A poster for the 19th Hangzhou Cultural and Creative Industry Expo. [Photo/19th Hangzhou Cultural and Creative Industry Expo]

The 19th Hangzhou Cultural and Creative Industry Expo will be held at the White Horse Lake International Convention and Exhibition Center from Oct 17 to 20, featuring expanded international participation and new digital experiences.

Since its debut in October 2007, the main exhibition area has grown from 10,000 square meters to 65,000 square meters, while the number of participating countries and regions has increased from just over 10 to more than 60.

This year's expo will welcome exhibitors from over 60 countries and regions, including France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Bulgaria, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, and Japan, as well as 26 international organizations and more than 5,800 domestic and overseas cultural brands. For the first time, Egypt, India, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Austria will host independent national pavilions.

A special Cultural Export exhibition area will highlight Hangzhou's achievements in global cultural communication, showcasing the city's booming online literature, web dramas, and online game industries. Visitors will be able to experience multilingual audiobooks, interactive short drama sets, and game demo zones designed to showcase the reach of Hangzhou's digital cultural products.

For the first time, the expo will also debut a fully AI-generated promotional film, created entirely through artificial intelligence — from scriptwriting and animation production to final editing. It is expected to show how technology is empowering cultural innovation and communication.