Alibaba Kicks off maker Festival 2022, Doubles Down on Support for Entrepreneurs

This year’s #event in #guangzhou will expand into a combination of an innovation and entrepreneurship forum and a showcase of innovative products

Alibaba today kicked off the seventh #makerfestival in #guangzhou, which brings together established brands and budding entrepreneurs in an innovation and entrepreneurship forum (mainly on August 24) and showcases trailblazing creations from around 100 merchants in an offline exhibition (August 26-30). At the event's opening ceremony, the company announced new support measures for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating on #taobao and #tmall.

“I feel that I was also an entrepreneur myself at every stage of my 12-year journey with #alibaba. The #makerfestival is a window on the latest in entrepreneurialism and innovation in #china and, more importantly, the dazzling entrepreneurial spirit driving its development. We are grateful for the trust of SMEs and entrepreneurs who have chosen #taobao and #tmall as their partner. We will continue to introduce new measures to encourage their growth and leverage the #makerfestival as a platform to reinforce our commitment to supporting the broader entrepreneur community,” said Wenfei HAN, General Manager of #taobao and #tmall Marketing.

What’s New at #makerfestival 2022

Hosted in #guangzhou, Guangdong Province in #china, #makerfestival 2022 is themed “The Future Land,” inspired by the sci-fi concept of futuristic camping. In addition to an exhibition, it includes a forum bringing together decision makers from established brands, SMEs, and other key industry stakeholders to facilitate the exchange of insights that can help budding entrepreneurs discover and tap into growth opportunities.

The innovation exhibition of this year’s #makerfestival is designed to be more interactive than ever. Visitors can enjoy an immersive experience by exploring the 20,000-square- meter “camping ground” wearing a smart wristband to interact with the exhibits. Those not present at the offline exhibition can also navigate the exhibition online using their unique avatar supported by #taobao Life, a 3D avatar-based virtual world, from August 27 to September 1.

Consumption Trends Reflected at #makerfestival 2022

• Technology is highly integrated into all aspects of life, and innovations are made in areas such as improving our health and taking care of pets.

• Wellness from the inside out is surprisingly popular among the younger generation. More and more #people are falling in love with “grass sports” such as flying disc sports, and consciously choosing healthy diets like zero-alcohol beer and superfoods.

• The home economy drives elevated home products that allow homeowners to express themselves.

• Combining traditional and modern design elements is also gaining traction among Gen Z designers in #china.

• Sustainability is a new theme among more businesses, whose products are increasingly created with eco-conscious materials or a purpose to promote a green lifestyle.

Support Measures for #taobao and #tmall Merchants

Alibaba has always been a champion of SMEs and entrepreneurs, driving initiatives that make it possible for even the smallest ideas to become businesses.

During the last fiscal year, #taobao and #tmall waived fees on certain platform tools and services to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

For #makerfestival 2022, #taobao and #tmall will double down on its measures to support merchants and entrepreneurs. These measures will center around optimizing onboarding support and reducing operating costs for merchants, including customized assistance for merchants of different scales and development stages.

• For new Taobao merchants, #taobao will provide more foundational training such as courses on store opening and lectures specific to new merchants targeted at helping green hands start their business from scratch.

• For Tmall merchants targeting new niche markets, #tmall will provide multi- dimensional services to help them improve operation and develop innovative products to gain traction.

• Taobao and #tmall will widen free access to their analytical tools to help improve merchants’ operational efficiency.

Taobao has always been fertile ground for young #people in #china with novel ideas and entrepreneurial enthusiasm to develop their ideas into viable businesses. Against this backdrop, the platform is launching a series of new programs to assist young entrepreneurs, especially fresh university graduates, in starting their businesses. Along with other planned initiatives, #taobao has already introduced dedicated entrepreneurial support programs for college students in August.

Vibrancy of #tmall and #taobao Platforms
Growth Engine: On #taobao and #tmall, more than 20,000 newly joined merchants** each

generated over RMB1 million in GMV in the second quarter of 2022 (April-July).

Robust Opportunities: Taobao and #tmall added more than 2,100 sub-categories of physical products such as home lighting, fishing, and glamping in the last two years, which signifies merchants’ increasing diversity. More than 100 new sub-categories each recorded more than RMB100 million in GMV annually.

Regional Highlights: Guangdong is the province with the most #taobao stores, with its capital #guangzhou incubating the most #taobao stores in #china. The Greater Bay Area alone accounts for nearly one-fifth of all the #taobao stores across the country.

Young Entrepreneurs: On #taobao, entrepreneurs born in or after 1990 account for nearly half of all merchants.

Female Entrepreneurs: 46% of #taobao and #tmall merchants are female entrepreneurs. * Timeframe refers to the twelve months ended July 31, 2022, unless otherwise stated

**Refers to merchants joining after April 1, 2021