E-commerce giant Alibaba has announced the details of two e-commerce expo and conference events this year for Australian brands wanting to tap into the China opportunity.
The Alibaba E-Commerce Expo events, which will take place at the ICC in Sydney and the MCEC in Melbourne on 20-22 September and 18-20 October respectively, aims to connect brands and small businesses to the growing market in China.
The events will include insights from thought leaders and practical case studies from Australian and New Zealand brands using Alibaba's e-commerce channels.
China is in the midst of a transformation that presents an unprecedented opportunity for overseas businesses, with China’s cross-border retail e-commerce sales projected by eMarketer to reach $245 billion by 2020, according to Alibaba.
“This juggernaut of rising consumer spending power, coupled with a growing desire for higher-quality goods and experiences, is shaping a new generation of more sophisticated, tech-savvy consumers who are actively looking overseas for quality merchandise, fresh foods and travel experiences,” Alibaba said.
“Chinese online shoppers are increasingly purchasing goods directly from overseas merchants selling through online marketplaces such as Alibaba’s Tmall, Tmall Global and Taobao Global. This trend, called 'cross-border e-commerce', is gathering steam partly due to reduced trade barriers.”
Conference exhibitors will be able to demonstrate their products and showcase their brand to attract thousands of buyers from the Alibaba ecosystem and from across the Chinese community, and livestream demonstrations of their products to buyers and consumers through Alibaba’s Taobao platform.
Expo attendees will hear from experts who will explain the nuances of the Chinese consumer: what they buy, how they shop, how they travel, and how they are influencing the trends and technologies that will be driving future growth in this fast-growing market.
Attendees will also learn how Alibaba and its partners are making cross-border e-commerce easier and more profitable through innovative, web-based sales, payments, logistics and digital marketing solutions. Australia’s travel, retail and restaurant community will be interested to learn how Alibaba’s online travel marketplace and payment solution Alipay can help Australian businesses attract the Chinese tourist market.
