Beijing hails international comeback at June fair

The organiser of the Beijing International Book Fair has hailed a "big comeback of international professional exhibitors and visitors" to the show this year, reporting 17% growth in the number of exhibitors to 1,600, of which 1,050 came from outside China.

Twenty-seven UK companies took part at this BIBF, 25% up on last year, which was the first fully physical iteration of the fair since Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020. Overall attendance is still some distance off the pre-pandemic heights: at BIBF 2019, there were 56 British and almost 2,600 exhibitors in total.

Lin Liying, president of CNPIEC, organiser of the Beijing International Book Fair, said it had been "exciting to see a big comeback of international professional exhibitors and visitors".

She added: "Hosting BIBF in June at our new venue is our way of bidding goodbye to the end of the pandemic while signalling the start of a new chapter for the fair. The pandemic has brought many challenges to the publishing industry. But with challenges come opportunities. One thing is for certain: change is the status quo, and we need to see both sides and look forward to the possibilities. BIBF is forging ahead with hope and embracing the changes."      

CNPIEC also pointed to more than 1,000 cultural events, including mini-exhibitions, lectures, seminars, salons, author appearances, and book launches around Beijing, attracted nearly 300,000 visitors over the five-day period; 15 new countries and regions, including Azerbaijan, Czechia, Nigeria, Norway, Slovakia and Qatar, who participated this year compared to last year; while Japan, Malaysia, the UK and Italy expanded their presence.

There were also three major international conferences: the PubTech Conference (19th June), the BIBF World Children’s Book Forum (20th June), and the 2024 Beijing International Publishing Forum (21st June) focused on AI for publishing.

Next year the fair is scheduled to run from 18th to 22nd June.