Hangzhou, 4th May: Last week, China’s largest e-commerce company, the Alibaba Group, announced its financial results for the most recent quarter as well as for the year ended 31st March 2018. For the quarter ended 31st March, the company recorded revenues of US$9.9 billion, up 61% year-on-year. However, net income in the period fell 33%, down to US$1.1 billion. The company attributed the decrease to non-recurring disposal gains arising from sale of investments in the same quarter in 2017.

Bangkok, 7th May: Earlier this week, Bangkok-based business information provider, Business Online (BOL), announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2018. Revenues in the quarter were US$3.3 million, down 4.9% year-on-year.

Pakistan, 8th May: China’s largest e-commerce company, the Alibaba Group, announced it has acquired the Daraz Group, which claims it is South Asia’s largest e-commerce platform. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Share price movement.

Japan, 24th April: Clarion Defence & Security and Crisis Intelligence will jointly launch and operate a defence exhibition and conference in Japan. The event will be named, DSEI Japan, and it will be held next year in Tokyo.

Hong Kong, 27th April: Last month, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) concluded its Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair and Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair, attracting more than 64,000 buyers from 14 countries and regions. That represents a 3.5% increase over previous edition in 2017.

Hong Kong, 27th April: Global Sources opened its Global Sources Fashion show in Hong Kong at AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) on 27th April. The event ran until 30th April. There were over 1,800 booths at the show showcasing a wide range of fashion products, including accessories, sportswear, footwear, bags, fabrics and apparel.

Paris/Verona, 2nd May: UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has elected its President for the 2019/2020 term. Mary Larkin, from Diversified Communications, which is headquartered in Portland, Maine, will be the first female president of UFI and the first president of the association to be based in the U.S.A..

Beijing, 26th April: Last week, Baidu, the leading Chinese language Internet search provider, announced its financial results for the quarter ended 31st March 2018. Total revenues in the quarter were US$3.3 billion, which represents a 31% increase over the same period in 2017. Net income in the quarter jumped 277% year-on-year, reaching US$1.1 billion. Diluted earnings per share in the period were RMB 18.68 (US$2.98).

Hangzhou, 27th April: Recently, Shenzhen-listed Zhejiang Netsun released its year-end financial results for 2017. Revenues in the year were US$55 million, up 12% compared with 2016. Meanwhile, net profit grew 52% year-on-year, reaching US$2.9 million. Diluted earnings per share in the year were RMB 0.08 (US$0.012).

Share price movement.

Nanjing, 24th April: Focus Technology, the holding company that owns and operates Made-in-China.com, has reported its financial results for the quarter ended 31st March 2018. Total revenues were US$30 million in the quarter. That represents a year-on-year decrease of 12%.

Shanghai, 24th April: Chinaplas 2018, a leading international trade show serving the plastics and rubber industry, opened with a record-breaking size of 340,000 m2, featuring a total of 3,948 exhibitors from 40 countries and regions.

Singapore, 24th April: International exhibition organiser, UBM plc, opened its Food & Hotel Asia (FHA) and ProWine Asia (PWA) (Singapore) on 24th April at two venues: Singapore Expo and Suntec Singapore. The concurrent events were spread across four days closing today, on 27th April.

Hong Kong, 20th April: The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) held its Hong Kong Houseware Fair and Hong Kong International Home Textile and Furnishings Fair from 20th to 23rd April 2018 at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The two concurrent shows featured more than 2,600 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions, attracting close to 49,000 buyers from 112 countries and regions. The total number of buyers increased by 1.5% compared with last year.

Bangkok, 19th April: The Government of Thailand and the Alibaba Group have entered into a strategic partnership aiming to drive the development of Thailand’s digital economy and its Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) as part of the so-called “Thailand 4.0” policy.

Hong Kong & Kuala Lumpur, 23rd April: Earlier this week, two UBM plc’s subsidiaries announced acquisitions. UBM Asia Limited acquired the Restaurant & Bar Hong Kong (RBHK), Natural & Organic Products Asia (NOPA) and Retail Asia Expo (RAE). UBMMG Holdings Sdn. Bhd. acquired TradeLink ITE Shd. Bhd. in Malaysia from the ITE Group.

Share price movement

Shenzhen, 16th April: Earlier this week, Tarsus announced that the company had acquired an additional 25% stake in the China (Shenzhen) International Branded Underwear Fair (SIUF). Following this new investment that brings Tarsus’ total stake in SIUF to 75% following the original acquisition of 50% in March 2014.

London, 17th April: London-listed international B2B media group, Informa PLC, announced its offer for UBM plc, has been approved by both UBM’s and Informa’s shareholders. The two companies stated the acquisition will be completed by the end of the second quarter this year. The deal is valued at £3.9 billion (US$5.6 billion).