The Bangkok International Digital Content Festival 2017 (BIDC 2017) returns to the Thai capital next week. showcasing animation, games, virtual reality, computer graphics, e-learning, special effects and popular characters from Thai creators from Monday (March 20) until March 24 at Centara Grand Hotel at CentralWorld.

BIDC is Thailand’s largest annual digital content event and is organised by both the private and public sectors. Key players include the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) and five Thai digital content associations, among them the Thai Game Software Industry Association (TGA) and the Thai Animation & Computer Graphics Association (TACGA).

Seminars, workshops, an one-on-one business matching session and numerous social networking opportunities will be up for grabs and renowned mentors and speakers from world-famous companies like Walt Disney Animation Studio and Grasshopper Manufacturer will be on hand to share their experience with Thai creators. Meanwhile the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) is bringing in speakers from TV Tokyo Communications Corporation to share their ideas. The seminars will be held from March 22-24.

Director general of the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Malee Choklumlerd, says that the value of digital content was Bt12.745 billion in 2015, an increase of 12.4 per cent over the previous year. The growth in gaming business stands at Bt8.89 billion and the animation business at Bt3.85 billion.

She adds that the animation and gaming industries are driven by imports while the export industry earns only Bt1.54 billion (Bt499 million from animation and Bt1,04 billion from gaming).

Visit http://www.BangkokDC.com.