The 2018 China (Ningbo) Cultural Industries Fair will take place in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province from April 13 to 16. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2018 China (Ningbo) Cultural Industries Fair is set to take place in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province from April 13 to 16, local media reported on April 10.

With a total exhibition area of 53,000 square meters, the fair will set up eight pavilions for more than 2,800 booths.

Taking international, branding, market-oriented and specialized commerce as the goals, the eight pavilions in the fair will focus on cultural trade between Belt and Road countries, traditional culture and modern life, and intelligent digital technology for cultural products.

More than 1,500 enterprises have signed up for this year's fair, including some from over 30 countries along the Belt and Road route, a 20 percent increase year-on-year.

Various activities related to culture and cultural trade, including forums, seminars, festivals and competitions, are expected to be organized during the four-day event, such as a culture plus Internet technology forum, a cultural trade seminar, a "Maritime Silk Road" music festival and a Chinese-style gown design contest.

Centered on the principle of "the market is the touchstone", the fair this year will invite strategic cooperation partners from the market, a first step in a market-oriented approach.

The China (Ningbo) Cultural Industries Fair has attracted more than 350,000 visitors and many international agencies and delegations from 35 countries since it was first held in 2016.

The fair reached on-site deals worth 378 million yuan ($59.7 million) and future contracts totaling 12.84 billion yuan in 2017.