Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

THE 21st China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF), which will take place from May 22 to 26, is set to be a grand gathering for the world’s cultural sector.

It will showcase an unprecedented level of international participation, highlighting its growing role as a global platform for cultural exchange and innovation, according to a press conference yesterday.

The number of Belt and Road countries participating in the fair, the global cooperation institutions involved, and the variety of products on display have all set new records. The international “circle of friends” of the fair has now expanded to nearly 100 countries and regions, bringing a diverse array of cultural products and creative collaborations.

Notable contributions include the Egyptian exhibition group, which will showcase multiple well-known cultural brands, and a Swedish luxury jewelry brand debuting rare amber collections from the Cretaceous period.

This year’s fair has organized a total of 6,280 government delegations, cultural institutions, and enterprises to participate both online and offline, an increase of 265 from last year’s edition.

A total of 305 overseas exhibitors from 65 countries and regions will participate online and offline. Professional overseas visitors from 110 countries and regions are also expected to attend the fair both online and offline.

This year, the fair has attracted more than 300 leading brands from home and abroad, including over 60 “new friends” who are participating for the first time. The fair will host more than 120 new product launch events.

It will showcase more than 120,000 cultural products, and over 4,000 cultural industry investment and financing projects will be displayed and traded on-site.

Additionally, the fair will highlight the empowerment of technology, with the first-ever establishment of an AI exhibition area, inviting more than 60 renowned companies to participate.

The fair’s main venue will be the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center in Bao’an District, with 52 subvenues across the city.

Renowned as the premier cultural expo in China, the ICIF has emerged as an unmissable highlight of the nation’s cultural landscape.

Over the years, it has recorded an impressive transaction volume exceeding 3 trillion yuan (US$476 billion).