By Norrasyidah Arshad
SHAH ALAM, Nov 4 — The Selangor International Book Fair (SIBF) 2024 is set to welcome more than 300,000 visitors when it opens on November 27, bolstered by its concurrent running with three major state education exhibitions.
Selangor Public Library Corporation Corporate Division head Zafrullah Aris said this year’s event will be held under the inaugural Selangor Education Summit, which focuses on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives.
“We project 300,000 visitors over the seven-day fair, though numbers could surge higher given the simultaneous staging of the Selangor Advanced Skills Expo, Selangor Education STEM, and Selangor R&D Innovation exhibitions,” he said.
“This influenced our choice of Setia City Convention Centre as this year’s venue, given its extensive space and visitor amenities.”
The week-long event, which runs until December 3, will feature more than 400 booths, showcasing local industry players alongside international guests to broaden the reach of the book industry.
“Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj is expected to grace the opening ceremony,” Zafrullah said.
Launched in 2022, SIBF is a continuation of the Selangor Book Fair, which ran annually for 16 years from 2006.
Beginning last year, the state administration has also hosted the Selangor Children’s Book Fair at the PKNS Complex, here, showcasing local authors, publishers and booksellers.
Last year’s SIBF drew over 250,000 visitors over 10 days at the Shah Alam City Council Convention Centre in Section 13.
