The second Shanghai International Children's Book Fair (CCBF), the only one of its type covering theAsia-Pacific region, is on course to be a stunning success.
All stands are now sold and major world names in the children's publishing industry will be well represented at the fair, which has moved to the Shanghai World Expo Centre in order to double the exhibition area of 2013.
CCBF, running from November 20th to 22nd, provides a one-stop insight into China's buoyant children's publishing sector, including distribution, rights and sales.
Exhibitors include major children's publishers such as China Children's Press and Publication Group,Shanghai 99 Readers, New Buds Publishing House and Hunan Children's Publishing House. A strong line up of Chinese digital players includingTencent, Dangdang and Amazon China ensures international exhibitors and visitors will be able to access the Chinese children's publishing market across rights and distribution sales.
The fair's international zone will present publishing giants from twenty countries around the world, with the UK andEurope, the United States, and South East Asia all well represented.
Key names exhibiting from The United States include Cengage Learning, McGraw Hill, Scholastic -- and, for the first time -- The AZ Group, Victoria Productions and Dancing Penguin. Eighteen UK publishers will be present, including Macmillan,Oxford University Press and Pearson, with Letterland and Bloomsbury also represented. Other European names includeItaly's Moon Publishing,Germany's Ravensburger and Dargaud and Bayard from France. Japan and South Korea's largest publishers, Poplar Publishing and Kywon respectively, will be exhibiting.
CCBF exhibition manager Randy Wang explained: "Children's book sales in China have enjoyed double digit growth in the last two years, with a phenomenal 11% year on year increase and representing 50% of the 100 best-selling titles in the first six months of 2014 alone. There is a huge demand for content, fuelled by multi-media opportunities, which is pushing children's books to the top of the best-selling book categories inChina."
PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMMES
CCBF is running a busy programme of professional events with forums designed to maximise visitors' experience at the fair. Over one hundred Chinese and international speakers from the industry will take part in 27 seminars and forums centred on four themes: Young Readers, Industry Insights, The Creators' Hub and Digital Minds.
Partnering with their Reed Exhibitions sister show, The London Book Fair and CCBF are jointly launching a professional forum entitled 'Partnering for Transmedia Success: Creative and Business Perspectives'. Simultaneous translation is provided to ensure that everyone gets maximum benefit from this half day forum.
PUTTING THE AUTHOR AT THE HEART OF THE FAIR
The fair is also public-facing with a Public Visitors' Day attracting thousands to the Children's Writers' Festival, with dozens of book signings, author talks and interactive sessions. International children's literature guruRoger Mello from Brazil -- winner of the 2014 International Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator Award -- will take part in a series of lively events over the three days of the fair.
CCBF manager Randy Wang concluded: "Following the strong foundations we built in 2013, CCBF 2014 is now a one-stop business platform that caters for all aspects of children's publishing across the globe. Exhibitors can be sure to find commercial success both in the areas of rights trading, publishing deals and direct sales to a fast-growing market of keen consumers."
