New “e-commerce packaging” show to come to Shanghai in 2019

Shanghai, 7th November: Tapping into the rapid growth of e-commerce services in China, a new niche event focused on - e-commerce packaging will be launched next year. The new show, Epack-Tech Asia, will be organised in 2019 and it will focus on food and non-food processing and packaging technologies.

The new show will be organised by Fiera Milano through Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai, its Chinese joint venture with Deutsche Messe AG and it will be held along side CeMAT Asia in October 2019.

CCID Consulting’s revenues up 31%

Beijing, 8th November: Recently, CCID Consulting, an IT research and information service provider based in China and listed in Hong Kong, reported its revenues for the nine months ended 30th September 2018 were US$14 million. This represents a 31% year-on-year increase. Net profit in the first nine months of the year were US$2.8 million compared with a loss of US$992,000 recorded in the same period in the previous year. Earnings per share in the period were RMB 0.0255 (US$0.0037).

Just over half of CCID’s revenues were generated from its management & strategy consultancy services amounting to US$7.3 million. This is an increase of 1.3% over last year. Its second largest business segment, information engineering supervision services, generated revenues of US$5.9 million and accounted for 41% of total revenues. That represents a growth of 128% compared to last year’s figure. The remaining revenues (US$1.2 million) were generated from its market consultancy services.

Sino Splendid reduces its losses

Hong Kong, 8th November: Earlier this month, Hong Kong-listed Sino Splendid (formerly China.com) announced its financial results for the nine-month period ended 30th September 2018. Revenues in the period were US$7.8 million, a year-on-year decrease of 4.1%. The company posted a loss of US$1.4 million, reducing its loss from the US$24 million recorded in the first nine months of 2017.

More than 70% of Sino Splendid’s revenues were generated from its travel media business, amounting to US$5.6 million. This represents a decrease of 7.0% year-on-year. The remaining revenues were generated from Sino Splendid’s finance magazine (US$2.1 million) and a very small amount from its money leading business (US$97,000).

HKTDC to host 4 events targeting SMEs

Hong Kong, 15th November: The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will organise four events for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SEMs) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) next month.

The SmartBiz Expo and Hong Kong International Franchising Show will take place from 5th to 7th December. More than 520 exhibitors from about 40 countries and regions will join the second edition of SmartBiz Expo, showcasing the latest business solutions, technology applications and operational support serving SMEs in the region. The Franchising Show, now in its fourth edition, will feature some 130 exhibitors from 13 countries and regions. The event serves companies and entrepreneurs looking for franchising brands, trying to identify business partners and gain franchising tips.

The Business of IP Asia Forum (BIP Asia Forum), organised by the HKTDC, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Design Centre will be held from 6th to 7th December. This year’s theme will be “IP and Innovation in the New Socio-technology Landscape” and it will feature 80 internationally acclaimed speakers.

Nearly 300 brands featured at “Best of British 2018”

Shanghai, 12th November: Organised by Media 10, Best of British 2018 closed on 21st October at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. Nearly 300 brands, covering British fashion, design, travel, education, technology, innovation, food and beverage products were showcased at the four-day show.

According to the organiser, 28,385 visitors attended the show, including 5,488 trade buyers and 5,747 VIP guests. The visitors experienced well-known British brands as well as new brands entering the Chinese market for the first time. The show was supported by: the British Consulate-General Shanghai, the Department for International Trade and the British Council. This year, it occupied an exhibition area of 12,000 m2.

Share price movement in B2B media companies involved in Asia

Figure 1: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement over past 12 months)

Figure 2: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement since January 2018)

Fortune sold to Thai billionaire

Bangkok, 13th November: This week, Chatchaval Jiaravanon, a member of Thailand’s wealthiest family, announced that he had acquired U.S. magazine, Fortune, a leading business publication, for US$150 million.

Chatchaval acquired Fortune from American publisher, Meredith, through Fortune Media Group Holdings which Chatchaval established for the purpose of acquiring the magazine.

HKTDC autumn fairs attract a record 195,000+ buyers

Hong Kong, 14th November: The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) has organised seven trade fairs during October and November. More than 195,000 buyers from 180 countries and regions visited the autumn fairs.

According to the HKTDC, nearly 9,700 exhibitors showcased their products and services at the seven exhibitions and of those, more than 7,200 were from Mainland China or overseas.

Of the seven trade fairs, five of them took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), including Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition), electronicAsia, Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition), Hong Kong Optical Fair, and Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair; while the Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo, and Eco Expo Asia were held at AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE).

Alibaba generates transaction value of US$30 billion on 11th November

China, 11th November: China’s largest e-commerce company, Alibaba Group, announced that it processed a record breaking gross merchandise volume (GMV) of US$30 billion during its “Global Shopping Festival” on 11th November. The transactions were processed through Alipay on Alibaba’s retail marketplaces (1688.com and Alibaba.com). That represents a year-on-year increase of 27%.

According to Alibaba, more than 40% of consumers made purchases from international brands and some 237 brands recorded over RMB 100 million (US$14.4 million) in GMV. Alibaba’s logistics subsidiary, Cainiao Network, processed 1.04 billion delivery orders from Alibaba’s marketplaces, exceeding 1 billion for the first time.

SingEx Venues to manage Singapore Expo for 10 more years

Singapore, 8th November: This week, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced that it has appointed SingEx Venues as the operator for Singapore Expo Convention & Exhibition Centre for 10 more years, effective January 2019. SingEx has been the management company responsible for operating Singapore Expo since 1999 when the venue opened.

SingEx’s current management contract will expire at the end of 2018. As a result, a Request for Proposal (RFP) was published on the government procurement portal, GeBIZ, in December 2017. In selecting SingEx, the STB stated that the company’s proposal demonstrated “a strong understanding of Singapore’s MICE industry and outlined a comprehensive plan to grow the MICE segment in relation to Singapore Expo.”

Informa’s releases positive trading update

London, 9th November: London-listed Informa plc released its trading update for the 10 months ending 31st October 2018. The group posted underlying revenue growth of 3.9% in the period.

The UBM businesses performed well in the same period. Overall, revenue growth in the period was 2.3%. The events business grew by 3.4%. Strong performances were recorded from the following segments: Pharma (CPhI Worldwide), Technology (Black Hat) and Lifestyle & Brands (Furniture China).

BOL’s profits up 142% in Q3

Bangkok, 8th November: Last week, Business Online (BOL), a leading online information service provider in Thailand, announced its financial results for the quarter ended 30th September 2018. Revenues in the third quarter were US$4.05 million, representing strong growth of 25% compared to the same quarter last year. Net profit in the quarter jumped 142%, reaching US$1.2 million.

More than 90% of BOL’s revenues were generated from its core information services – US$3.7 million. This represents a year-on-year increase of 25%. The company attributed the increase in revenues to its information services and to several special projects. Meanwhile, expenses in the quarter increased by 2.1%.

Share price movement in B2B media companies involved in Asia

Figure 1: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement over past 12 months)

Figure 2: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement since January 2018)