Cultural fair to open Wednesday

A scene at a previous edition of the China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF). File photo

The 18th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) will officially open at its main venue in Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center in Bao’an District, as well as in 65 subvenues across the city between Dec. 28 and Jan. 2 next year.

The ICIF will be open to the public starting Thursday.

The fair will cover six halls spanning 120,000 square meters and hold major activities such as exhibitions, forums, negotiations, transactions and creation contests. In addition, ICIF will have virtual halls, including an International Hall, open on the cloud, according to the organizers. Visitors can take a virtual tour via www.cnicif.com or the WeChat miniprogram “文博会+.”

The organizers estimated that 2,532 government delegations, cultural institutions and enterprises will attend the fair as exhibitors onsite and 870 institutes and enterprises will set up online booths.

This year’s ICIF features exhibitions on the achievements of the high-quality development of the cultural industries, the digital strategy and innovation-driven development, inheritance and development of Chinese culture, tourism and cultural integration and cultural consumption, and cultural cooperation and exchanges.

For the first time, the organizers designated a hall for Cultural and Tourism Integration and Cultural Consumption and invited cultural and tourism enterprises to display their consumer brands and introduce measures to stimulate cultural consumption. The number of leading cultural enterprises in the ICIF this year account for 70% of the total and cultural products and items that will debut at the fair account for more than 40% of the total on display.

At the Cultural Technologies and Digital Creation Hall, the organizers will feature new applications, new digital transformation business modes, media convergence, and cultural and technological innovations.

Through a 3D VR exhibition system, the organizers upgraded the ICIF’s exhibition and transaction system on a cloud and will sync organizing information release, auctions, telecasts, roadshows, negotiations and transactions, and other major activities.

Visitors are required to make reservations at “文博会+.” ICIF, dubbed as China’s first cultural industries fair, has played an important role in Shenzhen’s cultural development. The added value of the city’s cultural industries has exceeded 250 billion yuan (US$35.77 billion), accounting for 8% of the city’s GDP. This year, the State Council commended Shenzhen as one of the 10 cities with significant cultural and tourism industry development.