Ilya Popov takes part in SPIEF 2019

Ilya Popov, Riki Group general producer and president of the Animated Film Association, spoke at a St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) session dedicated to prospects for development in the creative segment of Russian exports and about counterfeit goods in the toy industry.

SPIEF was held in St. Petersburg from 6–8 June. On the second day of the business programme, leading experts from the creative sectors of the economy met for a session entitled ‘The Creative Economy: Strategies for Promoting High-Tech Exports’, organized by the Russian Export Centre. Today creative-industry products are one of the most promising areas for developing exports. The experts discussed how to effectively combine corporate promotion strategies with government support measures, how to create an environment for successful development and exports in creative industries, and how to make Russia an attractive jurisdiction for companies producing these goods.

The Riki Group is a leader in international distribution of children’s and family content. The group’s portfolio includes the Russian animation brands Kikoriki, PINCODE, BabyRiki, The Fixies, and Tina & Tony. Riki Group projects are shown on leading international broadcasters and digital platforms, whose numbers are constantly growing, as is the reach of the projects.

The popular Russian series Kikoriki, issued since 2003, has been exported to over 70 countries. Since July 2017, Netflix subscribers around the world have been able to access 178 episodes of the show.

The BabyRiki project is conquering the Chinese market, with its second season being broadcast on CCTV Kids and several regional broadcasters. The series is also on the air on ITV in the United Kingdom and has a digital reach around the world, including in Latin America and the United States.

The animation brand Tina & Tony set a record on the YouKu platform, reaching over 1 billion views in less than 4 months from the moment it launched in November 2018.

Ilya Popov also spoke at SPIEF, as part of a session entitled ‘Counterfeiting in the Toy Industry’ organized by the newspaper Kommersant. During the session, they discussed issues having to do with fighting piracy, improving quality control and safety in children’s toys, and efforts by players on the market to improve its transparency and cultivate responsible consumption.

This Forum, the 23rd, beat records both for attendance and for number of agreements signed, with 19,000 people from 145 countries taking part.

Photo source: Kommersant, Russian Export Centre.