Event will bring together American businesses,
farmers and entrepreneurs to explore how they can tap into the
China consumer opportunity
Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) today announced Gateway ’17, an
inaugural conference hosted by Alibaba to help U.S. businesses,
farmers and entrepreneurs explore growth opportunities and reach
millions of Chinese consumers. Gateway ’17 will take place at the
Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan on June 20-21, 2017.
Gateway ’17 is expected to attract more than 1,000 businesses
across the U.S. The event will include keynote speeches from
leading entrepreneurs, including Jack Ma, founder and executive
chairman of Alibaba Group, as well as category breakout sessions,
business solutions sessions and marketplace networking
opportunities.
With incomes rising in China, the Chinese middle class continues
to grow as does consumer demand for access to high-quality products
from the United States. Alibaba helps U.S. businesses by connecting
them to Chinese consumers and empowering them to grow their
businesses by accessing the China opportunity.
“China is an important and viable market for a wide range of
products and services. This event will open doors for Michigan
businesses, farmers and entrepreneurs by helping them identify and
enter into new relationships there,” said Rick Snyder, Governor of
Michigan. “By participating in Gateway ’17, Michigan businesses
will have a unique opportunity to reach new customers in the
fastest-growing economy in the world, and we encourage all
companies looking to expand into exporting to attend this
event.”
"A company with the reach and influence of Alibaba could have
chosen any city to host its first conference and we are thrilled
they picked Detroit,” said Mike Duggan, Mayor of Detroit. “This
represents a great opportunity for Detroit's small business
owners and entrepreneurs to have access to Alibaba's global
network."
Below is a letter to U.S. businesses, farmers and entrepreneurs
from Jack Ma, Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group, inviting them to
join Alibaba and its partners at Gateway ‘17:
Open Letter to U.S. Businesses, Farmers and
Entrepreneurs
from Jack Ma, Executive Chairman of Alibaba
Group
Dear U.S. small businesses, farmers and fellow
entrepreneurs,
Nearly 20 years ago on a trip to the United States, I first
witnessed the power of the internet and its ability to connect
people around the world. That was my inspiration when four years
later 18 passionate people got together in my apartment to found
Alibaba, and we began to imagine a future where millions of people
could use the internet to do business globally. Our vision was to
level the playing field so that any individual – no matter how big
or small – could use the power of a connected world to grow a
business and succeed.
From that humble origin in 1999, Alibaba has become a worldwide
leader in e-commerce. Two years ago, we made it our goal to help
U.S. entrepreneurs and businesses sell their goods to the growing
Chinese consumer class. Since then, we have helped thousands of
American businesses do just that, and we believe this is only the
beginning.
The Chinese market presents tremendous opportunities for U.S.
small businesses and farmers to grow their businesses, and in turn,
create more U.S. jobs. China’s middle-class population is projected
to exceed 600 million by 2022, or nearly twice the size of the
entire U.S. population. Last year, China surpassed the U.S. as the
world’s largest retail market, with spending topping U.S. $4.84
trillion. By next year, China’s online spending will be greater
than the rest of the world combined. At Alibaba, we want to help
you take advantage of this appetite for consumption through our
e-commerce marketplaces.
For those of you who are not familiar, Alibaba operates
marketplaces that connect buyers and sellers. Think of us as a
virtual mall with nearly half a billion shoppers buying from
sellers that operate their own online storefronts. With most
Chinese consumers today shopping from a cell phone, getting to our
virtual mall is as easy as clicking on the mobile app that people
carry in their pocket. We are already a gateway for thousands of
global brands, retailers and companies to sell to Chinese
consumers. And we want to expand that gateway – level the playing
field – to make it easy for American entrepreneurs, small
businesses and farmers alike to take advantage of the China
opportunity.
On June 20-21, we will host an event in Detroit to share more
about this opportunity and how we can work together to help
American small businesses grow. The two-day event, Gateway ’17,
will fittingly take place in Detroit – home to some of America’s
greatest ingenuity and innovation.
Today, Alibaba works closely with many small and medium-sized
businesses who have capitalized on the growing demand in China.
Peter Verbrugge, a third-generation cherry farmer from the Pacific
Northwest, is one of many examples. Through Alibaba, he has
successfully sold tons of his delicious cherries to Chinese
consumers. A New York City boutique, Stadium Goods, has seen
business take off by selling coveted collectible sneakers to sports
fans across China – their growth has enabled them to expand their
team by more than 50 percent. LuckyVitamin, a third generation
family-owned business that started as a corner drugstore serving a
small town just outside of Philadelphia, is now able to offer over
10,000 products to Chinese consumers.
These are just a few of the many stories that inspire us to
continue pursuing our mission of making it easy to do business
anywhere. Every day we strive to help fellow entrepreneurs achieve
their dreams. At Gateway ’17, we want to show you how Alibaba can
help make your dreams come true.
I hope to see you in Detroit in June.
Sincerely,
Jack Ma
Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group
Additional Information
- Register for Gateway ‘17:
http://www.gateway17.com
- Open letter from Jack Ma:
http://www.alizila.com/jack-ma-invites-u-s-business-to-detroit/
- Video from Jack Ma:
http://www.gateway17.com
- Learn more about successful U.S. small
businesses working with Alibaba:
http://gateway17.com/customer-stories/
- Learn more about the China opportunity:
http://www.alizila.com/gateway-to-china/
- Follow @AlibabaGroup on Twitter
About Alibaba Group
Alibaba Group’s mission is to make it easy to do business
anywhere. The company aims to build the future infrastructure of
commerce. It envisions that its customers will meet, work and live
at Alibaba, and that it will be a company that lasts at least 102
years.
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0529fh.alibaba.smb@fleishman.com
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