This high-quality development seed planted in Shenzhen 20 years ago has grown into a towering tree and become a highlight of Shenzhen's urban competitiveness.
The China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industry Expo and Trade Fair (hereinafter referred to as ICIF), which has been elaborately built for 20 years, has entered a weak year this year. Since its inception in 2004, ICIF has grown with cultural dreams, injecting endless vitality and momentum into the prosperity and development of the national cultural industry.
Over the past 20 years, the number of exhibitors has increased from more than 700 in the first session to 6015 in the twentieth session, the exhibition area has expanded from 45000 square meters in the first session to 160000 square meters in the twentieth session, and the number of participating countries and regions has increased from 10 in the first session to 108 in the twentieth session. With 20 years of trials and hardships, ICIF has constantly broken its own records: the cumulative total turnover has exceeded 2.8 trillion yuan, the cumulative number of enterprises and institutions serving the cultural industry has reached 42323, the cumulative number of visitors has reached 65 million, the cumulative number of exhibits of cultural and creative industries at home and abroad has reached 2 million, the cumulative number of trade shows of cultural industry investment and financing projects has exceeded 70000, radiating more than 100 countries and regions around the world.
The increasing number of participants in ICIF over the past 20 years shows the strength of national cultural events and the growing international influence. Cultural trade has political, economic and cultural values, and is an important way for countries around the world to spread culture and values. Today, the holding of ICIF has become an annual event in the field of Chinese culture, which not only affects the nerves of Chinese cultural enterprises, but also closely matches the national economic policy situation, and constantly promotes China's foreign cultural exchanges and cooperation and multi-level civilization dialogue.
Stepping on the hot land of reform and opening up, ICIF seized the opportunity, took advantage of the "momentum", climbed the peak, and insisted on launching "pioneering" every year, which not only became the "launching place" of new technologies and new products, but also became the practice place of its own business type and mode innovation. In 2024, ICIF will focus on expanding foreign cultural trade, strive to improve the international level of the exhibition, and set up the "International Cultural Trade Exhibition" for the first time. While promoting Chinese cultural products to the world, ICIF is also actively attracting foreign resources to settle in, and has become an important base and platform for Chinese culture to "go global".
20 years of culture and museum, building dreams and continuing the Chinese chapter. New era, new mission, new ICIF, ICIF, these highlight moments are worth remembering.
2004
The first ICIF was held in the former Shenzhen High tech Fair, where more than 700 enterprises and institutions participated. The total contract turnover and intended turnover reached 35.69 billion yuan. The first ICIF was launched with a bang and was selected as one of the "Top Ten Cultural Events in China" in 2004;
2005
The establishment of Shenzhen International Cultural Industry Expo Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "ICIF Company"), a professional exhibition organization, has opened the way to explore the market-oriented operation of ICIF;
2006
The Macao Special Administrative Region organized a group exhibition for the first time; In the same year, ICIF was listed as one of the key cultural exhibitions supported by the Outline of the National Cultural Development Plan for the 11th Five Year Plan Period, and became the first comprehensive cultural industry expo certified by UFI in China;
2007
The number of participants in the third ICIF exceeded one million, forming the exhibition policy of "internationalization, marketization, specialization, refinement and standardization";
2008
The "First China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industry Summit Forum" was held, the first international cultural museum was set up, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region organized a group to participate in the exhibition for the first time;
2009
The first "China Cultural Industry Project Capital Interaction and Exchange Zone" was established, and Taiwan officially organized a group to participate in the exhibition for the first time;
2010
The Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee led the establishment of the "ICIF Coordination Leading Group"
All 31 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions participated in the exhibition, realizing the "full house success" of government groups for the first time, with a total turnover of 108.856 billion yuan, breaking the 100 billion yuan mark for the first time;
2011
It is the first time to set up an intangible cultural heritage museum and participate in launching the "China Cultural Industry Investment Fund". ICIF was included in the Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Several Major Issues Concerning Deepening the Reform of the Cultural System and Promoting the Great Development and Prosperity of Socialist Culture;
2012
It is the first time to hold the "China (Shenzhen) ICIF Macao Boutique Exhibition" in Macao;
2013
The proportion of overseas exhibition areas of the 9th ICIF exceeded 10% for the first time. Overseas purchasers from more than 90 countries and regions participated in the exhibition, and the number of overseas merchants reached a record high. The number of exhibitors at home and abroad exceeded 2000 for the first time;
2014
The ICIF will set up a professional audience day and a public open day for the first time. Highlighting the effectiveness of transactions, the transaction volume exceeded 200 billion yuan for the first time;
2015
The first "Belt and Road International Pavilion" was established, and all exhibits from 15 countries, including Russia and India, were sold out;
2016
ICIF was listed in the 2020 Implementation Plan for Shenzhen Cultural Innovation and Development for the first time, becoming a key project of Shenzhen cultural innovation during the "13th Five Year Plan" period;
2017
The ICIF first launched the "ICIF Copyright Pass" platform to provide professional copyright protection services for all visitors. The number of overseas purchasers exceeded 20000 for the first time;
2018
The Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee officially became the organizer of ICIF for the first time;
2019
For the first time, the "Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area Cultural Industry Museum" was set up, focusing on the construction of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangdong Hong Kong Macao cooperation, and the Pan Pearl River Delta regional cooperation, to organize the participation of leading cultural enterprises and institutions from Hong Kong and Macao, as well as 21 cities in Guangdong and the whole province;
2020
ICIF is held online for the first time in the form of "ICIF on cloud", and the exhibition platform is the official website of ICIF and WeChat applet "ICIF+";
2021
The offline main venue was moved to Shenzhen International Convention and Exhibition Center, and it was held online and offline simultaneously for the first time. In the same year, ICIF was written into the 14th Five Year Plan for Cultural Industry Development;
2022
ICIF was written into the Brief History of the Propaganda Work of the Communist Party of China. In the same year, the National Copyright Administration was listed as the host of ICIF for the first time, and the national status of ICIF was further deepened, and the brand influence was constantly improved. More than 100000 cultural products were exhibited and more than 4000 cultural industry investment and financing projects were launched. The total number of participants in the main venue, branch venues and relevant activity sites exceeded 2 million;
2023
For the first time, ICIF and the First Forum on Building a Cultural Powerful Country will shine together. The total number of exhibitors settled on the cloud ICIF platform exceeded 6000 for the first time, and digital cultural and creative products were the first to be promoted. The digitization work of ICIF was rated as one of the "Ten Major Events of Cultural Digitization" in 2023;
2024
The ICIF ushered in its 20th anniversary, focusing on improving the trading function, and comprehensively deepening the level of internationalization, marketization, specialization and digitalization. The number of online and offline exhibitors will exceed 6000, and the theme exhibition area of "Cultural and Creative China" will be set up for the first time.
Article and picture/Guangzhou Daily Xinhuacheng reporter: Jiang Si
Edited by: Wu Jiahong