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GHW International Announces Global Offering to Raise Up to HK$162.5 million for Business and Production Expansion

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HONG KONG, Dec 30, 2019 - (ACN Newswire) - GHW International ("GHW International" or the "Company", together with its subsidiaries, the "Group"; stock code: 09933.HK), an applied chemical intermediates provider in the integrated services market, today announces details of the global offering (the "Global Offering") and its proposed listing on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "Stock Exchange").

The Company intends to offer 250,000,000 shares (the "Offer Shares") (subject to the Over-allotment Option) under the Global Offering, comprising 225,000,000 Placing Shares (subject to the Over-allotment Option and reallocation), and 25,000,000 Public Offer Shares (subject to reallocation), representing 90% and 10% of the Offer Shares, respectively. The Offer Shares will represent 25% of the Company's enlarged issued share capital immediately after completion of the Global Offering and the Capitalisation Issue, without taking into account any Shares which may be issued pursuant to the exercise of the Over-allotment Option and the exercise of any option which may be granted under the Share Option Scheme.

The Offer Price will be no more than HK$0.65 per Offer Share and is currently expected to be not less than HK$0.51 per Offer Share, unless otherwise announced. The Offer Shares will be traded in board lots of 4,000 Shares each. Applicants for Offer Shares under the Public Offer are required to pay, on application, the maximum offer price of HK$0.65 for each public offer share, plus the brokerage SFC transaction levy and Stock Exchange trading fee, amount to a total of HK$2,626.2 per board lot.

Fortune Financial Capital Limited is the Sole Sponsor of the Global Offering, while Fortune (HK) Securities Limited and Head & Shoulders Securities Limited act as the Joint Global Coordinators. Fortune (HK) Securities Limited, Head & Shoulders Securities Limited, I Win Securities Limited, SPDB International Capital Limited and First Shanghai Securities Limited act as the Joint Bookrunners and Joint Lead Managers. Alpha International Securities (Hong Kong) Limited, Chung Sun Securities Limited, Standard Perpetual Securities Limited and Livermore Holdings Limited act as the Co-Lead Managers, (together, the "Public Offer Underwriters").

GHW International is an applied chemical intermediates provider in the integrated services market with an established reputation, and a long operating history of over 20 years in the industry.

The Group's business operation consists of four principal business segments which include (i) polyurethane materials, (ii) animal nutrition chemicals, (iii) fine chemicals and (iv) pharmaceutical products and intermediates. According to Frost & Sullivan, the Group was the largest and the second largest seller in choline chloride in terms of sales revenue in the PRC and in the global market in 2018, accounting for approximately 30.3% and 16.8% of the market share, respectively. It was also the fourth largest seller of polyurethane materials in terms of sales revenue in the PRC in 2018. In addition, the Group ranked 46th globally in terms of revenue in the global chemical sales market in 2018, with a recorded total revenue of approximately RMB2,152.9 million.

With headquarters in the PRC, the Group offers a comprehensive product portfolio with a wide range of applications and a full spectrum of services relating to chemical intermediates supply chain through its extensive global operation and sales network, including research and development on production processes, strong product customisation capabilities, manufacturing of quality chemical products, sourcing of wide-ranging chemicals manufactured by third party manufacturers, efficient and safe logistics services and after-sale services.

The net proceeds from the Global Offering (after deducting underwriting fees and estimated expenses payable in connection with the Global Offering), assuming an Offer Price of HK$0.58 per offer share, being the mid-point of the indicative offer price range and the Over-allotment Option is not exercised, will be approximately HK$96.3 million. The Group currently intends to apply the net proceeds from the Global Offering in the following manner:

- approximately 17.2%, or HK$16.6 million, will be used on the initial establishment of the New Production Plant, which is expected to commence operation in the first quarter of 2022 and will consist of production facilities for the production of trimethylamine and a pilot plant for manufacturing pharmaceutical intermediates, respectively;
- approximately 60.4%, or HK$58.2 million, will be used to construct production facilities at the New Production Plant for manufacturing trimethylamine, which is expected to commence production in the second quarter of 2022;
- approximately 10.2%, or HK$9.8 million, will be used on the construction of a pilot plant at the New Production Plant, which is expected to commence production by the end of 2021 for small batch production of various types of pharmaceutical intermediates;
- approximately 2.2% of HK$2.1 million, will be used on the research and development process of our new pharmaceutical product;
- approximately 0.8%, or HK$0.8 million, will be used on purchasing hardware and software for upgrading our existing financial and accounting management system; and
- approximately 9.2%, or HK$8.8 million, will be used as working capital and other general corporate purposes.

Commenting on the future prospects of the Group, Mr. Yin Yanbin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are confident that the outlook of fine chemicals and feed additives industries would remain positive and we plan to further penetrate in the markets and increase our market shares by introducing more products to expand our revenue base and to satisfy the needs of our customers. As part of our business strategies, we intend to enrich our product portfolio and expand our supply chain vertically in order to capture new market opportunities. We will also continue to invest in our facilities for environmentally friendly production and implement measures to reduce emissions. Furthermore, we will upgrade and optimise our integrated data operation platform for better service quality and operational efficiency and increase our online sales capability. We are confident of consolidating and enhancing our market position in the supply chain of chemical intermediates after successful listing."

The Public Offer is expected to commence at 9:00am on Tuesday, 31 December 2019 and is expected to close at 12:00 noon on Friday, 10 January 2020. Allotment results and the final Offer Price are expected to be published on Monday, 20 January 2020. Dealings in Shares on the Main Board are expected to commence at 9:00 am on Tuesday, 21 January 2020 and the stock code of the Company is 09933.

White Application Forms and Prospectuses of the Company can be obtained from the Public Offer Underwriters and designated branches of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited. Applicants may also apply online via the HK eIPO White Form Service Provider through the eIPO App or at www.hkeipo.hk. Applicants can also use the Yellow Application Forms or give electronic application instructions to Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited to effect their applications.

GHW International
Financials at-a-Glance

Global Offering: 250,000,000 Shares (Subject to the Over-allotment Option)
Offering Structure
Public Offer: 25,000,000 Shares (Subject to reallocation)
Placing: 225,000,000 Shares (Subject to reallocation and the Over-allotment Option)
Proposed Offer Price Range: HK$0.51 - HK$0.65 per Offer Share
Based on Offer Price of HK$0.51 per Offer Share / Based on Offer Price of HK$0.65 per Office Share
Market Capitalisation(1): HK$510 million / HK$650 million
Announcement of allotment results: 20 January 2020 (Monday)
Expected Listing Date: 21 January 2020 (Tuesday)
Stock Code: 09933
No. of Shares per board lot 4,000

Note:
(1) The number of Shares used for the calculation of the market capitalisation is calculated based on 1,000,000,000 Shares in issue upon completion of the Global Offering, which comprises the existing 1,000,000 Shares in issue as at the date of this prospectus, 749,000,000 Shares to be issued pursuant to the Capitalisation Issue and 250,000,000 Shares to be issued pursuant to the Global Offering and the dividend payables of the Group as at 30 June 2019 has been taken into account but without taking into account of any Shares which may be issued as a result of the exercise of the Over-allotment Option, the exercise of any options which may be granted under the Share Option Scheme or any Shares which may be allotted and issued or repurchased by the Company pursuant to the general mandates for the allotment and issue or repurchase of Shares.

Track Record
The following is a summary of the combined results of the Company for the financial years ended 31 December 2017, 2018 and 2019 and the six months ended 30 June 2018 and 2019:

Year ended 31 December Six months ended 30 June
2017 2018 2019 2018(unaudited) 2019
Revenue (RMB'000) 1,606,829 2,179,049 2,152,946 1,074,927 935,273
Gross Profit (RMB'000) 164,966 317,611 309,562 180,527 121,964
Gross Profit Margin 10.3% 14.6% 14.4% 16.8% 13.0%
Profit for the year / period (RMB'000) 20,757 79,431 74,257 60,811 16,807

Contact:


Copyright 2019 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

NetDragon and Beijing Language and Culture University Press Collaborate to Facilitate Chinese Learning Worldwide

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HONG KONG, Dec 31, 2019 - (ACN Newswire) - NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited ("NetDragon" or "the Company", Hong Kong Stock Code: 777), a global leader in building internet communities, is pleased to announce that, the Company and Beijing Language and Culture University Press (the "BLCUP") have entered into a strategic cooperation agreement and a joint venture agreement (the "Agreements") recently in Beijing, under which both parties will jointly set up a company and integrate advanced technologies, resources and ideas, for the establishment of a global Chinese language learning platform.


Agreements Signing Ceremony attended by NetDragon and the BLCUP


Ni Haidong (right), Secretary of Party Committee of BLCU appointed Liu Dejian (left), Founder and Chairman of NetDragon as "Honorary Director of the State Key Laboratory for Press and Publication Technology and Standards at BLCUP"


Liu Dejian, Founder and Chairman of NetDragon delivered a speech on behalf of the Company at the event. Leaders from both parties, including Xiong Li, CEO of NetDragon, Lin Wei, Senior Vice President of NetDragon, Ni Haidong, Secretary of Party Committee of Beijing Language and Culture University (the "BLCU"), Zhang Wangxi, Vice Principal of BLCU, Zhao Junwu, Director of BLCU Asset Management Office and Hao Yun, Secretary of Party General Branch and Chairman of BLCUP attended the event.

In recent years, overseas demand for Chinese language learning has been rising along with its popularity. However, in an overseas non-Chinese environment, obsolete teaching materials and low effectiveness of online content remain some of the major obstacles of Chinese language learning, which lead to low learning efficiency and weak interest among learners.

To facilitate efficient and interesting Chinese language learning in foreign countries, NetDragon and the BLCUP have reached a strategic cooperation, under which both parties will jointly set up a company, which will use authoritative Chinese learning philosophy and education products as the core, supplemented by NetDragon's 3D, AI, VR technologies, to construct an integrated, resourceful and wide-reaching global Chinese language learning platform, hence providing a complete set of digital solution to the Chinese language learning sector worldwide. This Chinese language learning platform will be open to different user groups including learners, teachers, and administrators, and will consist of three parts: international Chinese online learning, international Chinese teaching training and international Chinese teaching management, while integrating teaching, examination, learning and training to serve modern Chinese language learning.

Liu Dejian, Founder and Chairman of NetDragon, commented that NetDragon was one of the pioneering companies to bring VR, AR and AI technologies to the field of education. The Company has high expectations to incorporate such technologies into Chinese language learning in order to help international students to learn the language more quickly and effectively, and to also understand the culture. In addition, with a lengthy track record in online gaming business, NetDragon enjoys superior advantage in content production. Currently, NetDragon is speeding up with internet technology development while progressing with the development of educational content.

Ni Haidong, the Secretary of the Party Committee of BLCU, commented that not only NetDragon has ongoing achievements in education, it also carries a strong sense of social responsibility, which reflects its vision and passion for education as a successful company. Ni Haidong added that he looks forward to furthering collaborations between NetDragon and the BLCU in future.

At the event, the BLCUP appointed Liu Dejian as "Honorary Director of the State Key Laboratory for Press and Publication Technology and Standards at BLCUP". The BLCUP was enlisted as National Key Laboratories of Technology and Standards for Press and Publications. The two parties will jointly develop a platform for research and development and targets to have the implementation as industry standards such that they can provide reference for industry development.

Currently, the BLCUP is one of the most authoritative publishers in international Chinese language teaching and learning. It has a leading market position with more than 3,000 categories of international Chinese language teaching materials published. On the other hand, with over 30 years of operating experience in publishing Chinese textbooks, the BLCUP has accumulated access to a large number of top experts, scholars and teachers in China and overseas. These users can provide professional and authoritative guidance for the establishment of the platform, as well as the most realistic testing ground.

About NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited
NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0777) is a global leader in building internet communities with a long track record of developing and scaling multiple internet and mobile platforms that impact hundreds of millions of users. These include China's number one online gaming portal, 17173.com, and China's most influential smartphone app store platform, 91 Wireless, which was sold to Baidu for US$1.9 billion in 2013 as the largest Internet M&A transaction in China.

Established in 1999, NetDragon is one of the most reputable and well-known online game developers in China with a history of successful game titles including Eudemons Online, Heroes Evolved and Conquer Online. In recent years, NetDragon has also started to scale its online education business on the back of management's vision to create the largest global online learning community, and to bring the "classroom of the future" to every school around the world. For more information, please visit www.netdragon.com.

For investor enquiries, please contact:
NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited
Ms. Maggie Zhou
Senior Director of Investor Relations
Tel.: +852 2850 7266 / +86 591 8390 2825
Email: maggie@nd.com.cn
Website: ir.netdragon.com

Contact:


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Online sales shines over festive season

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HONG KONG, Dec 31, 2019 - (ACN Newswire) - Led by online purchases, global festive sales over the last two months have been positive in general, according to a worldwide study of year-end sales released today by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).

The report consolidated feedback and observations from the HKTDC's global offices regarding the retail sector to analyse the year-end sales performance in Hong Kong's major export destinations, including both traditional and emerging markets. It serves as a bellwether of consumer demand in specific markets and regional economies that can help local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) develop a more focused sales strategy for the coming year.

HKTDC Economist Doris Fung said that retail sales over the festive period show that online shopping is an increasingly popular phenomenon globally. "E-commerce performed particularly well over the past two months, starting from Single's Day and Thanksgiving and running through Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas," she said. "Year-end sales have been positive in most places, especially in the United States, Mainland China and some emerging markets, while sales in France and Japan have been relatively weak due to ongoing protests and the consumption tax hike respectively."

Ms Fung added that consumer electronics such as smartphones, Internet of Things (IoT) home appliances (such as audio and lighting systems and robot vacuums) and "affordable luxury" jewellery were among the most popular items across different markets. In the mainland, consumers spent most on apparel, while demand for skincare products, cosmetics and other health and personal care items were also growing fast. Meanwhile, game consoles (such as the Nintendo Switch) and related software remained popular in Japan.

Ms Fung advised Hong Kong traders to exercise caution over the prospects of a global economic downturn in 2020. "Economic growth is expected to slow down in major economies including the US, Europe, the mainland and India. Hong Kong exporters are likely to be affected by softening global demand, so market and product diversification may help to stabilise their businesses."

Highlights of the report

Mainland China
- The 11th edition of Singles' Day (11 November) remained the biggest shopping fiesta of the year. Alibaba reported record sales of Rmb268.4 billiion (US$38.4 billion), representing 26% growth over the previous year.
- Mainland consumers are shopping more with credit products such as Ant Financial's Huabei, and JD Finance's Baitiao.

United States
- Weekend sales after Thinksgiving (28 November) remained one of the biggest shopping events in the US, providing a big boost to retail sales.
- Online sales on Cyber Monday (2 December) set a new record of US$9.4 billion, growing 19.7% over last year, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks transactions from 80 of the biggest 100 US online retailers.
- Mastercard SpendingPulse reported that Christmas retail sales increased by 3.4% year-on-year, a slower pace than the 5.1% growth recorded in 2018.
- As US consumers become more inclined to shop online, online sales at Christmas grew 18% to hit a record high, accounting for 14.6% of overall sales. Amazon also reported a record number of online shoppers over the holiday season.

Western Europe
- The UK is the biggest Black Friday (29 November) spender in Europe. According to Barclaycard, which processes one-third of total spending in the UK, sales surged 16.5% during this year's Black Friday promotions.
- Brexit and an end-of-year general election did not weaken the willingness of UK consumers to spend. A survey conducted by the Centre for Retail Research and VoucherCodes predicted that UK shoppers would spend a record GBP1.4 billion (US$1.8 billion) online on Christmas Day.
- In Germany, Christmas sales of consumer electronics were expected to reach EUR8.9 billion (US$9.8 billion), with overall year-end sales increasing 3% over last year.
- In France, online purchases exceeded EUR20 billion (US$22.4 billion) over Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas, according to estimates by trade association Fevad. However, disturbances such as a nationwide strike and ongoing protests had an impact on consumers' willingness to spend.

Japan
- With the consumption tax rate rising from 8% to 10% from 1 October 2019, sales in department stores plunged 17.5% year-on-year in October and 6% in November, according to the Japan Department Stores Association. In addition, sales of winter clothing were affected by the relatively warm weather in Japan this winter.

Emerging markets
- Overall holiday sales were strong. The Association of Internet Trade Companies said Russian shoppers spent US$350 million online on Black Friday, a 30% jump from the previous year.
- In Hungary, an improving economy and healthy labour market encouraged shoppers to spend more. Retail sales were expected to reach US$4.1 billion over the holiday season. By the same token, Czechs had spent US$2.3 billion online in the run-up to Christmas.
- Retail sales also grew steadily in Latin America. In Brazil, retail sales climbed 10.5% to US$0.9 billion on Black Friday, while Chrismas sales were expected to surge 9.5% over last year.
- In Mexico, retail sales during Buen Fin, a four-day shopping event similar to Black Friday, were expected to reach US$6.1 billion, growing 5% over 2018.

References
- HKTDC Research website: http://research.hktdc.com/
- Year-end Sales Gain Momentum Amid Ongoing Economic Uncertainties: https://bit.ly/2Qc4xk9

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.
Contact:
Beatrice Lam, Tel: +852 2584 4049, Email: beatrice.hy.lam@hktdc.org


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

TOT BIOPHARM Biological Drug R&D Project Makes List of National Major Scientific and Technological Special Projects for "Significant New Drug Development"

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HONG KONG, Jan 2, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - TOT BIOPHARM International Company Limited ("TOT BIOPHARM" or the "Company"; stock code: 1875.HK) is pleased to announce that the Company has received notice of Project Topics of 2019 Implementation Plan of Major Special Technology Projects for "Significant New Drug Creation" (Hygiene and Technology Project Document No. (2019)764) from the Development Center for Medical Science & Technology ("DCMST") under the National Health Commission, giving approval to its application for "clinical research and industrialization of category 1 biological drug 'monoclonal antibody anti-VEGF' (item no.: TAB014) for treating wet macular degeneration", and the project has been included among the National Major Scientific and Technological Special Projects for "Significant New Drug Development", reflective of national endorsement, thus will receive central government funding.

Major Scientific and Technological Special Projects for "Significant New Drug Development" is among the 16 special projects in the National Outlines for Medium and Long-term Planning for Scientific and Technological Development (2006-2020). Those projects are of utmost importance to the technological development of China as they involve technological breakthroughs and use of integrated resources to complete within certain timeframes major strategic products, critical generic technologies and major engineering efforts, to help the nation realize her goals. The 16 major special projects included significant new drug development, large aircrafts, manned space and lunar exploration projects.

TOT BIOPHARM places great emphasis on technological innovation and has actively increased investment in the R&D in recent years. The Company's new drug - TAB014 monoclonal antibody products - R&D project making it on the list of national major science and technology projects is not only proof of the country's recognition for the Company's technological innovation and related products, but is also conducive to speeding up the development and commercialization of the drug to more quickly benefit patients.

The Company's drug candidate anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies (project code: TAB014) for treating wet macular degeneration is a kind of bevacizumab based eye injection product for addressing retinal neovascularization. The project is progressing well and is currently in Phase I clinical research. The Company expects to complete Phase III clinical research for TAB014 before 2022, with the product launch to follow in 2023.


Contact:


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Asia's largest toys and games fair opens next Monday

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HONG KONG, Jan 2, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - The 46th HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, the 11th HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair and the 20th Hong Kong International Stationery Fair will be held from 6 to 9 January at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Around 2,950 international exhibitors will feature a broad assortment of innovative products at the three concurrent events, helping companies capture the latest opportunities and face the challenges brought about by the global economic slowdown. The Toys & Games Fair and Baby Products Fair are organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), while the Stationery Fair is jointly organised by the HKTDC and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.


Pictured (from left) are Lawrence Chan, Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Toys Advisory Committee; Benjamin Chau, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director; and Judy Cheung, Deputy General Manager, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd


The classic strollers produced by Dutch company Greentom Operations BV weigh just 7 kilogram, demonstrating a new generation of sustainable lightweight strollers.


The SuperNote A6 agile writing slate from Mainland Chinese exhibitor Shanghai Ratta Smart Technology features a soft film that offers a smooth handwriting experience. Users can personalise the device through a variety of accessories from covers to digital pens.


The HKTDC Export Index for the fourth quarter of 2019, released last month, hit a record low of 18.8, dropping 8.6 points compared to the previous quarter and highlighting the gloomy sentiment of Hong Kong companies regarding their recent export performance. The city's exports in the first 11 months of 2019 recorded a year-on-year decrease of 4.7% - a notable drop, but less severe than other economies in the region, showing that global buyers still have confidence in Hong Kong's business fundamentals.

The United States and Mainland China are set to sign a phase one trade deal that will halve the 15% tariffs on US$120 billion of List 4A goods imported from the mainland. These goods include toys, baby products and stationery products valued at US$2.56 billion, so the reduction of tariffs to 7.5% is expected to improve Hong Kong's overall export performance.

"The economic outlook is now full of uncertainties. With risk, however, often comes reward," said Benjamin Chau, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director. "Many exhibitors are taking the opportunity to transform their business and open up new markets, increasing their competitiveness through innovative technologies, licensing and branding. The HKTDC always gives full support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and has allocated additional resources to provide various incentives to encourage buyers from the ASEAN market and Belt and Road countries and regions to source in Hong Kong, at the same time strengthening its business-matching services to help the industry capture business opportunities. We expect to bring more than 200 buying missions comprising 12,000 buyers to source at the three fairs, creating plenty of opportunities."

Innovative toys and top international brands showcased

As Asia's largest, and the world's second-largest, trade fair of its kind, this year's Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair has attracted over 2,100 exhibitors from 40 countries and regions. The latest toys and games from around the world will be showcased across six group pavilions, including Mainland China, Korea, Spain, Taiwan and the United Kingdom, as well as the World of Toys pavilion that will feature mainly European exhibitors. Another highlight, the Brand Name Gallery, will showcase over 240 renowned international brands, including 4M, B.Duck, Eastcolight, Hape, Intex, Kintoy, Rastar and Welly.

The Smart-Tech Toys zone will feature a variety of toys and games that incorporate innovative technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and voice recognition functionality. Sought out by many global buyers, the Kidult World zone will showcase toys for grown-ups such as war games, hobby goods, magic items and collectibles. A product display highlighting STREAM (science, technology, robotics, engineering, arts and mathematics) toys will be set up to help industry players learn more about the latest trends. Other thematic zones include Electronic & Remote Control Toys, Educational Toys & Games and Fireworks.

Concurrent fairs create synergies for global buyers

The Hong Kong Baby Products Fair welcomes over 610 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions, including a new exhibitor from New Zealand. The fair also features pavilions from Korea and the Hong Kong Children, Babies, Maternity Industries Association, presenting a wide range of baby products. The highlight Brand Name Gallery will host about 40 renowned quality brands, including BabyAuto, Tutti Bambini and Plasmon. The Baby Tech zone will feature baby products incorporating technological capabilities, while the World of Strollers & Gears II features a range of quality strollers, baby car seats and cradles. Other thematic zones include Maternity Products, Baby Bedding Items and Furniture, as well as Feeding, Nursery and Healthcare Products.

This year's Hong Kong International Stationery Fair features around 220 exhibitors from 10 countries and regions. The fair has five major thematic zones - DIY Supplies, Gift Stationery, Kids & School, Pen & Paper and Smart Office - with renowned stationery brands such as Alpha, Chung Hwa, Donerland, Jong le Nara, Kiky, M&G, and MUST, as well as newly exhibiting brands Bookiss and Willing Horse. A themed display area, named "All Kinds Alike", will be set up at the entrance of Hall 5B to let the industry preview design trends, be inspired by new ideas and generate new business opportunities.

Held concurrently with the Toys & Games Fair, Baby Products Fair and Stationery Fair, the HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show is Asia's largest and the world's second-largest fair of its kind. This year's event brings together more than 400 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions, showcasing over 1,000 brands and properties. The four fairs will form a one stop platform for buyers and create abundant crossover business opportunities among participants from various sectors.

Events provide networking opportunities and market information

A highlight event of the Toys & Games Fair, the Hong Kong Toys Industry Conference 2020 held on 7 January will feature several heavyweight speakers. Under the theme "Get Powered Up - Opportunities in the Toys Industry", industry leaders and experts will share global marketing strategies for the industry, along with opportunities for manufacturing transfer, insights into toy product and industry trends in Europe, and e-commerce strategies. Other thematic seminars will cover smart-tech toy trends, baby product trends in 2020-21, toy safety and regulation updates, as well as toys compliance, testing and certification. The International Stationery Fair will feature Japan's "Stationery King" Masayuki Takabatake and Gift Idea's Founder Eric Fu to explore the latest design trends and business models in the stationery market.

Supporting services and strengthened business matching

To ensure a safe and efficient fair experience, the HKTDC continues to provide supporting services to exhibitors and buyers, including:

- Free shuttle buses to take event participants between the event venue, the airport and hotels;
- HKTDC Service Counters located in the Buffer Halls at Hong Kong International Airport with service ambassadors on hand to provide event participants with the latest transportation information upon arrival and buyer registration;
- On-call assistance provided by HKTDC staff to exhibitors and buyers via hotline/mobile phone; and
- Buyer Concierge Desks to promote free on-site business-matching services.

Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair
Edition: 46th
No. of Exhibitors: Over 2,100 exhibitors from 40 countries and regions
Website: https://hktoyfair.hktdc.com
Highlight Products: https://bit.ly/39iKU1y

Hong Kong Baby Products Fair
Edition: 11th
No. of Exhibitors: Over 610 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions
Website: https://hkbabyfair.hktdc.com
Highlight Products: https://bit.ly/2sfgQmU

Hong Kong International Stationery Fair
Edition: 20th
No. of Exhibitors: Around 220 exhibitors from 10 countries and regions
Website: https://hkstationeryfair.com
Highlight Products: http://bit.ly/2u31xOC

For more supporting HKTDC services, please see: https://bit.ly/2Q32UWa
Please download more photos from here. https://bit.ly/2tqsDis

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.
Contact:
Sunny Ng, Tel: +852 2584 4357, Email: sunny.sl.ng@hktdc.org Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

The Dallas Cowboys Choose Adra by Trintech to Accelerate and Streamline Financial Close Process

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DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE, Jan 3, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Trintech, a leading global provider of integrated Record to Report software solutions for the office of finance, today announced that the Dallas Cowboys have chosen its industry-leading software, Adra, to automate and simplify its financial processes.

The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. In 2018, they became the first NFL franchise to make Forbes' list as the most valued NFL team for the 12th straight year. The organization is implementing Adra to help drive greater efficiency, accuracy and control across its financial close process.

"As we continue to rapidly scale our business, we knew we needed to implement a solution that would help give us greater control and visibility over our financial close process," said Tom Walker, Chief Financial Officer of The Dallas Cowboys. "We are very excited to be deploying Adra to automate our reconciliation and financial close processes so that we can refocus our time and effort on the strategic direction of our organization."

"We are thrilled to be partnering with the Dallas Cowboys in their efforts to modernize their financial close process," said Darren Heffernan, President, Mid-Market at Trintech. "By combining effective finance processes with Adra, they will see increased ROI, improved accuracy, and greater visibility across their entire financial close process."

Currently deployed by over 1,800 companies across the globe, the Adra Suite provides cloud-based, financial close and reconciliation solutions for companies looking to quickly increase the efficiency, control and visibility for all key areas of the financial close process including: balance sheet reconciliations (Adra Balancer), transaction matching (Adra Matcher), and financial task management and controls (Adra Task Manager). If you are interested in learning more about how Adra can benefit your organization, please contact us.

About Trintech

Trintech Inc., a pioneer of Financial Corporate Performance Management (FCPM) software, combines unmatched technical and financial expertise to create innovative, cloud-based software solutions that deliver world-class financial operations and insights. From high volume transaction matching and streamlining daily operational reconciliations, to automating and managing balance sheet reconciliations, intercompany accounting, journal entries, disclosure reporting and bank fee analysis, to governance, risk and compliance - Trintech's portfolio of financial solutions, including Cadency(R) Platform, Adra(R) Suite, and targeted tools, ReconNET(TM), T-Recs(R), and UPCS(R), help manage all aspects of the financial close process. Over 3,500 clients worldwide - including the majority of the Fortune 100 - rely on the company's cloud-based software to continuously improve the efficiency, reliability, and strategic insights of their financial operations.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Trintech has offices located across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, Germany, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and the Nordics, as well as strategic partners in South Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific. To learn more about Trintech, visit www.trintech.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Media Contact:
Kelli Shoevlin
+1-972-739-1680
Kelli.Shoevlin@trintech.com

SOURCE: Trintech, Inc.
Contact:


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Blockpass and BuyAnyLight Announce Partnership to Bring PASS Rebate to Blockpass Users

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HONG KONG, Jan 3, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Blockpass has announced a partnership with decentralized LED sourcing platform, BuyAnyLight. Through AdPASS, Blockpass will offer community members the opportunity to earn a 5% rebate on any token sale purchases in PASS, in addition to any promotions on offer by BuyAnyLight (BAL).

BAL is a decentralized purchase, procurement and delivery platform that has transformed the way of sourcing LED lighting. The BAL Platform gives users the best possible prices for any light from BAL manufacturers, while ensuring cargo providence through automated tracking, world-class logistics and first-class consultancy. Through trustless orders and secure payment, purchasers can buy LED lighting knowing they are getting the best possible solution for their needs.

Blockpass is digital identity verification provider which provides a one-click compliance gateway to financial services and other regulated industries. Through the Blockpass Marketplace, App Users gain access to exclusive offers, rebates and redemptions from the Blockpass ecosystem of partners. The main value of Blockpass lies in its ability to provide cost effective and simple KYC whilst giving users control over their personal data. In addition, this reusable KYC service becomes even more efficient and attractive as the number of Blockpass partners in the Marketplace grows and the size of the ecosystem increases.

"One of the key utilities that we are always striving for at Blockpass is the ability to add more value to our App users," said Blockpass CEO Adam Vaziri. "When partners like BuyAnyLight join our platform to offer our App users and community members an exclusive offer like a 5% rebate on their token sale, it reinforces to our users that Blockpass really is the best solutions to their needs while also bringing the benefit of added exposure to the services we work with."

"While dealing in Almani Lighting LLC, Dubai, we often have to face the issues such as: trust deficiency between buyers and suppliers, hectic payment process because of banks and traditional payment processors, delayed or even defective deliveries within the logistic process, high intermediary costs and expensive pricing of the LED products. Moreover, buyers also face this issue of not having a proper understanding of the products they need, their specifications, and consequently increasing the chances of getting the wrong product or the wrong price.

This real-life problem led to the birth of BuyAnyLight which uses blockchain, smart contracts, AI and BigData to ensure the trustless execution of LED light sourcing at competitive market rates. The BAL Platform uses smart contracts to enable trustless execution of orders and payment processing. It enables traceable logistics by harnessing the power of blockchain whereby all delivery activities right from the manufacturer to the end consumer are recorded on a transparent blockchain. Moreover, the BAL Platform eliminates the role of banks and payment processors by offering a peer to peer and almost instant payments enabled by BAL Token."

Since launching the Marketplace in August, Blockpass has partnered with ADAX, Glenbit, DACX, Legacy Trust and more to bring exclusive offers to its community. To partner with Blockpass, visit blockpass.org/AdPASS

Blockpass has expanded in size and use over the past year, with the inauguration of the Blockpass Identity Lab in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University in September 2018, followed by a number of new partnerships and collaborations with companies from a variety of industries and interests. Blockpass continues to develop its digital identity protocol with updates and additions to improve the compliance experience. Blockpass is seeing rapidly increasing numbers of users as its identity verification solution is utilized for ICOs, STOs and IEOs, supporting a number of successful fundraisers in the past six months. The Blockpass App is available from the App Store and Google Play.

About Blockpass IDN

Blockpass offers digital identity verification for businesses that participate in regulated industries, including crypto wallets and exchanges, virtual banks, traditional financial institutions and gaming. Blockpass provides an alternative process to cumbersome, repetitive and expensive Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) verification through an easy-to-use mobile application and seamless merchant dashboard. For individuals, Blockpass is a secure, user-centric gateway to financial services and other regulated offerings, allowing one click KYC submission. Blockpass alleviates the pain of opening new accounts and redoing KYC over and over. Registered in Hong Kong, Blockpass IDN is a joint venture of Infinity Blockchain Labs and Chain of Things.

For more information and updates, please visit and sign up to the following:
Promotional video: https://youtu.be/SvO2cw3e-SI
Website: http://www.blockpass.org
Medium: https://medium.com/@blockpass
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlockpassOrg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blockpassorg/
Telegram: https://t.me/blockpass

About BAL

BuyAnyLight (BAL) is an innovative platform that strives to decentralize the process of LED light sourcing by reducing the role of intermediaries while offering lighting products at the most competitive market rates. The platform harnesses the power of blockchain combined with artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data to enable consumers and manufacturers to acquire or source lighting products in a seamless, secure, and cost-effective way. Currently, the BAL Platform and all of its modules are deployed as a centralized architecture. However, in our bid to expand and scale our platform on a global scale and to take advantage of the features offered by blockchain and cryptography, the BAL Marketplace will be decentralized and extended as per the roadmap.

Website: https://buyanylight.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuyAnyLight/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BuyAnyLight
Telegram: https://t.me/buyanylight
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/buyanylight/
Medium: https://medium.com/buyanylight
Contact:


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

indoXXi website, one of world's most popular piracy sites, claims to have permanently closed as of January 1st

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JAKARTA, Jan 3, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - The Indonesia based indoXXi group, which controls a large number of illegal piracy websites and applications, has claimed that it had officially closed its operations as of January 1st. The announcement was made via their various social media accounts.

"Happy New Year 2020. As of today our site is no longer accessible, as is the case with the Indoxxi lite application. Thank you for being a loyal viewer of INDOXXI until now, always support the creative industry to be more advanced in the future. Greetings, INDOXXI"

Some indoXXi streaming sites cannot currently be accessed and the URL links to a pop up which states: "Goodbye 2019, Goodbye indoXXi. Thank you." However there are still a number of indoXXi sites which remain operational and provide access to pirated Indonesian and international content. The US based web traffic analysis company, Alexa, which measures website popularity, ranks indoXXi as the 721st most popular website in the world. IndoXXi is also ranked within the top 100 most popular websites in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Philippines and Taiwan.

Following the December release of an AVIA commissioned YouGov survey which found that 63% of Indonesians access piracy streaming websites, the Indonesian government vowed to identify and prosecute those operating the indoXXi piracy websites unless they cease their operations.

The rampant piracy levels in Indonesia has recently been escalated to both the President's and the Vice-President's office. In a recent media address the Minister of Communications and Information (KOMINFO), Mr. Johnny Plate, commented, "Pirated films generate a negative impact on Indonesia. The government is building its investment climate, which includes the protection of intellectual property rights."

Public Relations Commissioner Mr. Asep Adi Saputra, Head of Public Relations Division of the National Police, notified the media that "the police fully supports what is being done by KOMINFO. We will be coordinating further whether there are further violations of the law, especially as it relates to intellectual property rights."

The Director General of Aptika Kominfo, Mr. Semuel Abrijani, informed the media, "We are working with video and film associations to eradicate pirated websites.... It's like cat and mouse game. But, together with the VCI we will continue to pursue them." He went on to warn consumers of the risks associated with piracy websites. "These sites are dangerous. Besides harming IPR owners, we have found malware on some of the sites that were blocked."

Members of the Video Coalition of Indonesia (VCI) will continue to work closely with KOMINFO to assist in the identification of illegal sites and we call for all related government departments to work together and undertake stronger enforcement action against illegal piracy site owners.

Mr. Joko Anwar, one of Indonesia's most successful film directors, stated, "Piracy is not a victimless crime. It hurts the whole of the film industry, dampening its growth which in turn lessens the opportunities for more people to work in the field and threatens the liveilhoods of those already working in our industry."

Prominent Indonesian actor, Mr. Reza Rahadian, commented, "My appreciation to the government and all respective parties in their efforts to combat the rampant piracy in Indonesia. Piracy, in any form, has a negative impact on the growth of the film industry and specifically the Indonesian film industry. Our collaborative endeavors and achievements will come to nothing should piracy websites not be stopped through a rigid and sustainable enforcement system. I do hope that what Kominfo has achieved to combat piracy, will not only result in the growth of the Indonesian film industry, but also provide increased awareness of how consumers can and should access legal services to watch movies and TV shows."

Mr. Chand Parwez, Chairman of Asosiasi Perusahaan Film Indonesia (APFI) stated, "indoXXI may have claimed to have voluntarily shut down their illicit services, what's important is that APFI, the Video Coalition of Indonesia, and KOMINFO continue to pro-actively fight piracy. Considering the innumerable costs of copyright infringement, we must keep up our guard and continue to do all that we can to combat piracy websites that not only steal content but also use their platforms to actively promote illigal activities including gambling. One battle does not win a war and APFI will continue to fight."

Mr. Edy Sulistyo, CEO of GoPlay, commented: "Established by Indonesian creative minds, we at GoPlay deeply appreciate the recent actions taken by the government in combating film piracy in Indonesia. Copyright piracy is detrimental to the Indonesian film industry. For this reason, the protection of intellectual property is a key concern at GoPlay as it impacts our ability to provide a platform for our national filmmakers and content creators to introduce their works to a wider international market.

We also welcome the Government's efforts in supporting the content industry and advancing the opportunities of national filmmakers. Gojek has the same mission as the government to ensure Indonesian film lovers are able to access unique and quality content, wherever and whenever they want to. With the ongoing technological advancements in the country, we invite the whole community, including filmmakers, media partners and the government, to support the availability of quality content through the many legal services in order to support the growth of our national film industry".

Neil Gane, the General Manager of AVIA's Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) commented, "Piracy on such a scale is organised crime, pure and simple, with crime groups such as indoXXi, making substantial illicit revenues from the provision of stolen content. From a consumer standpoint accessing pirated content is also fraught with risks. Piracy websites have a click-happy user base, and are being used more and more as clickbait to distribute malware. The type of malware embedded within the piracy ecosystem can include particularly harmful malware such as remote access trojans which allows the hacker to activate and record from the device's webcam without the victim being aware."

To fight back against the country's rampant and damaging online piracy, the VCI has been working closely with KOMINFO to identify and block domains associated with piracy websites. Since July last year over 1,000 piracy websites and illegal application domains have been blocked by KOMINFO.

Members of the VCI include AVIA's Coalition Against Piracy (CAP), APFI, APROFI, GPBSI , Emtek Group, MNC Group, Viva Group, Telkom Indonesia, Cinema 21 Group, CGV, Cinemaxx, HOOQ, iflix, Viu, GoPlay, Rewind, SuperSoccerTV and Catchplay.

The Indonesia based 'indoXXi group' control a number of illegal piracy websites and applications which are accessed globally but particularly popular throughout SE Asia. The indoXXi group was listed on the US Government's 2019 USTR Notorious Markets List, which identifies the most egregious websites outside the United States that engage in and facilitate substantial copyright piracy or trademark counterfeiting. The US based web traffic analysis company, Alexa, which measures website popularity, ranks indoXXi as the 721st most popular website in the world. It is also ranked within the top 100 most popular websites in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Philippines and Taiwan.

About the Asia Video Industry Association

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves as the interlocutor for the industry with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry.

For media enquiries and additional background please contact:
Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@asiavia.org
Website: https://asiavia.org
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia
Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA
Contact:


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

NetDragon Aids Smart Education Construction in Serbia

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HONG KONG, Jan 6, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited ("NetDragon" or "the Company", Hong Kong Stock Code: 777), a global leader in building internet communities, is pleased to announce that NetDragon and Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Serbia ("MOESTD of Serbia") signed a memorandum of understanding ("MOU") on cooperation in smart education program for Serbia. Leveraging the Company's advanced educational information technologies, NetDragon will work with MOESTD of Serbia to set up a smart learning environment including SaaS cloud platform, education software and hardware, value-added services, to achieve smart education, information connectivity as well as comprehensive education equality.

Serbia plays a prominent role in countries along the "The Belt and Road". In recent years, Serbia has valued technological innovation and development, and has committed to digital education reform. Mladen Sarcevic, Minister of MOESTD of Serbia commented that Serbia is willing to learn from Chinese internet companies and will strongly support NetDragon in promoting nation-wide smart education construction in Serbia. Meanwhile, the Country will also cooperate with NetDragon to cultivate technical talents in order to upgrade Serbia's innovation capabilities.

In accordance with the MOU, NetDragon will leverage advanced technologies such as cloud computing and AI to help Serbia build a national management and teaching system and a national development and service system for smart education. At the same time, NetDragon and Serbia will jointly build a smart education demonstration center to showcase leading education technological applications. In future, the center will serve as an example of a localized model, which includes experience center, content production center, R&D center, service center and informatized training center, and will represent the outcome of the joint effort between the Serbian Government, enterprises, universities and research institutions from Serbia. Through this smart education center, NetDragon will demonstrate to educators and the society different learning scenarios and will also provide resources and platform services for technological information and knowledge sharing in Serbia, in order to enhance user experiences from educators and learners, and to meet the needs of the public for smart education.

In addition, NetDragon will leverage and combine advanced technologies including Promethean's education solutions including ActivPanel, smart classroom, VR classroom and STEAM classroom, to build an integrated digital learning platform that comprises teaching management, environment and resources & application for Serbia. And based on the Company's learning platform, management platform (One Stop Learning) and mobile device management platform (MDM), NetDragon will build a national cloud platform for education services for the Country. On the other hand, Serbia plans to purchase tens of thousands units of smart classroom solutions in the next 2 years, which may become one of the collaborations between NetDragon and Serbia.

Liu Dejian, Founder and Chairman of NetDragon, and Advisor to Minister without Portfolio of Serbia in charge of Innovation and Technological Development said that the Company will continue to work on R&D with the Serbian Government, enterprises, universities and scientific research institutions, to foster research and application of smart education, and to fully assist in the development of smart education in Serbia via collaboration in education training and services.

NetDragon and Serbia have multiple interactions in recent years. NetDragon invited Mr. Nenad Popovic, Minister without Portfolio of Serbia in charge of Innovations and Technological Development, to participate in the Digital China Summit in the past two consecutive years, and Liu Dejian was hired as Advisor of Minister. In October 2019, NetDragon, Ministry for Education, Science and Technological Development of Serbia and Cabinet of the Minister in charge of Innovations and Technological Development signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in developing the Serbian Public Innovation Platform at the "The Fourth China-CEEC Conference on Innovation Cooperation".

Under the "Belt and Road Initiative", NetDragon, as a leading enterprise in Internet + Education, integrates advanced technologies including AI and VR to help developing countries upgrade smart education and promote digital education innovation based on the countries' specific circumstances and needs. Up till now, NetDragon has been working with countries along "The Belt and Road" including Russia, Egypt, Nigeria and Kenya. The signing of this MOU with MOESTD of Serbia marks another new step for the Company which will act as the starting point for international digital education cooperation for the 17 countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

About NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited
NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0777) is a global leader in building internet communities with a long track record of developing and scaling multiple internet and mobile platforms that impact hundreds of millions of users. These include China's number one online gaming portal, 17173.com, and China's most influential smartphone app store platform, 91 Wireless, which was sold to Baidu for US$1.9 billion in 2013 as the largest Internet M&A transaction in China.

Established in 1999, NetDragon is one of the most reputable and well-known online game developers in China with a history of successful game titles including Eudemons Online, Heroes Evolved and Conquer Online. In recent years, NetDragon has also started to scale its online education business on the back of management's vision to create the largest global online learning community, and to bring the "classroom of the future" to every school around the world. For more information, please visit www.netdragon.com.

For investor enquiries, please contact:
NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited
Ms. Maggie Zhou
Senior Director of Investor Relations
Tel.: +852 2850 7266 / +86 591 8390 2825
Email: maggie@nd.com.cn
Website: ir.netdragon.com

Contact:


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

EuroEyes (1846.HK) Initiates strategic cooperation with East Lake Digital Town, Officially Enters into Fuzhou Market

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HONG KONG, Jan 6, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - EuroEyes International Eye Clinic Limited ("EuroEyes" or the "Company", stock code:1846) today held a signing ceremony of the strategic cooperation with Fuzhou East Lake Digital Town, marking its official presence in the China's Fuzhou market. The guests at the signing ceremony included Chen Guoping, the CPPCC Standing Committee Member of Fujian Province and the Mayor of East Lake Digital Town; Dr. Jorn Slot Jorgensen, the Founder, Chairman of the Board and CEO of EuroEyes; Jannik Jorgensen, Vice President (Denmark) and Executive Director; Jenny Wang Yan, Vice President (China); Chen Guohe, the Director of Fujian New East Lake Investment Co., Ltd; and Zhang Yuanhua, the Executive Vice President of Fujian New East Lake Investment Co., Ltd.


The signing Ceremony of the EuroEyes Fuzhou Clinic

EuroEyes Fuzhou Clinic is the Company's eighth clinic in China after Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, and Chongqing. EuroEyes Fuzhou Clinic is located on the third floor of FFC Fuzhou Future Center in East Lake Digital Town of Binhai New City, with an area of 800 square meters and an investment of over RMB10 million. The clinic is expected to commence its operation in October 2020, which is also committed to providing the high- quality German ophthalmology services for Binhai New City and the entire Fuzhou.

According to preliminary survey by the Fuzhou Statistics Bureau, Fuzhou achieved gross domestic product (GDP) of RMB352.853 billion in the first half of 2019, representing an increase of 8.5% year-over-year. Fuzhou is the second largest prefecture-level city in Fujian Province with GDP growth rate exceeding 8% for 8 consecutive quarters. In recent years, Fuzhou has even deliberately created a "Digital Fuzhou" and made every effort to develop new economy industries. The East Lake Digital Town, where EuroEyes opens its Fuzhou Clinic, is the new economic and industrial base of the central business district that the city has been deliberately developing. As of now, the East Lake Digital Town has attracted nearly 20,000 well-known Chinese and foreign digital enterprises in the high-tech field, including Microsoft, Starbucks, Alibaba, Tencent, and Huawei to set up their footprints in the area, forming a high-end business circle. It is expected that when the town is fully constructed in 2021, it will attract more than 1,000 digital enterprises to settle in and create over RMB100 billion of asset value. In the meantime, the presence of EuroEyes in the East Lake Digital Town also helps introducing the authentic German refractive ophthalmology technology into Fujian and propelling economic development in the region by utilizing the cutting-edge international ophthalmology technology and services. EuroEyes is a giant in the ophthalmic medical industry, with a strong team of professional ophthalmologists, advanced diagnostic equipment, and international high-quality ophthalmic diagnostic services. With the opening of EuroEyes Fuzhou Clinic in the town, it will benefit patients with various refractive diseases in Fuzhou Binhai New City and even the whole Fuzhou to enjoy high-quality ophthalmology services and to resume their clear vision for higher quality of life.

EuroEyes was established in 1993 and is one of Europe's leading brands in the vision correction industry as well as a leading refractive ophthalmology brand in Germany and Europe, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. EuroEyes is operated by famous German doctor Dr. Jorn Slot Jorgensen, and was awarded with many Ophthalmology prizes. EuroEyes currently operates 27 eye clinics and consultation centers in Germany, Denmark and China. According to the report of BOCI, EuroEyes was awarded with World Champion - Most Trifocal Lens Implants, European Champion - Most ICL Implants and German Champion - Most ReLEx SMILE Procedures in 2018. EuroEyes is a market leader in advanced lens exchange surgery and refractive surgery (excluding PRK / LASEK) in Germany and Denmark. In 2018, EuroEyes' market share in Germany and Denmark was 13.2% and 10.8% respectively.

In recent years, the morbidity of various eye diseases in China has increased year by year, and the ophthalmic market has grown rapidly. Statistic data shows that from 2013 to 2017, the size of China's ophthalmology market increased from RMB46.77 billion to RMB86.7 billion, and the CAGR during the period reached 17%. It is expected that the size of the ophthalmology market will expand at a CAGR of 13% -15% in the next five years. Since entering China in 2013, EuroEyes aims at providing advanced German technology and 100% German services to patients with myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia and cataracts, allowing them to resume a clear vision. Up to now, EuroEyes has successfully completed over 400,000 ophthalmological surgeries and help patients retaining clear vision in Europe and China without glasses. Among such patents, there were many entrepreneurs, celebrities and high net-worth individuals. According to Financial Report of EuroEyes, the revenue of China region in 2018 was approximately RMB94 million, accounting for 28.2% of the overall revenue of the Company. From 2016 to 2018, the CAGR of revenue and gross profit in China region was 85.1% and 633.7% respectively.

Dr. Jorn Slot Jorgensen, the Founder, Chairman of the board and CEO of EuroEyes said "EuroEyes is very honored to be in East Lake Digital Town, bringing German ophthalmology technology and quality services to the people in the town and nearby districts. The East Lake Digital Town is the innovative center of China's digital economy while EuroEyes has also been committed to innovation in the field of refractive technology. Through the cooperation with the management of the town, I sincerely look forward to improving medical technology and quality in the region, as well as create the momentum to the future development of the town.".

EuroEyes Fuzhou Clinic is another strategic development following EuroEyes' successful listing on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, showing its strategic determination to enter the China market and its high recognition of the sustainable development of the Fuzhou market. With the signing ceremony of Fuzhou Clinic successfully held, EuroEyes will utilize its unique advantages of "German doctors and German quality" to provide patients in Fuzhou and the surrounding cities with high-quality ophthalmology services and strive to improve the eye health-care level and quality of life of residents in China.

Contact:


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Toys & Games, Baby Products and Stationery fairs open today

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HONG KONG, Jan 6, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - The first round of Hong Kong Trade Development Council's trade fairs for 2020 kicked off today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair and HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair, organised by the HKTDC, and the Hong Kong International Stationery Fair, organised by the HKTDC and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, run concurrently until 9 January. The fairs feature about 2,950 global exhibitors and showcase a broad selection of smart toys, quality baby products and creative stationery.


The HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, the HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair and the Hong Kong International Stationery Fair open today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The four-day fairs (6-9 January) feature about 2,950 exhibitors from around the world, attracting global buyers to source in Hong Kong.


Officiating at this morning's joint opening ceremony are (front row, from left) Lawrence Chan, Chairman of HKTDC Toys Advisory Committee ; Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the HKTDC ; Eliza Lee, Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Commerce, Industry and Tourism) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government; Cui Su Xiang, Director of Asia Tourism Exchange Centre Limited and Pradit Posew, Inspector General from Ministry of Culture (Thailand).


At the Toys & Games Fair, six group pavilions, including Mainland China, Korea, Spain, Taiwan and the United Kingdom, as well as the "World of Toys" pavilion, featuring mainly European exhibitors, are showcasing the latest toys and games from around the world.


Margaret Fong, HKTDC Executive Director, said: "Under the influence of the Sino-US trade friction, the global economy continues to experience a slowdown. However, there has been some good news in recent days, with a phase one trade deal set to be signed between the United States and Mainland China and overseas markets experiencing a satisfactory retail performance over the festive season. We may see a boost for the short-term exports of Hong Kong products such as toys, while the three fairs highlight the fact that manufacturers are developing smart products and strengthening environmental elements in their products to match market needs. We believe this will help attract more attention from buyers."

Ms Fong said the HKTDC continues to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face up to the current challenges. Extra resources have been allocated to the three fairs to attract new buyers, with more than 200 buying missions bringing 12,000 international buyers to source in Hong Kong, including Toys"R"Us (Hong Kong), Target Australia (Australia) and Kid's Brasil (Brazil).

Smart products in focus at Asia's largest toys fair

The 46th edition of the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair features more than 2,100 exhibitors from 40 countries and regions, making it the largest event of its kind in Asia, and the second-largest in the world. Six group pavilions, including the mainland, Korea, Spain, Taiwan and the United Kingdom - as well as the "World of Toys" pavilion featuring mainly European exhibitors - showcase the latest toys and games from around the world.

Thematic zones facilitate buyers' sourcing. The highlight Brand Name Gallery features more than 240 renowned brands, including 4M, B. Duck, Eastcolight, Hape, Intex, Kinsmart, Masterkidz, Rastar, Tiny and Welly. Viking Toys, an exhibitor from Sweden, showcases a toy car made from sugar cane, aligning with growing market demand for environmentally friendly concepts. Buyers sourcing smart products can visit the Smart-Tech Toys zone featuring toys and games that incorporate innovative technologies, including the first remote-control building-block Hong Kong Tram from Playable Creation Limited. As educational toys continue to gain in popularity, the fair includes a STREAM Toys Product Display highlighting toys related to science, technology, robotics, engineering, arts and mathematics. The Kidult World highlighted zone showcases toys for grown-ups such as magic items, hobby goods and war-game items, as well as models and figurines.

Toys Industry Conference: retail leaders examine global sales focus

The Hong Kong Toys Industry Conference 2020 will be held tomorrow (7 January) under the theme "Get Powered Up - Opportunities in the Toys Industry". A representative from leading toy retailer Hamleys will share the industry's global sales focus in 2021. A representative from a veteran US toy maker will discuss opportunities in production relocation, while an industry expert from Toy Industries of Europe will talk about product and industry trends in the continent. Other seminars include "Toys Compliance, Testing & Certification", "Toy Safety & Regulations Updates" and "Sneak Peek: Baby Products Trends 20/21".

Baby Products and Stationery Fairs highlight green trend

The 11th Hong Kong Baby Products Fair has attracted over 610 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions, including those featured at group pavilions from Korea and the Hong Kong Children, Babies, Maternity Industries Association. The Brand Name Gallery presents quality environmental baby products from about 40 well-known quality brands, including a sustainable lightweight stroller from Dutch exhibitor Greentom Operations BV and Italian-made 100% natural baby food from Plasmon Baby Food. Exhibitors at the Baby Tech zone display products in the "Health and Safety" category, while Natural Made, a Hong Kong exhibitor in the Feeding, Nursery and Healthcare Products zone, showcases an environmental baby cup made from corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) - a biodegradable plastic that is 100% safe for babies.

The 20th Hong Kong International Stationery Fair welcomes about 220 exhibitors from 10 countries and regions. In line with rising environmental awareness within the industry, a seminar titled "From Green Business to Win Business" will feature Steven Choi, Head of Certification (Hong Kong Green Label Scheme) of the Green Council, who will share tips on ecolabels as an effective marketing tool, while Jason Lau, Consultant, Corporate Sustainability of the Hong Kong Productivity Council, will discuss sustainable approaches through green procurement.

The three fairs are held concurrently with the HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show (6-8 January) to provide a one-stop sourcing platform for buyers, creating more cross-sector business opportunities. The fairs also continue to feature the hktdc.com Small Orders zone with its online transaction platform (http://smallorders.hktdc.com), and an on-site business-matching service to facilitate business partnerships and sourcing.

Please download more photos from here. https://bit.ly/2un6SAu

Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair
Edition: 46th
No. of Exhibitors: Over 2,100 exhibitors from 40 countries and regions
Website: https://hktoyfair.hktdc.com
Highlight Products: https://bit.ly/39iKU1y

Hong Kong Baby Products Fair
Edition: 11th
No. of Exhibitors: Over 610 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions
Website: https://hkbabyfair.hktdc.com
Highlight Products: https://bit.ly/2sfgQmU

Hong Kong International Stationery Fair
Edition: 20th
No. of Exhibitors: Around 220 exhibitors from 10 countries and regions
Website: https://hkstationeryfair.com
Highlight Products: http://bit.ly/2u31xOC

HKTDC Media Room: http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/en
HKTDC's trade fairs supporting services: https://bit.ly/2Q32UWa

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.
Contact:
Sunny Ng, Tel: +852 2584 4357, Email: sunny.sl.ng@hktdc.org Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Asia's flagship licensing show and conference open today

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HONG KONG, Jan 6, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show and the Asian Licensing Conference serve not only as Asia's flagship licensing events, but also as important platforms for global licensors and brands to explore new business opportunities. The 18th edition of the Licensing Show (6-8 January) and the ninth Licensing Conference (6-7 January) run in parallel at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, showcasing licensed products and services, sharing licensing success stories and bringing participants up to date on the latest market trends.


Margaret Fong, Executive Director, Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)


Eliza Lee Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Creative Industries) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.


The Hong Kong International Licensing Show and the Asian Licensing Conference run in parallel


Speaking at this morning's opening ceremony for the two events, Margaret Fong, HKTDC Executive Director, said: "In 2018, global retail sales of licensed merchandise were valued at US$280 billion, a 3.2% increase on the previous year. Asia accounted for 12% of the total global market share. The Mainland China market continued its impressive growth path, climbing 6.5% year-on-year, and now stands as Asia's second largest licensing market after Japan. We expect that the Asian and mainland markets will continue to be significant drivers for the industry."

Ms Fong added that as an increasing number of businesses explore licensing as a way to move up the value chain, Hong Kong will have a key role to play in facilitating the growth of the industry. "Benefiting from factors such as a rigorous intellectual property protection regime, robust legal system, professional expertise and proximity to Mainland China and other key Asian economies, Hong Kong provides the ideal platform for global brands and top licensors to access markets across the region," she said.

Showcasing world licensing projects and Hong Kong's creative force

This year's Licensing Show has brought together more than 320 exhibitors, featuring over 700 brands and properties with licensing industry leaders such as CAA-GBG Global Brands Management Group, IMG, MediaLink and Sanrio in attendance.

In addition, six government-led regional pavilions from Mainland China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong feature at the Licensing Show. With the dedicated support of governments from across Asia, the pavilions provide more networking and business-matching opportunities for participants. Riding on the upsurge in authentic Hong Kong designs and supported by CreateHK, the "DLAB Hong Kong Pavilion" returns this year featuring various local original brands. Other brands are featured at the fairground to promote the strength of homegrown design, including Din Dong, Artspirit Creative, Shibainc Limited and the McMug & McDull family.

Conference examines market trends and industry outlook

As the quality of life across Asia continues to improve, consumers are expecting higher standards from the goods they purchase. This has led to global brands developing proactive strategies to enter the Asian market, which in turn is helping to drive the growth of the licensing industry in the region. The first plenary session of the conference, "Asian Licensing Market Outlook", sees a panel of experts - Mark Coleman, Vice President, Licensing and Experience, Asia Pacific and Middle East, National Geographic; Claire Gilchrist, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Hasbro Consumer Products; and Lisa Reiner, Managing Director, Europe & Asia Pacific, Beanstalk - discuss the latest trends and opportunities in the Asian licensing industry. The session is chaired by Maura Regan, President, Licensing International.

The second plenary session - "From Brand Licensing to Lifestyle Experience" - sees discussions on licensing as a brand promotion strategy. Tien Yue Chen, Executive Director of Royal Selangor Marketing Sdn Bhd, Yu Chen-lai, General Manager of Fine Entertainment Limited, and Stefania Perletto, Licensing Manager at AS Roma, will share how sports, music, entertainment and gifts use licensing to create unique brand experiences and extend into our daily lives.

Exploring the surge in esports licensing

Gaming and esports have become mainstream entertainment in recent years. According to the latest Newzoo market reports, revenue from the global gaming market was expected to reach US$152.1 billion in 2019 with 9.6% year-on-year growth and the Asian market accounting for 47% of the global share. Spinning off from the gaming industry, global revenue from esports grew by 26.7% to reach US$1.1 billion last year. At the first thematic session of the conference, Wilson Chow, PwC Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications Industry Leader, Daniel Amos, Head of Esports at Difuzed, and Patrick Mahoney, Co-founder and CEO of We are Nations, unveil the business opportunities brought by license-based gaming and esports activities, ranging from media rights and tournaments to games publishing, merchandising and ticketing.

New Licensing Academy provides valuable insights

The newly introduced Licensing Academy, organised by the HKTDC and Licensing International and supported by the Intellectual Property Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. This series of workshops feature experts from the legal, intellectual property and business sectors who will introduce basic licensing concepts and operation models, explaining IP protection, royalty and cross-border cooperation between retailers and manufacturers.

At the same time, the HKTDC continues to provide business matchmaking services on site. The services are also available online this year through the Licensing Show website. This one-stop solution connect buyers with exhibitors at the show, helping buyer and exhibitors to identify - and make crucial connections with - potential business partners from Hong Kong.

Running concurrently with the licensing events at the HKCEC this week, three other quality trade events - the HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair and Hong Kong International Stationery Fair - create synergy and more cross-sector business opportunities for global buyers.

Event websites
- Asian Licensing Conference: www.hktdc.com/fair/alc-en
- Hong Kong International Licensing Show: www.hktdc.com/fair/hklicensingshow-en
- Photo download: https://bit.ly/2Fug48d

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.
Contact:
Angel Tang, Tel: +852 2584 4544, Email: angel.hc.tang@hktdc.org Coco Yuen, Tel: +852 2584 4145, Email: coco.hc.yuen@hktdc.org


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

CFSG entered into the Subscription Agreement with Eurasia Continental Capital Holdings Limited

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HONG KONG, Jan 6, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - China Brilliant Global Limited ("CBG" or "Company", and together with its subsidiaries, the "Group"; HKEx Stock Code: 8026.HK) is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, CBG Financial Services Group Limited ("CFSG") entered into the Subscription Agreement with Eurasia Continental Capital Holdings Limited ("JV Company") on 3 January 2020 (after the trading hours).

The subscription price for this agreement is USD 5,000,000. After the completion of the subscription, the issued share capital of the JV Company will be owned as to 56% by CFSG. The joint venture company would mainly conduct banking business along the Belt and Road Initiative through ECF (acquired sandbox license for digital banking) and expected to start in the mid of 2020.

CFSG will contribute to the JV Company in the form of cash injection. APEX and VKV will contribute to the JV Company by providing consultation, advisory service to the JV Company throughout the establishment and initial setting up of the banking business through its established business network in Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, EBRI will facilitate the development of the JV Company by fully utilizing its existing management and operation platform.

The principal activities of the Group are wholesale and retailing of jewelry, money lending and distribution of pharmaceutical and healthcare products. The Group believes that the formation of the JV Company as an extension of existing lending business will allow the Company to tap into the fast- growing banking business in Kazakhstan and further expand its income source steadily, by leveraging on the combined expertise, facilities and resources of the parties.

Besides, with the opening of the Astana International Financial Center ("AIFC") in July 2018 and the continuous support on the "Belt and Road" initiative by the PRC government, many Chinese enterprises have been attracted to this region, including China Development Bank, China Construction Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Bank of China, China International Capital Corporation, etc. Mr. Zhang Chunhua, Chairman & Executive Director of CBG said, "We are excited to enter into the Subscription Agreement with the JV Company successfully. The formation of the joint venture enables the Group to revel another new chapter. As Kazakhstan is seeking to make AIFC a leading financial centre in Asia, and the "Belt and Road" initiative to make AIFC an important RMB offshore centre, we believe that there will be large demand on banking and financing business in this region in the future. This subscription aims to provide multidimension banking and financial services (including online banking services) so as to maximize the revenue of the Group and increase the diversity of the business, which can elevate our market positioning remarkably. We also believe that this subscription can capture the huge business needs of corporate clients along the "Belt and Road" region across Asia, Europe and beyond, particularly in trade and supply chain financing.

Ms. Elizabeth Chung, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director of CBG concluded, "Nowadays, digital banking has become the main trend because of the increasing demand on the multidimension banking and financial services. We believe that the Group can fulfill the marketing needs by JV company's business development and this subscription can capture the business opportunities to broaden the Group's revenue streams and maximize the interest of the Group and the investors. Looking ahead, we will continue to seek more investment and business opportunities to strengthen our market positioning."

About China Brilliant Global Limited
China Brilliant Global Limited ("CBG") was incorporated in the Cayman Islands in 1989 and listed on the Growth Enterprise Market of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in March 2000. Since 2018, CBG is devoted to pursuing its business restructure and diversifying its revenue base to jewelry trading and retailing, lending business as well as pharmaceutical and healthcare products business.

Contact:


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

13th Asian Financial Forum opens next Monday

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HONG KONG, Jan 6, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - The 13th Asian Financial Forum (AFF) will be held on 13 and 14 January (Monday and Tuesday) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Under the theme "Redefining Growth: Innovation, Breakthrough, Inclusiveness", the event will draw in more than 100 influential global financial experts, policymakers, business leaders, economists and investors who will examine topical issues in the global economy and explore new opportunities. Heavyweight speakers joining the two keynote luncheon sessions are Janet Yellen, former Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and Prof Abhijit Banerjee, joint winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize for Economics. Four Panel Discussion sessions will be held to discuss broad topics ranging from supply-chain finance solutions and the unprecedented growth of asset and wealth management in Asia, to insurance and risk management as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. The inaugural FintechHK Startup Salon will showcase fintech start-ups from Hong Kong and beyond, complemented by the returning Fintech Showcase and InnoTalks series.


Introducing event highlights from the 13th Asian Financial Forum at a press conference today are (from left): Amy Lo, Chairman, Executive Committee, Private Wealth Management Association Head and Chief Executive UBS Hong Kong Branch; Patrick Lau, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director; Mary Huen, Chairperson, Asian Financial Forum 2020 Steering Committee; and Sammie Leung, Risk Assurance Partner, PwC.


The 13th Asian Financial Forum (AFF) will be held on 13 and 14 January (Monday and Tuesday) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), with the theme "Redefining Growth: Innovation, Breakthrough, Inclusiveness". The picture shows one of the sessions at the 2019 event.


Mary Huen, Chairperson, Asian Financial Forum 2020 Steering Committee and Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, said: "The Asian Financial Forum is the annual financial event that kickstarts discussion in the new year. Introducing brand-new innovative concepts, the theme for this year's AFF is 'Redefining Growth: Innovation, Breakthrough, Inclusiveness', exploring new ideas that will allow business leaders to keep pace with the ever-changing market and seek the best solutions to overcome the challenges presented by the uncertain global and local economic landscapes. Hong Kong is going through challenging times and the risk of an economic downturn is high, but with its solid foundation and diversified advantages, we believe the city can continue to provide a promising business environment for local and international corporations and financial institutions."

Redefining Growth: Innovation, Breakthrough, Inclusiveness - plenary session

Technological breakthroughs have fostered significant progress in global growth. Recognising the importance of financial inclusion, policymakers are seeking innovative solutions to minimise the cost of implementing a financial inclusion pilot scheme. The AFF opens with a plenary session titled "Redefining Growth: Innovation, Breakthrough, Inclusiveness" to discuss the current opportunities and challenges. The heavyweight overseas policymakers sharing their insights on promoting financial inclusion in the world include Michael D'Arcy, Minister of State at the Department of Finance, with special responsibility for Financial Services and Insurance, Ireland; Jin Liqun, President and Chairman, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; Uttama Savanayana, Minister of Finance, Thailand; and Peter Szijjarto, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary.

The financial market outlook is currently pessimistic, with a potential global economic recession in the short term along with a range of uncertainties such as unsustainable corporate debt, volatile capital flows and disrupted supply chains. The current low interest-rate policy implemented by most central banks also gives policymakers comparatively little room to revitalise the economy. Following the plenary session, the Policy Dialogue "Global Outlook and Opportunities for 2020", will see international financial experts share their strategies for tackling the global economic downturn. The distinguished panel of speakers includes Burkhard Balz, Member of the Executive Board, Deutsche Bundesbank; Martin Raiser, Country Director for China and Mongolia, and Director for Korea, World Bank Group; and Sergey Shvetsov, First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Russia.

Panel discussions feature broad spectrum of financial sectors

The four AFF panel discussion sessions, including "Evolution of Global Trade and Supply Chain Finance", will feature banking and financial-service sector leaders who highlight some of the emerging trends in supply-chain finance as well as the role of different stakeholders in trade facilitation against the backdrop of the Sino-US trade dispute, Brexit and tensions in the Middle East. Rapid wealth accumulation and the continued opening up of Mainland China is fuelling unprecedented growth in the asset- and wealth-management industries in Asia. The panel discussion on "Asset and Wealth Management in Asia: New Frontiers, Challenges and Opportunities" will discuss management models in the Asian market and how industry players can better position themselves to embrace and capitalise on these opportunities. Speakers at the two sessions include Howard Lee, Deputy Chief Executive, Hong Kong Monetary Authority; Julia Leung, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Intermediaries, Securities and Futures Commission; Bill Winters, Group Chief Executive, Standard Chartered PLC; William Fung, Group Chairman, Li & Fung Limited; Salman Fazlur Rahman, Private Industry and Investment Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Chairman, IFIC Bank Limited; Geraldine Buckingham, Chair of Asia Pacific, BlackRock; Suyi Kim, Senior Managing Director, Head of Asia Pacific, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB); and Amy Lo, Chairman, Executive Committee, Private Wealth Management Association, Head and Chief Executive, UBS Hong Kong Branch and Co-Head Wealth Management Asia Pacific, UBS Global Wealth Management.

The remaining two panel discussions "Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)" and "Insurance and Inclusive Growth in Asia" feature Ronnie Chan, Chairman, Hang Lung Properties Limited; Yasuyuki Kawasaki, Deputy Chairman of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group; Winnie Wong, Board Member, Financial Services Development Council; Andrew Yan, Founding Managing Partner, SAIF Partners; Franz Hahn, CEO, Peak Reinsurance Ltd; Gordon Watson, Chief Executive Officer, AXA Asia; and Clarence Wong, Chief Economist Asia, Swiss Re.

Keynote speakers share on monetary policy and financial inclusion

The speaker at the keynote luncheon on the first day of AFF is Ms Yellen. From 2014 to 2018, under the Obama and Trump administrations, she served as Chair of the Federal Reserve Board, making history as the first woman to be appointed to that position. In this session, she will share her perspectives on the independence of central banks and the implementation of monetary policy, in addition to hot topics such as her view on the global economy and the impact of the Sino-US trade conflict. She will also take questions from the audience on related issues.

At the keynote luncheon on the second day of the forum, Mr Banerjee will address the subject of financial inclusion and share his thoughts on the economic policies and financial inclusion progress in developing countries, and India in particular.

Novel ideas from FintechHK Start-up Salon

Dr Patrick Lau, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, said: "The HKTDC has long promoted Hong Kong's strengths as an international financial centre and platform, attracting industries from around the world to look for investment opportunities, potential investors and financial partners. As the best platform for creating business connections and understanding market dynamics, AFF 2020 continues to connect different stakeholders from finance-related industries around the world and help them seek out new business opportunities."

Dr Lau added that innovation and technology were having a profound impact on financial development. "We have seen technology companies launching banking businesses, while banks have also been introducing innovative technologies to stay competitive. In order to help participants capture fintech opportunities ahead of their competitors, we have stepped up our game in covering areas relating to innovation and technology, inviting experts to examine hot issues related to fintech and the broader business sector."

Launched last year, the Fintech Showcase returns in 2020, together with the inaugural FintechHK Startup Salon, to present a plethora of fintech innovations and next-generation business ideas from some 90 fintech start-ups as well as leading financial institutions and technology firms from Hong Kong and beyond, including Assured Asset Management, BOCHK, CICC, HKT, NEC, Ping An OneConnect Bank and Standard Chartered Bank.

InnoTalks explores fintech

The InnoTalks series returns in 2020 with various workshops on the second day of the forum, exploring technological issues relevant to the financial sector, including developments in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, financial innovation, investment technology and cyber security. Renowned speakers - including Simon Loong, Founder and CEO, WeLab, Terence Yeung, Chief Fintech Officer, MoneySQ.com, and Jonathan Larsen, Chief Innovation Officer, Ping An Group - will help participants gain a better grasp of financial innovations that can boost competitiveness in the current economic landscape.

Sponsored again by the Financial Services Development Council, Hong Kong (FSDC), the Breakfast Panel will be moderated by Winnie Wong, Board Member of the FSDC, on the theme "Hong Kong's Changing Role as an Investment Gateway: New Trend, New Generation and New Strategy". The panellists include Andrew Weir, Regional Senior Partner, KPMG Hong Kong, and Jim Lai, Vice President, Tencent Holdings Limited and Chairman of Fusion Bank Limited. Together they will explore the opportunities and risks for Hong Kong against the backdrop of recent economic and geopolitical developments, looking at what the city should do to safeguard its position as a leading international financial centre.

The HKTDC, together with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS), will co-organise workshops to examine the circular economy and marine plastics as well as profit with purpose. Green finance has been growing strongly across the globe, with many innovative green financial products appearing on the market. The HKTDC and the Hong Kong Green Finance Association (HKGFA) will co-organise a session titled "2020 Green and Sustainable Finance Opportunities" to examine the opportunities offered by green finance in the coming year and how the planning of both authorities and the financial sector can align with sustainable development of the market. Meanwhile, many family businesses are coming to a point where succession needs to be considered. A session titled "The Road to Succession: How to Fully Achieve the Sustainable Development of Family Corporations?" will discuss how family businesses can achieve better standards related to environment, society and governance (ESG) and ways in which they can build a more efficient mechanism for succession.

AFF Deal Flow Matchmaking helps businesses explore cooperation

Over the years, the AFF has brought together elites from the world's finance and business sectors to share insights on economic prospects and investment opportunities, and served as a platform where investors and project owners can explore cooperation. This year's forum will once again join hands with the Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association to organise the AFF Deal Flow Matchmaking session, providing deal-sourcing and matchmaking meetings for project owners and investors. It is expected that 200 investors and 500 investment projects will join one-on-one meetings. Industries covered include manufacturing, green technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), fintech and healthtech. Around 700 one-to-one meetings are expected to be arranged.

The InnoVenture Salon is back for the third time on an expanded scale and with enriched content, making it the ideal platform to connect start-ups with potential investors and partners. Start-ups will showcase their products and ideas, covering such areas as electronic technologies, healthtech, artificial intelligence (AI) and smart-city development at the Startup Zone, while pitching, business matching as well as clinics with industry practitioners and investment experts will also be provided. To capture opportunities brought about by technological advancements, the Fireside Chat session will feature Henri Arslanian, Chairman of the FinTech Association of Hong Kong, and Richard Chow, Executive Director, UBS AG and Head of Digital at UBS Wealth Management, together with industry pioneers from around the globe, to share insights on blockchain, artificial intelligence, sustainable inclusiveness, global investment outlook, wealthtech and healthtech.

To give participants a better understanding of Hong Kong's regulatory system and business environment, a special session is being arranged at AFF 2020 for overseas corporations that are interested in setting up offices and investing in the city. Regulators and related agencies such as the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), Insurance Authority, HKEX and InvestHK will meet with overseas start-ups and family offices to ready them for Asian markets. The Global Investment Zone is another highlight, gathering investment agencies from Bangladesh, Canada, Japan, Germany, Ireland, Spain, the US and more to present investment opportunities in different sectors.

Websites
- Asian Financial Forum: http://www.hktdc.com/ncs/aff2020/en/main/index.html
- AFF programme: http://www.hktdc.com/ncs/aff2020/en/s/programme.html
- AFF speakers: http://www.hktdc.com/ncs/aff2020/en/s/speakers.html
- Photo download: https://bit.ly/2QICEPG

Media interviews
Members of the media interested in interviewing speakers at the Asian Financial Forum can fill out the form (https://bit.ly/33LIXqk) and email it to christine.kam@hktdc.org or clayton.y.lauw@hktdc.org by 10 January 2020.

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.
Contact:
Christine Kam, Tel: +852 2584 4514, Email: christine.kam@hktdc.org Sam Ho, Tel: +852 2584 4569, Email: sam.sy.ho@hktdc.org Clayton Lauw, Tel: +852 2584 4116, Email: clayton.y.lauw@hktdc.org


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Tauriga Sciences, Inc. Approved by Alibaba Group to Operate Global Seller Account

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NEW YORK, NY, Jan 7, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: TAUG) ("Tauriga" or the "Company"), a revenue generating company that operates through the development, distribution, and licensing of proprietary products as well as the evaluation of potential acquisition opportunities and equity investments, today announced that it has been approved by Chinese multinational conglomerate, Alibaba Group ("Alibaba"), to operate a Global Seller Account. In addition, the Company has been designated as a Gold Supplier (Gold Tier Level Supplier). This Alibaba approval opens up the global marketplace to Tauriga, its products, its product lines, as well as to future business opportunities. The Company also has the opportunity to introduce its outstanding products to the retail marketplace of China. The Company is working diligently towards establishing a partnership with a top tier China based fulfillment and distribution network.

The Company has successfully listed its Flagship Product, Tauri-Gum(TM), on Alibaba.com (Please see below Links):

Link Below - Mint Flavor Tauri-Gum(TM) listed on Alibaba.com
Link: https://bit.ly/2tBeDSJ

Link Below - Blood Orange Flavor Tauri-Gum(TM) listed on Alibaba.com
Link: https://bit.ly/36sTWXU

Link Below - Pomegranate Flavor Tauri-Gum(TM) listed on Alibaba.com
Link: https://bit.ly/2Fkpnro

The Company has been designated the following credential by Alibaba Group:
Tauriga Sciences Inc. Global Seller Account (Gold Supplier):
Member ID (License #): US1359170021PMGW
Link: https://bit.ly/2FpTPR6

In other news, the Company is actively working with Alibaba's New York City office to both enhance its brand awareness and business opportunities throughout the Alibaba global network.

The Company's Product Liability Insurance Policy (covering its Tauri-Gum(TM) brand) is Underwritten by Evanston Insurance Company and provides Coverage of $5,000,000 USD (Policy # MKLV7PPD000108).

ABOUT TAURIGA SCIENCES, INC.

Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (TAUG) is a revenue generating company that operates through the development, distribution, and licensing of proprietary products as well as the evaluation of potential acquisition opportunities. One such opportunity on which the Company has acted, involves the Company having entered into the cannabidiol (or "CBD") infused chewing gum product business, as more fully described above and in prior press releases. This CBD infused chewing gum product has been branded under the following name: Tauri-Gum(TM). The Company is currently in production of three distinct flavors of Tauri-Gum(TM): MINT, BLOOD ORANGE, and POMEGRANATE. On December 6, 2019 the Company announced that it completed the initial production run (thereby expanding its existing product lines) with the introduction of a 25mg Vegan CBD Isolate Infused vegan gummy ("gumdrop"), branded under the name: Tauri-Gummies(TM). Further, the Company continues to identify and evaluate additional potential opportunities to generate revenue, as well as shareholder value, and leverage its resources and expertise to build a diversified and sustainable business model. Please visit our corporate website at www.tauriga.com.

The Company has also announced the development of a Cannabigerol ("CBG") Isolate infused version of Tauri-Gum(TM). The flavor that has been selected is Starfruit/Peach and each piece of gum will contain 10mg of CBG Isolate / Each blister pack will contain 80mg of CBG Isolate. The Company expects to commence production during its 4th Fiscal Quarter of 2020 (January 1, 2020 - March 31, 2020).

In addition, on March 11, 2019, the Company announced the official launch of its E-Commerce site - as part of its Tauri-Gum(TM) commercialization strategy. This site can be accessed by visiting the following URL address: www.taurigum.com

The Company has established corporate offices in both New York City (USA) and Barcelona (Spain).

DISCLAIMER -- Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which represent management's beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are often indicated by using words such as "may," "will," "expects," "anticipates," believes, "hopes," "believes," or plans, and may include statements regarding corporate objectives as well as the attainment of certain corporate goals and milestones. Forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on management's present beliefs with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences or timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, such as are not guarantees of general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to consummate successful acquisition and licensing transactions, fluctuations in exchange rates, and other factors over which Tauriga has little or no control. Many of these risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in the "Risk Factors" section of Tauriga's Form 10-K and other filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Tauriga assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Tauriga Sciences, Inc.
555 Madison Avenue, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Seth M. Shaw
Email: sshaw@tauriga.com
Cell # (917) 796 9926
Corp. Website: www.tauriga.com
E-Commerce Website: www.taurigum.com
Contact:


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Institutional Capital Advisory Announces 2020 Key Corporate Access Events

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HONG KONG, Jan 7, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Institutional Capital Advisory (Asia) Limited ("ICA"), a leading Asia-based capital markets advisory firm, announced today eight key corporate access events in 2020, which are designed to enhance the effectiveness and transparency of communication between global institutional investors and listed companies in Greater China.

ICA's 2020 key corporate access events will invite over 100 listed Chinese A-shares, H-shares, ADRs and Taiwan-listed stocks across multiple sectors, including TMT, education, consumer, healthcare, banking and finance, energy, manufacturing, etc. The events aim to provide both domestic and overseas investors with deeper insights into industry leaders as well as access to undervalued small- and mid-cap growth stocks.

Following MSCI Emerging Market Index's inclusion of Chinese A-shares, China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) made the decision to remove quotas on Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) scheme and Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) program. These actions continue to accelerate the globalization of China's capital market. In addition, A-shares, H-shares, and ADRs of the new economy are increasingly attractive given the significance of the Chinese economy and the expectation on China's GDP per capita to exceed USD10,000 in the near future. To take advantage of these opportunities, ICA is leveraging its international IR advisory expertise and looks forward to connecting Chinese corporates with Singapore and London's world-leading mutual funds, hedge funds and boutique asset managers focusing on emerging markets.

Furthermore, according to MSCI Inc., the performance of Taiwan-listed stocks is among the best of all emerging market stocks. Financial holdings and high-tech/semi-conductor companies are the most attractive to global investors. In May 2020, ICA plans to present a number of Taiwan-listed companies to a wider range of global investors during the themed corporate day.

Mr. Kevin Yang, Founder and CEO of ICA commented, "In 2019, our corporate access events featured 70+ A-shares, H-shares, ADRs and Taiwan-listed companies, including seven of them with market capitalization over USD10 billion. These corporates interacted with 200+ investors and analysts from 100+ domestic and international institutions during these events. In 2020, ICA will launch its first overseas corporate day series, starting with Singapore and London, which is a significant milestone for ICA. Looking ahead, ICA is determined to bring our listed company clients in Greater China abroad with a continued emphasis on optimizing shareholder structure and liquidity."

2020 Key Corporate Access Events

- China NextGen Tech Conference
15-16 January 2020, Shenzhen

- China Corporate Day
1-2 April 2020, Singapore

- Taiwan Corporate Day
22 May 2020, Hong Kong

- China Consumer Corporate Day
June 2020, Shanghai

- China Healthcare Corporate Day
June 2020, Shanghai

- Asia Banking and Finance Corporate Day
September 2020, Hong Kong & Singapore

- China Corporate Day
October, London

- Rising Star Roadshow - 2020 IPOs
November 2020, Hong Kong

Please note the above events are by invitation only. Please contact your ICA Corporate Access representative if you are interested in any of the events.

About ICA
Institutional Capital Advisory ("ICA") is a leading Asia-based capital markets advisory firm, dedicated to investor relations, corporate access, fund research and financial communication services. We partner with Asia's listed and pre-IPO companies to accelerate their capital market development and create sustainable shareholder value. Our clients consist of companies listed in the U.S., Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. We are specialized in consumer, education, healthcare, internet, tech and fintech, energy and real estate, among other industries. Learn more at www.icaasia.com.

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Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

OKEx's COO Resigns to Launch Blockchain Consultancy Institute, BitWork

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HONG KONG, Jan 7, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Andy Cheung has resigned as the COO of OKEx, a world-leading cryptocurrency exchange, to start a new blockchain consultancy institute, BitWork. With a team of experienced blockchain experts, BitWork offers exchange partnerships, advisory, marketing management, branding and public relations, fundraising, and event management services to cryptocurrency and blockchain projects.

"My goal is to drive mass cryptocurrency adoption. But my contribution can be very limited in a cryptocurrency exchange. I decided, and we agreed amicably, that I can better achieve my goals with a new venture. Still, it's been an absolute pleasure to have served OKEx." said Andy Cheung.

"The question I was always asked in OKEx was: How can my project get listed on your exchange? Like CZ (CEO of Binance) and a few more leaders in the industry, we always tell the teams that project quality is the key."

"But how to improve the quality of a project? What do the markets need? BitWork will help answer and provide solutions to these questions. By helping more projects to get exposure and connecting them to different markets, we strive to facilitate mass crypto adoption."

Led by Andy Cheung, BitWork launched and operates in Hong Kong. The startup is formed by a team of experienced blockchain experts from different cryptocurrency exchanges. With a solid industry background, it provides bespoke consulting services to help cryptocurrency projects build and market their products - from exchange partnerships, advisory, marketing management, branding and public relations, fundraising, to event management services.

Mr Cheung had been serving OKEx as COO since its launching. He oversaw the entire operations, marketing, and public relations of OKEx. He was also named as top crypto influencer by media sites such as CoinTelegraph, CryptoSlate, Bitcoin Insider, and Block Journal.

Prior to OKEx, the seasoned entrepreneur started many businesses and forayed into many sectors. He had served as the CEO and a variety of important roles in Groupon Hong Kong, iClick Interactive, and Alibaba.

About BitWork
BitWork is a blockchain community based company that assists blockchain companies to realize their true potential. It also provides individuals opportunities to access blockchain technology and helps different parties incubate ideas in building a mutually beneficial ecosystem.

Contact
Public Relations Representative
Ms Becky Lo
Tel: +852 91744420
E-mail: pr@bitwork.asia / becky@bitwork.asia

Contact:


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Asian Licensing Conference gathers global experts

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HONG KONG, Jan 7, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - In recent years, manufacturers, retailers, edu-tainment companies and food and beverage businesses have been actively seeking collaborations with brands to add value to their products and services, while the range of brands seeking licensing collaborations has diversified from characters and animations to art, culture, corporates, collegiate and music properties. Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the Asian Licensing Conference kicked off yesterday (6 January) with two plenary sessions focusing on the latest market trend and opportunities in the region through the lens of some of the industry's top licensees and project owners. The experts shared their strategies for extending branding from daily products into intangible services to help create unique brand experiences.


The 18th edition of the HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show and the ninth Asian Licensing Conference opened yesterday (6 January). Global licensing experts gathered at the plenary session, bringing participants up to date on the latest market trends and sharing licensing success stories.






Asian licensing industry maintains strong growth

Addressing the opening ceremony of the conference were Margaret Fong, HKTDC Executive Director, and Eliza Lee, Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Creative Industries) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. In her welcome remarks, Ms Fong said: "As an increasing number of businesses explore licensing as a way to move up the value chain, Hong Kong will have a key role to play in facilitating the growth of the industry."

She added that Hong Kong provides the ideal platform for global brands and top licensors to access markets across the region as the city benefits from factors such as a rigorous intellectual property protection regime, robust legal system, professional expertise and proximity to Mainland China and other key Asian economies. "Despite the current global economic sentiments and the impact of the Sino-US trade conflict, the licensing industry continues to flourish. In fact, licensing adds value to businesses, helping to boost their competitiveness during challenging times," Ms Fong said.

According to the latest annual global research report from Licensing International, Asia accounted for 12% of the US$280 billion in global retail sales of licensed merchandise in 2018. Mainland China is now the second-biggest licensing market in Asia, after Japan.

Licensing as a marketing strategy

At the first plenary session yesterday, "Asian Licensing Market Outlook", Lisa Reiner, Managing Director, Europe & Asia Pacific, Beanstalk, pointed out that in North America, corporate trademark licensing is 75% of character and entertainment (C&E) licensing, while in Asia it accounts for only 25%. She encouraged enterprises to get a deeper understanding of brand licensing as part of a new marketing strategy.

"Corporate brands have proprietary products that are unique to the brand," she explained. "The primary goal of licensing is brand building, and the goal is to establish long-term partnerships since they are the most successful. Entertainment licensing, in contrast, focuses on images, artwork, characters, and so forth, and the primary goal is to receive royalties. Changes in products and licensees are more frequent than for corporate licensing."

Ms Reiner stressed that "brand licensing offers a long-term business model for profitable, sustained growth", giving three points of advice for brand owners. The first is to be open to products that are relevant to local consumers; the second is to be active in protecting trademarks; and the third is to be willing to explore other routes to consumers, such as e-commerce and multiple distributor networks. Her advice to licensees was to be a strategic partner to the licensor and deliver consumer insights to show why the collaboration makes sense. She also stressed the need to invest in innovation to solve unmet customer needs instead of just copying what someone else is doing, and to always be active in protecting trademarks.

How brand stories can provoke consumer interest

Mark Coleman, Vice President, Asia Pacific and Middle East at National Geographic, summarised three consumer trends. "Consumers expect brands to stand for something; they want to purchase products that have a story and purpose with which they can identify; and consumers are increasingly seeking a deeper relationship with the brands they interact with. Also, consumers now have a greater awareness and concern about their 'human footprint' and the sort of world they are leaving for future generations," he explained.

Based on these trends, Mr Coleman said that Nat Geo has developed a range of sustainability products with its licensees to help reduce the human footprint, including skincare products with all natural ingredients and no animal testing; luggage and apparel made from plastic bottles sourced from waste streams; and packaging made from corn starch, which is biodegradable.

Mr Coleman reviewed some of Nat Geo's licensing deals in Korea, the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In Korea, the company's largest market so far, it has 178 Nat Geo-branded retail outlets and 1,350 products, including apparel for adults and kids, bags and luggage, headwear and footwear, accessories, camping goods, water sports and skincare products. It opened its first store in the K11 mall in Hong Kong in November 2019, and despite the retail slump, sales have gone very well, he said. Nat Geo intends to open more stores in Hong Kong and Macao.

Claire Gilchrist, Vice President, Asia Pacific of Hasbro Consumer Products, also shared her observations on consumer trends, saying that factors such as urbanisation, new technology, simplicity and digital mistrust will all affect business interaction with consumers. She added that due to technology diffusion, millennials are no longer the main focus of online marketing.

Ms Gilchrist concluded that Asian consumers will increasingly put their trust in new technologies such as artificial intelligence and algorithms. "Asian consumers will expect real value that goes beyond functionality," she said. At the same time, companies must be considerate of cultural and religious beliefs, committed to sustainability, connected to the digital ecosystem, and offer quick solutions.

Classic brand reborn in museum collection

At the second plenary session yesterday, "From Brand Licensing to Lifestyle Experience", several enterprises were invited to share their licensing success stories, including Royal Selangor Marketing Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian company with a 135-year history that specialises in quality pewter. Its Executive Director, Tien Yue Chen, shared how the company collaborates with world-class museums, entertainment companies and designers to boost its customer base.

Mr Chen said Royal Selangor collaborated with one of the world's most famous museums, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England, to develop collections of wine accessories inspired by original works in the museum. It also collaborated with the British Museum to reinterpret various artefacts from the museums to create home decor products in pewter that reflect a contemporary lifestyle. Entertainment brands such as Marvel Comics, Warner Bros, Walt Disney Company and the Saul Zaentz Company have also worked on projects with Royal Selangor, producing a collection of pewter figurines, lapel pins, keychains, and even a Star Wars chess set using many popular iconic characters.

"Such collaborations have resulted in pop culture becoming part of home decor," Mr Chen said. "Though customers might not be very interested in pewter, these collaborations have helped to bring us new customers. At the same time, we add value to our licensors through the design approach we take and our customer-engagement activities. This forms the basis for long-term partnerships."

Football club evolves into a lifestyle brand through licensing

Another speaker, Stefania Perletto, Licensing Manager at Italian football club AS Roma, said she is working for an entity that is much more than a football club: "It is a content and media company, as well as a lifestyle brand," she said. The company's goal is to go beyond traditional sports marketing to build new international audiences, with successful long-term global partnerships already cemented with international brands such as Qatar Airways, Nike and Hyundai, as well as with many local and regional partners, offering a wide range of training apparel, leisurewear, accessories and gifts with the iconic AS Roma logo and colours.

Ms Perletto said that product execution involves building a lifestyle mood that transcends the product and the team, through style, design and fashion. "We want to build new partnerships in different ways through co-branding and brand collaboration," she said, explaining that the tools AS Roma employs are its intellectual property (IP), product design and quality, distribution and marketing campaigns. She reminded the audience that while licensees provide added value, brands need to ensure they select partners with connected core values.

Licensing collaborations bring characters and fans together

Robert Goodchild, Head of Licensing at Aardman Animations Limited, is responsible for the global merchandise programmes for several major Aardman brands including Shaun the Sheep, Wallace & Gromit, Timmy Time and Morph, among others. The company now has more than 180 licensees across 30 territories. "We work with many brands all over the world," he said, "and it's all about bringing colour and character to campaigns. By bringing character to a campaign we can reach new audiences and build commercially successful partnerships."

One recent example of a successful partnership was Aardman's collaboration with premium British lifestyle brand Joules last Christmas, which celebrated the 30th anniversary of both Joules and Aardman's hugely popular Wallace & Gromit animation. Aardman also created a bespoke photoshoot with British retailer Harvey Nichols, and used its characters and humour to bring a lifestyle brand to life in a collaboration with British sofa brand DFS, emphasising the fact that both brands produce everything in the United Kingdom.

"Licensing has the benefit of bringing brands and fans together. For example, bringing Shaun the Sheep to a theme park brings an audience along with it," Mr Goodchild added.

Internet disrupts the music licensing ecosystem

Yu Chen-lai, General Manager of Fine Entertainment Limited, pointed out that the evolution of the internet has had an impact on the music licensing market. Song licences used to be controlled by the record company, but now artists can retain copyrights for their own songs. This phenomenon is still at an early stage in Asia and the market potential is still to be fully realised. Mr Yu said he is looking forward to seeing a more mature licensing market in Asia, with strengthened channels bringing benefits to artists and project owners. "If more people understand the benefits that licensing brings, it will generate a positive impact to the development of the industry in the long run," he said.

Mr Yu said the development of 5G will benefit the streaming of media such as music and videos and is expected to expand the market for commercial music. He explained that the music platform 24Cmusic, run by Fine Entertainment, will expand into the mainland and Southeast Asian markets within the next five years. Based on the platform's existing resources, the company's business expansion will take three directions: first, integrating the pop music licensed commercial channels, second by nurturing the creative force in creating soundtracks, and third by bringing specialist Asian music to the global market.

Websites
- Asian Licensing Conference website: www.hktdc.com/fair/alc-en
- Hong Kong International Licensing Show website: www.hktdc.com/fair/hklicensingshow-en
- Photo download: https://bit.ly/2SZ692D

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.
Contact:
Angel Tang, Tel: +852 2584 4544, Email: angel.hc.tang@hktdc.org Coco Yuen, Tel: +852 2584 4145, Email: coco.hc.yuen@hktdc.org


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Toys Conference examines latest industry trends

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HONG KONG, Jan 8, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - E-commerce is driving transformation in the toys industry but bricks-and-mortar stores still have a unique role to play, delegates at the Hong Kong Toys Industry Conference 2020 heard. The conference covered a plethora of the industry's pressing issues, trends and aspirations - from the persistence of global trade tensions to the pros and cons of relocating production out of Mainland China, and from STEM to CE marking - under the theme "Get Powered Up - Opportunities in the Toys Industry".


The Hong Kong Toys Industry Conference 2020, which ran under the theme "Get Powered Up - Opportunities in the Toys Industry", was moderated by Lawrence Chan, Chairman of the HKTDC Toys Advisory Committee.


Poon Cheuk-hong, Economist, Hong Kong Trade Development Council


Manu Sharma, Group Vice President, Business, Reliance Brands Limited


The conference yesterday (7 January) was co-organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, the Hong Kong Toys Council and the Toy Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong Limited, running concurrently with the HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, the HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair and the Hong Kong International Stationery Fair.

Who's not afraid of online toy stores?

The closure of some leading toy store chains has compelled the industry to face an existential question: in the internet age, has traditional toy retailing been turned on its head? Manu Sharma, who directs the global product strategy of the 260-year-old United Kingdom-based toy store Hamleys, said the answer is no - if you make the most of the irreplaceable benefits a physical store offers.

"We bring very strong experience in the stores, which is not provided anywhere else," Mr Sharma, who is also Group Vice President, Business, Reliance Brands, told the conference. On the back of good pricing and a mix of e-commerce and bricks-and-mortar strategies, the face-to-face experiences such as character meet and greets, demonstrations, installations and parades are magnets for families. "As long as your doors are open for the kids to come and play, the customers will come back."

The lessons from the world's oldest toy shop-turned global franchise were echoed by HKTDC Economist Poon Cheuk-hong, who said a survey by HKTDC Research showed that online and offline channels are equally important when families in Mainland China choose and buy their toys. E-commerce has become an integral part of mainlanders' lives but the late-2018 survey revealed that 72% of mainland parents bought toys on shopping websites, whereas as many as 71% did so in toy stores, followed by supermarkets and department stores. "Toy shops allow children to feel the toy and parents to test their quality," Mr Poon said.

In e-commerce, do it the Chinese way

More and more retail brands realise the importance of an omni-channel strategy in the mainland but many do not know how to handle the online part, according to Josh Gardner, CEO of e-commerce consultant Kung Fu Data. He pointed out that the search-and-buy model, still a norm for e-commerce in the west, had fallen out of fashion in the mainland as platforms such as Tmall and JD have become embedded in the social media ecosystem. Foreign brands wanting to succeed in the mainland must build "a strong brand equity" by leveraging such integration tactics as co-branding, cross-platform selling and influencer marketing.

STEM shows promise

As mainland consumers become more willing to spend money on toys, Mr Poon stressed that the industry cannot afford to miss out on toys with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) concepts. An overwhelming 98% of mainland parents have bought or were interested in buying STEM toys for their children, he said, citing the survey, while the average price they are willing to pay for STEM toys was Rmb414 (US$60), well above the Rmb199 for general toys and presenting fatter profit margins for manufacturers. "It shows that Mainland Chinese parents are very concerned about their children's education. If the toys can help with science grades, they are willing to pay more," he said.

James Wang, President of Dream International USA, said rising labour costs in the mainland had left toy manufacturers wondering whether they should move their production out of the country. Dream International, which has for long diversified into Vietnam for production, said it does have a labour-cost advantage over the mainland but it is not without problems. Challenges include lower-skilled workers, which dampens productivity, along with tighter labour supply and rising costs as Vietnam continues to develop. The company is exploring the possibility of building plants in other Asian countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar and India.

European uncertainties

Toy enterprises seeking business in Europe need to be aware of changes coming in the year ahead. Christian Wetterberg, Senior Director and Global Head, Product Safety & Compliance, at Toy Industries in Europe, noted that "tackling climate change has become a priority" after the European Parliament elections last year. Concerns are also growing over privacy issues amid the increasing popularity of toys with internet connections. He sees a potential review of the European Union's Toy Safety Directive and other laws that may lead to bans on the use of non-sustainable materials in toys.

Brexit is becoming a reality but details of the UK-EU economic relationship remain uncertain, Mr Wetterberg said, and the market will be braced for related risks this year. Many in the industry were sceptical as to whether a trade deal can be successfully negotiated within 11 months after the UK formally withdraws from the bloc, he said. For the regulation of toy industries, he said post-Brexit Britain may replace the CE safety mark with a UKCA mark, but specific safety rules may undergo more amendments in the long run.

Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair
Edition: 46th
No. of Exhibitors: Over 2,100 exhibitors from 40 countries and regions
Website: https://hktoyfair.hktdc.com
Highlight Products: https://bit.ly/39iKU1y

Hong Kong Baby Products Fair
Edition: 11th
No. of Exhibitors: Over 610 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions
Website: https://hkbabyfair.hktdc.com
Highlight Products: https://bit.ly/2sfgQmU

Hong Kong International Stationery Fair
Edition: 20th
No. of Exhibitors: Around 220 exhibitors from 10 countries and regions
Website: http://hkstationeryfair.com
Highlight Products: http://bit.ly/2u31xOC

Please download more photos from here. https://bit.ly/37PBDMD
HKTDC Media Room: http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/en

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.
Contact:
Sunny Ng, Tel: +852 2584 4357, Email: sunny.sl.ng@hktdc.org Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Beijing Sciencare Technology Strategically Partners with Hebei's Langfang Government to Jointly Build "Internet + Domestic Precision Care Platform"

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HONG KONG, Jan 8, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Beijing Sciencare Technology Co., Ltd (the "Company") recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Langfang Municipal Health Commission on the "Internet + Domestic Precision Care Project for Langfang Residents", under which, both parties will be committed to creating a healthy Langfang in order to provide the city's residents with more premium and effective healthcare services.

Through both online and offline healthcare institutes, the internet + domestic precision care platform for Langfang residents adopts technologies including wearable medical devices, big data analysis of images, exact service matching algorithms and artificial intelligence to import quality health services and resources from the Jingjinji Metropolitan Region, China and even the whole world over into Langfang, which will offer Langfang residents precisive domestic healthcare management and care services, enabling 4.6 million Langfang residents to have their health issues resolved locally and making healthcare services truly accessible. Currently, the platform mainly serves senior citizens, children and post-surgery patients living in Langfang, as well as chronic patients such as those suffering from hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney diseases and psychiatric illnesses.

Li Zheng, the Company's founder and director, said "The integration of technology and medical is constantly expanding the room for imagination in the healthcare sector. This time, the cooperation with the Langfang government would be a small step where the Company leverages its technical strengths to add on the Healthy China 2030 Strategies. Going forward, the Company will focus on improving the efficiency of its medical services and bolstering its health services to provide Langfang residents with more precisive products and services based on big data and artificial intelligence."

As part of the strategic cooperation, the Company will promote and operate China's first cloud platform on healthcare compliance services, which will develop into a significant part of the "Langfang Model" and be gradually adopted nationwide. Prior to that, the Company's health compliance services cloud platform already runs online and offers health institutes in China with management services covering external parties' entry, suppliers and healthcare professionals through the application centering on medical compliance services of mobile internet, cloud computing, big data and blockchain technology.

In this collaboration between the Company and Langfang Municipal Health Commission, the introduction of the cloud platform on health compliance services not only offers healthcare institutes in Langfang compliance management services and helps establish the entry threshold for providing domestic precisive care services, but also allows the qualification verification and service quality evaluation of healthcare workers in Langfang, safeguarding the "internet + domestic precision care service" project to be jointly implemented by both parties.

About Beijing Sciencare Technology Co., Ltd
Founded in March 2018 and established a joint venture and reached a strategic partnership agreement with medical technology platform IntelliCentrics Global Holdings Ltd. in November of the same year, Beijing Sciencare Technology Co., Ltd is the health technology business pioneering in developing a healthcare credit system in China and is committed to providing patients with genuine and reliable healthcare services.

About IntelliCentrics (Stock Code: 6819.HK)
With a mission to use trust to make high-quality healthcare as accessible as a good cup of coffee, IntelliCentrics created the SEC^3URE Ethos. Built on three core principles - transparency, neutrality and independence, the SEC^3URE Ethos is relied on by more than 11,000 locations worldwide to ensure two-way trust between patients, doctors, vendor representatives and healthcare companies. To learn more about the world's largest trusted healthcare technology platform, visit www.intellicentrics.com. IntelliCentrics is publicly traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code 6819.


Contact:


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com
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