The fair named "Book, Child and Family" was attended by publishers from 35 countries.

In May the gates of the 16th Tehran International Book Fair fell open to a twelve-day swarm of bookworms, students, educators and general enthusiasts, who flooded the exhibition grounds and its hundreds of booths showcasing tens of thousands of books. The fair named "Book, Child and Family", was attended by publishers from 35 countries, alongside a staggering 1,963 domestic publishers all clambering to showcase their latest works.

Regional and international organizations including the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Educational, Social, Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have also set up stands at the fair. The traditional booths allocated to the press and media were also present.

One of the fair’s most attractive features was the availability of a wide range of up-to-date foreign books, which is something of a rarity, especially in Iran’s remote provinces. Many university students undertook long interstate journeys, to be the first to get their hands on the books they desired. Speaking with a couple of yawning red-eyed students waiting at the gates on the first day the fair was to open; they said "we’re from the University of Shiraz’s medical college. We’ve been on the bus all night to get here on the first day, before they run out of all the good books". A law student from the nearby Shahid Beheshti University said, "I’m thinking of coming to the fair on the first day, before they run out of stock and on the last day, when they put their leftovers on sale, and all the days in between. We wait all year for this fair, and even if we don’t buy much, we still enjoy being immersed in the cultural and educational atmosphere". Writers and university staff and students were given generous concessions to boost their purchasing power when buying foreign books, whose price tag was often too heavy for the average student to pick up.

During the inauguration ceremony (3 May 2003), which coincided with the World Press Freedom Day, Iranian President Seyed Mohammad Khatami, awarded the most distinguished publishers with the "Publishers of the Year" award. Khatami took the opportunity to say that the press was entrusted with the dire task of criticizing and acting as a limit to power. The press may come under pressure as the powerful do not take kindly to criticism. A free society is inextricably linked to a free press. The press is defined by its freedom and only then can it create a vibrant and vigilant society. It is a shame, therefore, that the press has always faced difficulties and challenges everywhere in the world.

He said that when critical thinking is coupled with freedom, a dynamic and excelling society will emerge. When we speak of freedom, we merely mean the freedom to work within frameworks defined by law, and no country allows its independence and territorial integrity to be jeopardized in the name of freedom.