The 18th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) kicked 
off on December 28, 2022. This year's ICIF is held mainly offline, complemented 
by synchronized online exhibitions. It is estimated that over 2,500 
governmental delegations, cultural institutions and businesses will attend the 
fair on site, while 800 institutes and enterprises will set up online booths.

The ICIF is the first cultural fair in China recognized by the Global 
Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI). Since its inception in Shenzhen 
in 2004, the fair has seen a continuous increase in exhibition scale, audience, 
and level of internationalization. It has now grown into a key engine for 
China's cultural industrial growth, as well as an important platform and window 
to spread Chinese culture to the world, according to Shenzhen Municipal 
People's Government.

According to statistics, every year, the ICIF gathers over 100,000 exhibits 
from cultural and creative industries at home and abroad, and more than 4,000 
cultural investment and financing projects are displayed and traded at the 
fair. By participating in the event, numerous excellent overseas businesses and 
institutions have successfully expanded their market and found new 
opportunities for cooperation and development.

Notably, an International Exhibition Hall has been set up on this year's Cloud 
ICIF. A total of 300 overseas cultural institutions and businesses from 30 
countries and regions across the globe have been invited to the online fair. 
Domestic and foreign cultural products and projects are being displayed on the 
online platform, with a strong emphasis on promoting cultural exchange and 
trade between China and other countries along the Belt and Road, and expanding 
the international network for cultural trade.

Miao Song, founder and director of the Canada China Art-Tech (CCAT), brought 
along its Canadian partners Telefilm Canada, Concordia University, and The 7 
Fingers. She said, "This is the 4th time we have participated in the ICIF. This 
year we see more participating countries and more diverse exhibits. 
Particularly, the technology culture products have never failed to impress me."

In response to a question on why the CCAT takes part in the fair, Director Song 
believes that the CCAT shares many core values with the ICIF in supporting the 
growth of China's cultural industry and assisting Chinese cultural products in 
reaching a global audience. She added: "The CCAT exhibits are diversified, 
embracing science and technology, arts, academia and humanities, and other 
sectors, so it fits well with the ICIF's high-quality, diverse and 
comprehensive display mode."

Additionally, this fair has opened up new avenues for attracting foreign 
investment and exhibitors, so as to engage more domestic and international 
cultural institutions and businesses, and help exhibitors accelerate their 
integration into China's "dual circulation" development pattern and develop new 
markets. It will build itself into a significant cultural platform for 
international procurement, investment promotion, people-to-people exchange, and 
open cooperation. A total of 10,931 buyers from 108 countries and regions, like 
France, Germany, and Pakistan, have registered for the online fair.

Ambassador JUDYTH NSABABERA from Consulate General of the Republic of Uganda in 
Guangzhou said: "This year, we are honored to participate in the 18th ICIF 
online and offline. We hope that through this exchange, we can show our African 
culture, products and projects on such an excellent platform as the ICIF, and 
we also hope that through this ICIF we can help the development of cultural 
industries in China and Uganda reach a higher level."

As a state-level, international and comprehensive fair for cultural industries, 
the ICIF has celebrated 17 sessions so far. It has promoted the development of 
cultural industry across the country as well as that of Shenzhen City. The fair 
has become a signature event to showcase Shenzhen's achievements in economic, 
social and cultural development and an important window into this growing 
metropolis. Currently, the added value of Shenzhen's cultural industries has 
exceeded 25 million yuan, accounting for over 8% of the city's GDP.

Director Song Miao said, "Shenzhen is an international city with high 
inclusiveness and a front-runner in opening up. Boasting a large number of 
high-tech enterprises and a huge market, it has maintained a robust growth 
momentum in foreign investment and continuously witnessed an increase in the 
number and scale of businesses going global. The CCAT wants to further 
cooperate with Shenzhen businesses and institutions in film-making, 
film-related activities, technology development, and project venture capital 
investment to achieve win-win results. In addition, we would like to express 
our sincere thanks to and our full confidence in the ICIF's positive role in 
boosting the cooperation."

Source: Shenzhen Municipal People's Government