BookFest 2016

The largest book exposition in Malaysia hosts more than 700 booths featuring leading publishers, books and stationery distributors from countries such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Belgium, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia. Visitors to BookFest @ Malaysia can expect millions of books from the latest and best collections of Chinese, English and Malay titles located at both the Chinese and English Pavilions respectively. At the same time, there is an assortment of latest and innovative stationery, audio-visual products, gadgets and IT products and many more which can be found at Lifestyle Pavilion. BookFest also serves as a platform for both local and international authors to present their writing masterpieces.

The annual book exposition occupies one of Malaysia’s most prestigious “state-of-the-art” Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) site – the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). Since BookFest’s inception in 2006, it has occupied an exhibition space of 100,000 square feet stretching across Hall 1 to Hall 5 of the Ground Floor Level. In 2011, the Organiser rolled out an expansion plan and increased its exhibition space from 100,000 square feet to 125,000 square feet with the introduction of the Lifestyle Pavilion located at the Grand Ballroom of Level 3. The Lifestyle Pavilion focuses on showcasing a wider genre of the latest stationery, music, gadgets and IT products in the market. Due to overwhelming reception from the public, the Lifestyle Pavilion expanded yet again with an addition of another 8,000 square feet (Banquet Hall) to accommodate an even wider range of products. This year, BookFest @ Malaysia 2016 will be retaining its generous event space of 133, 000 square feet in total, comprising of Halls 1 to 5, and the Grand Ballroom and Banquet Hall at Level 3.

BookFest @ Malaysia will take place over a period of 9 days, stretching over 2 weekends (2 Saturdays & 2 Sundays). Visitors can look forward to a wide range of fun-filled and exciting activities such as performances, contests as well as meet-the-authors sessions which are peppered throughout the exhibition days. Events and activities are catered to both the young and young-at-heart from all walks of life.

There is something for everyone to enjoy at BookFest @ Malaysia. The growing number of visitors to BookFest year after year is a testament of the public’s confidence toward the book exposition. In its inaugural year, BookFest saw 320,000 visitors step into its halls, and welcomed an overwhelming crowd of 400,000 in 2007. In 2008, the annual event proved to be even more successful with 450,000 visitors. In 2009, despite the Influenza H1N1 pandemic, BookFest still recorded an astonishing 420,000 visitors – a positive sign of the unabated passion for reading among Malaysians.

Then in 2010, BookFest saw a big leap in its visitorship with a record of 600,000 visitors while 2011 and 2012 went beyond the mark of 680,000 visitors. In 2013, BookFest received a total of 710,000 visitors and in 2014, welcomed a record breaking figure of 715,000 visitors. For its 10th Anniversary last year, BookFest welcomed over 690, 000 visitors.