JTB to acquire Northstar

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Tokyo, 28th August: JTB Corp., a leading travel solutions providers in Japan, announced to acquire Northstar Travel Group, a leading B2B travel industry events, media and information services company, from investments funds managed by EagleTree Capital and its co-investors. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

After the acquisition, JTB’s business development will focus on the followings: 1) Expanding Northstar’s established brand presence into new regions and business domains; 2) Enhancing digital product offerings through AI and advanced data utilization; and 3) Strengthening customer services and solutions across the entire JTB by leveraging Northstar’s global network and advanced marketing capabilities. In addition, JTB will operate Northstar as an independent, wholly owned subsidiary, and will continue to be led by its existing management team.

Northstar’s Chief Executive Officer Jason Young, said, “We are thrilled to partner with JTB as we enter the next phase of our company’s incredible history. Our shared commitment to the travel industry, cultural alignment, and collective expertise – combined with the opportunity to accelerate Northstar’s geographic expansion in the Asia Pacific region – will enhance our ability to deliver value to our audiences and customers as we advance our mission.”

Terrapinn buys Australia’s Digital Health Festival

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Australia, 1st September: Terrapinn announced the company has acquired Digital Health Festival (DHF), an event for health professionals in Australia committed to a digital future. No financial details of the acquisition have been disclosed.

DHF takes place in Melbourne in May, which is the claimed to be the largest events of its type in the southern hemisphere, featuring 350 exhibitors, 125 start-ups and 400 speakers, attracting 8,000 attendees.

Hamish Steel, CEO and founder, Digital Health Festival, was quoted, “Terrapinn gets DHF and has all that is needed to take the show to the next level. We are confident that they will grow the show, serve the community and be a great home to our team. We are delighted to bring the quality of Digital Health Festival to our stable of international life science and health events.”

Alibaba’s profit jumps 76% in June quarter 2025

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Hangzhou, 29th August: Last week, Alibaba Group, China’s largest e-commerce company, announced its results for the quarter ended 30th June 2025. The company recorded revenues of US$35 billion, an increase of 2% year-on-year.

The company’s profit posted a rise of 76% over the same quarter in 2024, reaching US$5.9 billion. Diluted earnings per share in the quarter were RMB 2.25 (US$0.31). The company attributed the increase in profits to mark-to market changes from its equity investments and gain from the disposal of local consumer service business of Trendyol.

In terms of its B2B business, revenues from the China commerce whole of the Alibaba China E-commerce Group, primarily generated through 1688.com, were US$937 million, an increase of 13% over the same quarter last year. While the International commerce whole from the Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, primarily from Alibaba.com, generated revenues of US$886 million, also up 13% year-on-year. In total, the B2B business only accounted for 5.3% of Alibaba Group’s total revenues.

In terms of the business segment, the largest segment was the Alibaba China E-commerce Group, accounted for 57% of the total revenues, amounting at US$20 billion. The Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group was the second largest segment, generated revenues of US$4.9 billion, and accounted for 14% of the total revenues. The remaining revenues were generated from the Cloud Intelligent Group (US$4.7 billion) and other businesses.

Eddie Wu, Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba Group, stated, “This quarter, our strategic focus on consumption and AI + Cloud delivered strong growth. Our decisive investment in the quick commerce business achieved key milestones as we won consumer mindshare. We generated substantial synergies from combining resources of our consumer platforms which resulted in new highs in monthly active consumers and daily order volume. Driven by robust AI demand, Cloud Intelligence Group experienced accelerated revenue growth, and AI-related product revenue is now a significant portion of revenue from external customers. Looking ahead, we remain committed to investing in our two strategic pillars of consumption and AI + Cloud to capture historic opportunities and drive long-term growth.”

DLG’s posts decreases in first half

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Shanghai, 28th August: DLG Exhibitions & Events (formerly Shanghai Lansheng Corporation) has recently reported its financial results for the six months ended 30th June 2025. Revenues in the first half of the year were US$77 million, representing a year-on-year decrease of 6.2%.

The company’s net profit dropped 31% year-on-year, down to US$7.9 million in the first half of 2025. Diluted earnings per share in the first half of the year were RMB 0.08 (US$0.011).

In the reported period, the company hosted or co-hosted 11 exhibitions, featuring some 684,000 m2. Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, the venue operated by DLG, hosted 35 exhibitions and events, with a total rental area of 4.27 million m2.

Sino Splendid posts a profit

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Hong Kong, 29th August: Also last week, Hong Kong-listed company Sino Splendid (formerly China.com) released its results for the six months ended 30th June 2025. Revenues during the period were US$2.4 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 1.5%. The company recorded a net profit of US$323,000 in the first half of 2025, compared with a loss of US$768,000 in the first half in 2024. Diluted earnings per share in the six-month period were HK$0.017 (US$0.0022).

Majority of Sino Splendid’s revenues were generated from the Financial Magazine and Other Media Business, amounting at US$2.3 million, which is flat with the first half of last year. The remaining revenues were generated from its Money Lending segment (US$55,000), the Securities Investment segment (US$45,000), and the Travel Media segment (US$44,600).

The company claimed the increase in revenues was mainly due to the increase in revenues from the travel media business, which increased 46%.

In the future, the company will improve its operation efficiency and profitability of its business. It will also seek opportunities to expand its customer base and its market share and undertake more projects.

Quick takes

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New Director appointment of MIPIM

RX France has appointed Nicolas Boffie as its new Director of MIPIM, the global urban festival. Boffi has over 20 years of experience in real estate and urban development, working across project management, business development and public affairs. With his experience, he will strengthen MIPIM’s position as the global forum. In addition, MIPIM will introduce new content initiatives to support real estate’s transformation, from a stronger focus on AI disruption and to the road to net zero, to help industry leaders turn technological change into strategic advantage.

RX appoints Global Head of Digital Product Development

International exhibition organiser, RX Global, announced the promotion of Jamie Harrison, Senior Vice President, Product Development, to be the new Head of Digital Product Development. In the new position, he will continue his current responsibilities of leading RX’s global product development, and he will also lead digital innovation, customer insights, and commercial product opportunities across the business.

Netsun’s revenues up, but deepen loss

Shenzhen-listed Zhejiang Netsun, a B2B e-commerce platform, has released its financial results for the six months ended 30th June 2025. The company’s revenues were US$43 million during the period, representing an increase of 26% over the first half of 2024. However, the company posted a net loss of US$982,000, compared with a loss of US$421,000 in the first half of 2024. The company attributed the loss to its strategic adjustment of its supply chain service business, leading to a decrease in supply chain service revenues and interest income.

New BeautySum India 2025 launches in New Delhi

Organised by Messe Esang, exhibition management company in South Korea, the inaugural BeautySum India 2025 was held at Yashobhoomi (India International Convention & Expo Centre) in Dwarka, New Delhi. Running from 28th to 30th August, the event covered an exhibition area of about 9,600 m2, providing a platform for beauty innovation, collaboration, and trade.