Asia Business Media

Friday, January 30, 2015

Alibaba results surprise markets & Beijing criticises Alibaba for counterfeits

News this week: Yesterday, Alibaba Group announced its financial results for the quarter ended 31^st December 2014. Revenues in the period were US$4.2 billion, a year-on-year 40% growth, but this missed the average analyst estimate of US$4.4 billion. In addition, net income dropped 28% to US$964 million, and diluted earnings per share were RMB 2.29 (US$0.37).

Revenues from the China commerce retail business in the three-month period were US$3.4 billion, up 32% year-on-year, due to growth in commission revenue and online marketing services revenue. Mobile revenues from the China commerce retail business grew surprisingly by 448%, amounting at US$1.04 billion, caused by a greater proportion of GMV generated on mobile devices and an increase in the mobile monetization rate.

Separately, on Wednesday, Beijing released a report criticising Alibaba for the number of counterfeit goods available on its e-commerce platforms. The State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC) reportedly wrote the sternly worded report in July, but held back releasing the report until after Alibaba’s September IPO.

Alibaba’s stock dropped 8.8% to close at a three month low of US$89.81 on Thursday. The controversy may also have implications for Yahoo which announced this week it has plans to spin off its US$40 billion Alibaba shares into a new company – primarily to avoid paying taxes on the eventual sale of those shares.

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UBM Asia partners with Interexpo in Malaysia

News this week: UBM Asia has reached a partnership agreement with Malaysian organiser, Interexpo (M) Sdn Bhd, to organise the annual Beauty Expo beginning with this year’s event. According to UBM, key members of the Beauty Expo team will join UBM Malaysia to further develop the show.

Mak Weng Kit, owner and CEO of Interexpo and a 30-year veteran of the exhibition industry in Malaysia, developed the Beauty Expo more than 15 years ago. This partnership adds to UBM’s growing portfolio of beauty, cosmetics and wellness events across Asia, which already includes PhilBeauty in the Philippines, ASEANBeauty in Thailand, Diet & Beauty in Japan and Hong Kong’s Cosmoprof Asia.

Commenting on the partnership, Mak said, “Before becoming an entrepreneur I used to work for UBM. So it feels like something of a homecoming to be once again working with the company. I am excited about the potential to further grow Beauty Expo in partnership with UBM.”

Philippines to host luxury travel show

News this week: The Philippines will host Southeast Asia’s first luxury travel show, Asia Premium Travel Mart, from 26^th to 28^th May 2015 at SMX Convention Center.

Organised by S8 Exhibitions, Corporate International Travel & Tours, Light Miles Travel, Celebrate Life Travel & Leisure, Luxus Pacific and Rajah Tours, the annual event will showcase the Philippines as a luxury destination through hosting luxury inbound and outbound travel professionals. According to the organisers, an expected 150 to 200 exhibitors will join, with half of those originating from Asia-Pacific and others from Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.

Shan David, president, S8 Exhibitions, said, “Even if the north doesn’t have many luxury accommodation, we will make it a luxury experience for our buyers; we have three UNESCO sites, so the culture and heritage experience is there. We also know some buyers may not want to see beach destinations (only).”

Taiwan to grow MICE venue capacity over next 3 years

News this week: According to Meet Taiwan, Taiwan’s MICE promotion programme organised by the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), Taiwan will have more MICE capacity in the next three years with construction taking place in Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung.

The additional venue capacity includes the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center which opened in April 2014. The construction of further exhibition space at the Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall will be completed in 2017 and will be able to host a further 5,000 booths. The Taichung Convention and Exhibition Center will have a capacity of more than 3,350 booths, and is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Meanwhile, various prominent local hotels are also expanding their MICE facilities, with Marriott Taipei to open a convention centre in the second quarter this year. The centre will have a capacity of approximately 2,000 persons. Overall, in 2015, Taiwan is expecting to welcome 12 international conferences and attract several thousand participants.

TCEB launches ASEAN Rising Trade Show campaign

News this week: Last week, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) launched the ASEAN Rising Trade Show (ART) campaign at the Thailand International Exhibitions & Events Forum 2015 (TIEEF 2015) designed to position Thailand as the top events destination for exhibitions in the ASEAN region.

The ART marketing campaign focuses on three strategies: i) upgrading international exhibitions in the five key industries of automotive, energy, infrastructure, food & agriculture, and health & wellness over the next three years; ii) providing financial support to exhibition organisers’ international marketing efforts; and iii) expanding the ASEAN MICE Collaboration programme to capture new markets in southern China.

TCEB’s strategic and business development vice president, Mrs. Supawan Teerarat, said, “It is a three-year programme running until 2017. TCEB will provide financial support of US$764,000 annually to encourage trade show organisers to attract more quality visitors. We see the opportunity to expand the sector in ASEAN as well as to capture new markets in south China like Yunnan.”

UBM Asia acquires textile printing expo CSTPF

News this week: Earlier this week, UBM Asia announced the acquisition of digital textile printing trade show China (Shanghai) International Printing Industry Expo (CSTPF) from SUNEXPO Exhibition. UBM added that Mr. Gong Changming, general manager of CSTPF, will continue to lead the CSTPF staff and the team will join UBM China’s Shanghai office. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

CSTPF was launched by SUNEXPO in 2009. The 2013 edition of CSTPF attracted 158 exhibitors and occupied gross space of 12,000 m² at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). More than 15,200 visitors and buyers attended the show, including overseas visitors from Italy, the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Japan, Korea, Russia, India, Thailand, and Iran.

Jimé Essink, president & CEO of UBM Asia, commented, “We are entering a dynamic new sector through the acquisition of CSTPF. Textile and apparel is one of the largest and most important industries in China. The development of digital printing has accelerated with the drive for innovation and technological transformation in China to upgrade this industry. Today’s fast fashion characterised by small lot and customised printing adds further demand for digital printing.”

Friday, January 23, 2015

Alibaba signs MOU with CII

News this week: China’s largest e-commerce company, Alibaba Group, has signed an MOU with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to collaborate on trade and e-commerce opportunities between Indian and Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through its B2B arm – Alibaba.com.

Under the MOU, Alibaba will work with CII to run e-certificates programmes in India and help Indian SMEs to develop their business by engaging in partnerships with overseas businesses. The MOU will also help Indian SMEs to build brand image at both B2B and B2C levels through collaborations on promotional, training and educational activities.

Head of Global Business Development for Alibaba, Timothy Leung, said, “India is one of the key markets for Alibaba.com. We are confident that the CII and Alibaba.com partnership will support greater business engagement between Indian SMEs to the rest of the world.”

UBM launches new Indian event, concludes 2nd Kolkata jewellery show

News this week: Last week, UBM India announced the launch of Personal Care India Expo 2015, a new trade show focusing on personal care, cosmetic and home care ingredients, and the machinery and packaging industries. The three-day show will take place at New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan from 19^th to 21^st August.

UBM expects the inaugural show to attract around 150 exhibitors and 4,000 participants from around the world. Personal Care India Expo is supported by various industry bodies including the Chemexcil – Basic Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics Export Promotion Council, Indian Home and Personal Care Industry Association (IHPCIA), Fragrances and Flavours Association of India (FAFAI), EU Chamber of Commerce, Oil Technologists’ Association of India (OTAI), and the All India Cosmetic Manufacturers' Association (AICMA).

Separately, UBM India concluded the second edition of Kolkata Jewellery & Gem Fair (KJGF ‘15) hosting more than 200 exhibitors and 6,000 trade visitors. KJGF ’15 was held at the Milan Mela Exhibition Complex from 10^th to 12^th January, and hosted in association with the Calcutta Gems & Jewellery Association.

1,800+ exhibitors join HKTDC’s fashion events

News this week: Billed as Asia’s largest fashion event, the HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter opened earlier this week concurrently with co-located event, HKTDC World Boutique, Hong Kong. The trade events were held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) from 19^th to 22^nd January.

Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the two fashion events together reported an exhibitor number of more than 1,800. The 46^th edition of Fashion Week attracted some 1,500 exhibitors from 19 countries and regions, with first-time participants originating from Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal and the Netherlands.

More than 600 brands were exhibited at the 13^th World Boutique, where more than 300 first time participants from Finland, Nepal, New Zealand, South Africa and the U.S. exhibited this year. A new feature at this year’s show was the Fashionally Pavilion, which focused on designs from local designers.

Construction on schedule for Sydney’s ICC venue

News this week: The acting premier of New South Wales and Minister for Trade and Investment, Troy Grant, has announced construction of the new exhibition, convention and entertainment facilities at Sydney’s Darling Harbour is on schedule for its planned opening in December 2016.

The Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) has welcomed the news and claims the site has been completely transformed over the past 12 months which now shows evidence of the new structures rising since demolition began. According to Sydney’s CVB, Business Events Sydney (BESydney), 19 major international business events have already been secured for the new International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney).

Joyce DiMascio, chief executive of EEAA, commented, “With a redevelopment of this scale it’s good to know that construction by Lend Lease is progressing well and according to the timetable shared with industry. EEAA members are major users of the exhibition and convention centre precinct and so it’s very pleasing to know that at this stage we can look forward to an on-time return to the site.”