Alibaba is kicking off its annual Alifest conference in Hangzhou, China next week with a star-studded lineup of speakers to help celebrate its 10th anniversary of serving small businesses. Over 3,000 online entrepreneurs will attend the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) SME Summit, whose theme "Small is Beautiful" signifies the role that SMEs play in the world's economies. Over 100,000 potential buyers are expected to attend the Alibaba.com-Taobao Net Products Trade Fair, which will feature 1,000 exhibiting suppliers with special zones on the show floor featuring suppliers from Hong Kong, Australia, Taiwan, Japan and India.
Keynote presenters at the SME Summit include President Bill Clinton, founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and 42nd president of the United States; Olympic Gold Medalist and NBA Champion Kobe Bryant; Howard Schultz, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Starbucks Coffee Company; Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus; Liu Chuanzhi, chairman of the board, Lenovo Group Limited; and Alibaba Group Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Jack Ma.
The keynote speakers join other global business leaders, entrepreneurs and prominent scholars from the APEC member economies to explore key issues concerning the growth and development of small businesses including financing, human capital, management, brand building and other necessities for small businesses. Attendees will share insights on surviving the economic winter and taking advantage of coming trends in business for economic growth.
The event includes the sixth annual Global e-Business Champions Awards ceremony, hosted by Alibaba.com CEO David Wei, to recognize innovative online entrepreneurs who also have advocated for the principles of integrity, cooperation and social responsibility.
Alibaba's Jack Ma said, "The celebration of our 10th anniversary is really a testament to the power of Internet entrepreneurs. These net entrepreneurs are the ones who work hard and take risks to consistently satisfy their customers. We honor their success, and we look forward to welcoming them to Hangzhou next week to share ideas on the rise of e-commerce and the way forward following the global economic crisis."
The SME Summit and Alibaba.com-Taobao Net Products Trade Fair take place at the Hangzhou Leisure Expo Convention Center in the First World Grand Theatre. The Summit is jointly hosted by Alibaba Group, the Singapore Business Federation, the Chinese Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the People's Municipal Government of Hangzhou.
Alibaba Group was founded in 1999 and now includes the following core businesses: Alibaba.com, Alibaba Group's flagship company and the world's leading B2B e-commerce company; Taobao, China's largest Internet retail Web site and a one-stop platform for shopping, socializing and information sharing; Alipay, China's leading third-party online payment service; Alisoft, a developer and provider of Internet-based software solutions targeting small businesses across China; and China Yahoo, one of China's leading Internet portals.
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Alibaba is kicking off its annual Alifest conference in Hangzhou, China next week with a star-studded lineup of speakers to help celebrate its 10th anniversary of serving small businesses. Over 3,000 online entrepreneurs will attend the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) SME Summit, whose theme "Small is Beautiful" signifies the role that SMEs play in the world's economies. Over 100,000 potential buyers are expected to attend the Alibaba.com-Taobao Net Products Trade Fair, which will feature 1,000 exhibiting suppliers with special zones on the show floor featuring suppliers from Hong Kong, Australia, Taiwan, Japan and India. 