Following a successful debut last year, the TV/Film Rights Centre and the Games Business Centre will return to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF), set to run from 31 March-3 April. With over 1,500 exhibitors and 31,000 professionals attending annually, the BCBF continues to consolidate its role as a premier global platform for children’s publishing and cross-sector dialogue.

Now entering its second edition, the TV/Film Rights Centre reaffirms the BCBF’s commitment to bridging the gap between publishing and the audiovisual sector. This dedicated space facilitates business encounters between producers, publishers, literary agents and licensing professionals. It offers tailored services including matchmaking activities, access to a strategic meeting area, inclusion in the Property Guide spotlighting IPs ripe for adaptation, and participation in the Licensing Portfolio Reviews.

Participants will also have access to the International Kids Licensing Days, the fair’s official transmedia conference programme. The 2025 edition will spotlight the convergence of publishing, gaming and licensing, with case studies celebrating milestone anniversaries of IP heavyweights Mattel and The Moomins, and a special focus on the growing influence of gaming across the creative sectors.

Alongside this, the Games Business Centre – a joint initiative between the BCBF and the Frankfurter Buchmesse (FBM) – returns as a dedicated hub connecting publishing with the video-game industry. Positioned at the core of the fair, it offers new networking and development opportunities for publishers, developers, producers and rights professionals looking to turn books into immersive gaming experiences.

Industry participants already confirmed include Paramount, Storymix, Skyship Entertainment, Ulvenfilm, Dino Wish, The Bright Agency, Aux Mode, Wingedchariot and Teidees for the TV/Film Rights Centre, while Feenix Group, Funtomata, Playnook, Gamebook Studio, Backspace, Story Toys, Savannah, Dalbitbooks and Wine & River are among the firms attending the Games Business Centre.