes, meetings and authors doubled this year. Meanwhile, We have maintained an extremely rigorous management of the expenses that led us to make draconians in terms of recruitments. Furthermore, scenography, furniture manufacturing, equipment and technical suppliers or goods exchanges with our media partners all year round. Consequently, The partnership strategy implemented for a year actively contributes to the success pierre-yves bérenguer: “the partnership strategy of this edition and this budgetary balance. Furthermore, We are very grateful to our public and private partners of their commitment to our side.

« For the first time in four years. Furthermore, the Sunday gauge was equivalent to that of Saturday » – Pierre-yves bérenguer: "the partnership strategy

How did you proceed to achieve this balance?

We have developed a recipe strategy – sponsorship. Similarly, sponsorship – which worked very well with brands, by creating subjects with each to thismeetings to thisprojects making sense and in accordance with the values ​​that we defend. Meanwhile, At the same time. Therefore, we worked with our suppliers to develop partnership links with them too so that they become “official suppliers” of the festival. Furthermore, We were able to negotiate with them financial advantages by registering for duration. Nevertheless, which makes it possible to lower the overall expenses of the festival. Meanwhile, It is both this work of funding pierre-yves bérenguer: “the partnership strategy for financing on the one hand. In addition, economy on the other, which allows us to be balanced from this first edition at the Grand Palais. Nevertheless, Finally. professional organizations responded massively and we were able, thanks to their support, to achieve a village in the interprofession which fulfilled its objectives.

What are the satisfaction indicators of this edition?

Our surveys return with a very high satisfaction rate this year. out of the four typologies of actors that we have to satisfy: publishers, authors, visitors and our partners. Out of 114,000 visitors, we maintain our 43 to 45 % under 25, which is unique in France among general literary events. We are very proud of this at a time when studies note a reading deficit among our young people. because youth represent the future of the book.

“We were forced to rent tents and install our stocks outside. We hope pierre-yves bérenguer: “the partnership strategy to be able to maintain buffer stocks inside the building »

We welcomed 7. 000 schoolchildren on Friday and we realized that many of these young people had been prescribers to come with the family on weekends. On the sales side. we can announce an increase of 33 % on average of the turnover made by the sale of works compared to the 2024 edition. And then for the first time in four years. and despite the Paris marathon, the Sunday gauge is equivalent to that of Saturday, while each year attendance fell by about a third on the last day.

What are the identified improvement points?

We still have to strengthen the work of logistical flexibility, busy with books and restocking. We will closely collaborate with the RMNGP teams (Grand-Palais management structure. editor’s note) To be able to benefit from stocks of books inside the building, which was prohibited pierre-yves bérenguer: “the partnership strategy this year. We were forced to rent tents and install our stocks outside. We hope to be able to maintain buffer stocks inside the building. which will avoid a lot of back and forth from our teams and will also reduce costs. In addition. we work to simplify more public access and visitors and to increase the gauges of our scenes because we were victims of our success during many meetings.

“The theme of the sea will be replaced by that of the trip. taken in its widest sense”

What can you reveal from the 2026 edition?

It will take place on April 17, 18 and 19 at the Grand Palais with the realization of an international dedicated space. In addition. we will consolidate what has given full satisfaction, in particular the presence of youth, comic and manga publishers and the village of children, renew the partnership with Beaubourg and pierre-yves bérenguer: “the partnership strategy the Extra festival! Who brought a different audience to the festival. maintain the gallery of literary adaptation in partnership with the SCELF, by strengthening the link between the book and the cinema or the TV series. There will be two main innovations in 2026. First. the theme of the sea will be replaced by that of the trip, taken in its broadest sense: interior travel, literary trips, poetry, but also tackling contemporary issues like those of exile, immigration or the creation of a shared experience around the trip of taste.

“A night open to the public on Friday evening”

We are also thinking of offering a nocturnal on Friday evening open to the general public. events around the relationship between culinary arts, table arts and literary genres. The team is already working intensely at this next edition. the participation file will be sent the week of June 30 to all pierre-yves bérenguer: “the partnership strategy exhibitors. Finally. in addition to the sponsorship research strategy conducted in 2025, we will launch our patronage research strategy in July so that large donors but also SMEs and VSEs can support our educational and cultural actions by donations to the right to a tax reduction.

“An intermediate row” special guest “. open not only to countries, but also to regions and large cities, capitals, metropolitan areas”

Do you also introduce a new category of guests?

Exactly. Until today, there was a huge gap between simple exhibitors and guest countries of honor. We have therefore made the decision to add an intermediate rank that will be called “special guest”. open not only to countries, but also to regions and large cities, capitals, metropolises. We are already asked. This will open the door to rich collaborations with countries that do not necessarily have the means. even the desire to be invited pierre-yves bérenguer: “the partnership strategy to honor. The idea is to welcome not only the book sector but more broadly the culture of the country concerned. by crossing all literary genres and artistic excellence, as we did with Morocco this year.

How is your transdisciplinary approach perceived by the sector?

All publishers. authors played the game and trusted us on the new formula, including genres like youth, which no longer came. We warmly thank them for this. In view of the success of this first edition. unanimously praised by the profession, we are encouraged to continue this path, to keep the central place in literature, continuing to meet genres with other disciplines, which we will renew each year. Even those who have been skeptical today speak of a new start. Because the project is as much public oriented as a professional world. It is a sensitive balance to find, a magnificent development opportunity and ultimately pierre-yves bérenguer: “the partnership strategy what constitutes its identity today. As we develop as much this great popular festival of the promised book in 2024 as international development. BtoB, for an increased visibility of the sector, we finally speak to everyone!