SINGAPORE - One of this region's longest-running and largest pop culture conventions is now part of the Singapore Media Festival.

The inclusion of Singapore Comic Con, formerly known as the Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention (STGCC) into the Singapore Media Festival will "offer more opportunities for Asian storytellers, drawing on inspiration across multiple genres and formats", according to a press statement issued by the Infocomm Media Development Authority on Tues (April 23).

On Dec 7 and 8, about 55,000 fans of games, comics and toys are expected to converge on a 15,000 sq m space at Marina Bay Sands Expo where they can dress up as characters, meet creators, buy collectibles or take part in panels and other events.

The announcement was made on April 23 by Minister for Communications and Information Mr S Iswaran at APOS Summit 2019, a telecoms, media and entertainment industry conference held in Bali.

Singapore Comic Con 2019 will also host local and regional esports tournaments for PC and mobile games.

To support the pop culture industry, a new Route to Market programme will be launched. It provides content creators from around the region a platform to submit ideas across all genres. The submissions will then be matched to publishers and studios. More details on the scheme will be released at a later date.

The pop culture convention joins other events held under the Singapore Media Festival umbrella. These include the Asian Academy Creative Awards (AAA), Asia TV Forum and Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore, Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) and the Festival's digital event SMF Ignite.