Introduction of the 12th Beijing International Book Fair

By: Jiao Guoying

Vice Chairman of The Organizing Committee of Beijing International Book Fair

Deputy General Manager of China Books Import and Export (Group) Corporation

 

August 18th, 2005

Dear leaders, guests and friends from the journalism circle,

 

Good morning. First of all, please allow me to represent the Undertakers of Beijing International Book Fair to express our sincere gratitude for your coming! Thank you for coming here today to attend the news briefing, and thank you for your long-term attention and support to the Fairs!  

Books are the carrier to record and spread human civilization, as well as an important tool for inter-national communications around the world. In the era of knowledge economy and Internet economy, although more media are widely applied, the importance of books does not shrink accordingly. The Beijing International Book Fair was established upon the approval of China’s government since the reform and openness. Over the past 20 years, by taking the tenet of “introducing world books to China and make Chinese books spread over the world”, under the guidance and support of the Initiators, Beijing International Book Fair has exerted an important role in promoting the international scientific, technical and cultural exchanges, expanding the Sino-foreign cooperative publication and copyright trades and developing the books import and export trades, as well as grown into a main arena for intercommunications in the Asian book industry and one of the most important book fairs of the world.

This session of fair is held on the occasion of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council advance to build a harmonious society, vigorously develop the cultural industry and implement the strategy of “China’s publication goes outbound to enter the international market”, which provides an unusual development opportunity for the convening of the Fair. The fruitful development of China’s publication industry in recent years brings forward inherent actual requirement for the publishers to expand the Sino-foreign cultural exchanges, which settles the foundation for this Fair; the 60th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and China’s Anti-Japanese War, French-China Culture Year, cross-strait senior leveled communication meeting and the like also provide more rich national cultural activities background. 

The 12th Beijing International Book Fair will be held in China International Exhibition Center on September 1-5. Under the high recognition and leadership of the Organizing Committee, the Undertakers have made meticulous preparation. Now every work is in strenuous and orderly progress. Most works have been ready. Now, entrusted by the Organizing Committee, I will report the 12th Beijing International Book Fair to you. 

I.    Stick to the International Exhibition Standard and Enhance the level of the Fair

Along with the increasing influence of Beijing International Book Fair, the scale of the Fair is also gradually increasing. The site of this Fair is located at the No. 1 Hall of China International Exhibition Center with the number of booths totaling to about 1099 (the last year the figure is 984, i.e., an increase of 115).

This Fair will welcome 48 participating countries, regions and international organizations (last year it is 42, an increase of 6). Compared to the last year, the increase in number of overseas booths is big among French, USA, UK and Hong Kong. The new participating countries include Brazil, Mexico, Poland, Denmark, Vietnam and Egypt. Now new overseas publishers applying for booths still continue. The trend of good sale of overseas exhibition sectors and booths reflects that Beijing International Book Fair has become one important international exhibition with certain international influence. 

This Fair will continue to stick to the standard and form of large international book fair, by incorporating books exhibition, overseas book and periodical subscription and copyright trade, and the majority of exhibits are books, complemented by pressworks, periodicals, AVs and e-publications. Compared to the last session, the exhibition area and the number of booths both increase.

II.  Enrich Cultural Communication Activities, and Highlight the Fair Feature

Based on summarizing the successful experience of the previous fairs, this session of fair will hold various rich cultural communication activities to highlight the feature of the Fair, such as the ceremony reception, the state leaders meeting with the French delegation, the awarding rite of “Chinese Books Special Contribution Prize”, setting up the prime guest country, the newly designed rights center, holding Beijing International Publication Forum and the copyright trade workshop such many main activities.

 (I) The Ceremony Reception and The Awarding Rite of “Chinese Book Special Contribution Prize”

18:30-20:30, August 31st, 2005, at the People’s Great Hall, the Ceremony & Reception Cocktail Party to the 12^th Beijing International Book Fair will be held. Before the Reception, the state leaders will meet the French delegation (about 100 members). After the addresses by the Chinese and French Parties, the state leaders will award the “Chinese Book Special Contribution Prize” to the Chinese and foreign publishers, translators and writers with outstanding contribution. 

The holding and development of the Fair has earned attention and support from different levels of leaders. The state leaders will come to the site of this Fair in the start day to visit the exhibition and meet the home and foreign delegates attending the Fair.

 (III) The First Set-up of the Prime Guest Country

According to the arrangement of 2005 French –China Culture Year, the French publication circle will participate the 12th Beijing International Book Fair in the status of “prime guest country” during September 1-5, 2005. This is the first time of Beijing International Book Fair to set up a prime guest country, and thereafter, we will set up a prime guest country every year.

 (IV) Newly Designed Rights Center

In order to promote the “China’s Books Outbound Promotion Program”, this Fair will set up a 500m² rights center to further spread the Chinese national culture, display China’s publication achievements, as one effective measure to carry out the strategy of China’s publication to the outside world. 

 (V) Holding the Copyright Workshop

The “2005 BIBF Copyright Trade Workshop” was held in Qingdao in July 2005. The successful holding of the “2005 BIBF Copyright Trade Workshop”, propagandizing of the state copyright trade policy and copyright law, communication of copyright trade experience, and study and reference to the successful practice of overseas copyright trade, are all beneficial to promoting China’s copyright development, laying a foundation for the copyright trade of Beijing International Book Fair. 

 (VI) The Holding of Beijing International Publication Forum 

The “2005 Beijing International Publication Forum” will be held in Beijing Kempinski Hotel on August 30^th, 2005, and will last one day. The theme of the forum is the “Innovation and Development of The Publication Industry”, which, along with the copyright trade workshop, as an important cultural activity before the Fair, has become a key element of the BIBF brand.

III. Insist on “service” as the basis and Improve the fair organizing level 

 “To provide the best service to participants and readers” is the tenet of the Fair Organizer. In order to ever increase the service level and quality, the Undertakers add many service items:

1. Provide www.bibf.net network platform or use other professional websites to build the “2005 BIBF online secondary site of the fair”, to realize the network service incorporating fair invitation, service, activity report, available booklist search and copyright trade. Now the online automatic search service concerning the home and foreign participants’ information has been available.

2. Do well the building service work, to provide customized simple booth building plan (low price and good quality) for mid and small publication companies for their reference. 

3. In order to enlarge the publicity strength, the Fair News Center has selected a partner from various media to guarantee the scope, depth and professionalism of publicity work; in addition, the Fair News Center will also set the news hotline, appoint the news information download website; provide the “BIBF work briefing” and “Interview Guidance” and etc, so as to provide good quality and high efficient report service to the journalism circle.    

4. Do well the exhibit retaining and purchase work for domestic and foreign participants.

5. Serve the participants very patiently. The Fair designated travel agency will arrange hotels and after-fair visit activities for home and foreign exhibition personnel; the designated transportation companies will provide the participants with fabrics, the transport and return transport of withdrawal exhibits; it will provide translation/ interpretation service personnel; to provide telephone, fax, photocopy, online communication and other services; to provide business consultation chamber; to provide copyright consulting and agency service; to provide package consignation service, short order service, free drinks service and etc.  

6. The professional scene and the public scene will be divided by adjusting the ticket price. The first three days of the Fair is arranged as the “professional scene”, with the ticket price of 30 yuan, principally speaking, only the insiders are allowed to enter the scene for the convenience of copyright trade consultation; the later two days are arranged as the “public scene” with the ticket price of only 2 yuan .

Finally, Let me represent the Initiators and Undertakers to show sincere thankfulness to the friends of the journalism for your great support to the Beijing International Book Fair in many years, as well as welcome the journalist friends to attend and report this pageant! 

Let us bless the great success of the 12^th Beijing International Book Fair! Thank you!

2005BIBF NEWS CENTER：

Manager:li shuping

Linkman:Guoshu

TEL:8610-65089134

FAX:8610-65089130,65913267

TEL DURING THE BIBF: 8610-84601647，84600914

EMAIL：bibf@cnpiec.com.cn

WEBSITE：www.clubol.com

[时间：2005-09-02]