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Our friends at China Marketing have recently updated some reports on China’s economy and market recovery. Here are a few of the highlights:

Our friends at WTC recently provided some updated data related to China’s eCommerce bounce-back as COVID-19 cases slow within the country. I wanted to highlight some of their key findings here.

1. TMall flagship sales are up on average >20% YoY March for the majority of major brands, with some such as Lancôme and Estée Lauder seeing increases of 110% and 135% respectively.
2. Traditional retail stores in China are switching from offline sales to live-streaming, including the use of WeChat mini programs to facilitate the streams. On International Women’s Day (8 March 2020) the Hanguang Department Store sold 20 million RMB during the live-stream period held on WeChat. The Yintai Department Store is hosting 200 Taboao streams per day and has stated it plans to enlist 50,000 sales employees as live-streaming hosts.
3. KOL’s are testing new channels in China outside of WeChat, including Taobao, Douyin and Kuaishou. A live stream on Taobao by Top-tier WeChat fashion KOL Miss Xu attracted 887,000 participants and 91,000 orders.
4. IKEA has digitized its retail offerings via TMall. In 5 days, the brand has seen 874,000 followers with the top 15 products generating 408,000 RMB in sales.

Brands across the board that focus on China will need to adjust and adapt, ensuring intelligent use of digital channels in order to facilitate growth during this period. Creative solutions across the board are going to be needed. We at HOGO look forward to sharing more strategic advice with our followers.

Wednesday, 4 March 2020 (Manila, Philippines): ICE Asia has combined with SiGMA Manila to host what is expected to become Asia’s largest regional gaming conference and exhibition. Held 8 to 9 June 2020 in Manila, Philippines and with less than four months to the event’s Asian debut, it has already begun to attract the interest of attendees and stakeholders from throughout the region.

Aimed at showcasing the future of gaming in Asia, the event’s vision includes bringing together regional stakeholders from throughout Asia – from Japan to Macau, Vietnam to Singapore, Australia and beyond. The event, which will be inclusive of a conference and fully developed exhibition space, will be importing some of the ICE brand’s most attractive and interesting featurettes which are part of their signature shows in London and the United States of America.

ICE Asia will launch with a ‘World Regulatory Briefing – Asia’ which will see experts from within the region discussing the future of gaming across each market. The conference will then split across two key tracks including ‘Casino 2030 –  a Land Based Gaming Review’ and an ‘Integrated Resort Summit’.

In addition to the conference and exhibition, ICE Asia will include several imported programs from their signature shows. This includes the International Legislators Agenda, Consumer Protection Zone, Totally Gaming Academy and TEN Chairman’s Dinner events.

SiGMA Manila will run in parallel, featuring topics across blockchain, online and e-gaming as well as regulatory matters specific to the online space. Specific programs will also include the SiGMA Pitch Asia, allowing startups in the field the opportunity to win free exhibition space, office space, present their ideas and more to attendees and potential investors. SiGMA will also play host to the Phil – Asia Gaming Awards on 7 June, shining a spotlight on some of the most creative and intriguing brands and products across both land-based and i-Gaming.

The co-hosted events are expected to gather stakeholders, attendees, policy-makers and government officials from throughout the region. This already includes several key speakers and presenters including Mr. Jonathan Strock, President of Barriere Japan, Mr. Jose Angel Sueiro, CEO of PHResorts and Mr. Sudhir Kalé, Founder and Principal at GamePlan Consultants. More announcements will be made in the coming weeks, including the formal agenda distribution.

For more information, including advanced registration and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.ice-asia.com.

February 25, 2020 (Tuesday), Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam:   KN Paradise Cam Ranh Integrated Resort (“KNIR”) is a development project incorporated under the KN Cam Ranh Company Limited in Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. KN Cam Ranh Company Limited has announced their formal intention to develop partnerships in the implementation of investment and operation of their KNIR project. This comes as the Vietnamese government has recently issued the Investment Certificate allowing the KNIR to develop a large-scale casino complex.

KNIR project spans over 800 hectares of land in Cam Ranh and inclusive of a 5 kilometer stretch of pristine beachfront property, KNIR is perfectly located within a five minutes car drive from the Cam Ranh International Airport and 30 minutes’ drive from the Nha Trang City. The KNIR master plan includes a wide range of hospitality and residential properties, as well as an abundance of premium facilities including a prestigious award-winning golf course, multiple 4-5 star hotels, luxury resorts, branded apartments, villas, mansions, shophouse, townhouses, casino complex, shopping and duty-free center, MICE facilities, luxury marina, union square, beach clubs, water park, theme park and many more. The 27-hole golf course, named KN Golf Links, opened under the development and design of the golf legend Greg Norman on 27 October 2018.

KN Cam Ranh Company Limited has also announced their formal intention to develop a partnership of the casino complex with an international operator. With the Investment Certificate recently approved by the Vietnam government, KNIR is permitted to develop a casino on the resort premises. The casino is planned to cover 16.2 hectares and has been approved for operating 200 gaming tables and 2,000 electronic gaming machines.

The Investment Deputy General Director of KNIR stated that: “It is with great enthusiasm that we are adequately ready to cooperate with the international casino gaming operators for the development and operation of our integrated resort in Cam Ranh. Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. Undeniably, our strategic location and development plan will create an indispensable addition to the Pan-Asia integrated resort marketplace.

The company plans to announce increased industry integration and participation, including participation in a variety of gaming events and trade shows throughout Asia.

Tuesday, 4 February, 2020 (Macau SAR): HOGO has been announced as the confirmed marketing partner for the upcoming launch of the ICE Asia / SiGMA 2020 event to be held in Manila, Philippines 8 – 9 June 2020 at the SMX Convention Center. This is the first ICE event in Asia, and the first co-op event between the ICE and SiGMA brands.

The agreement will see HOGO working to develop marketing strategy and execute local campaigns designed to promote the event throughout Asia. Utilizing the agencies local offices, HOGO will be responsible for integrating with delegates, sponsors, speakers and regulators to ensure equal coverage and awareness of the event across Asian gaming jurisdictions. HOGO will operate as the satellite office for marketing and operations throughout Asia using their locations in Macau, Japan, Vietnam and Cambodia to ensure regional coverage. While this may be the first ICE event in Asia, Clarion Gaming has developed successful conferences in the region including the Japan Gaming Congress (JGC) which will be incorporated into ICE Asia 2020.

Stuart Dacre, Event Director of ICE Asia stated: “We are excited to have HOGO on board to help build and deliver the ICE Asia / SiGMA 2020 brands throughout Asia. It is integral to us that we work with a local partner and are pleased to be cooperating with HOGO across the region for this event.”

Chris Wieners, Managing Partner of HOGO stated: “HOGO is proud to announce our partnership with ICE Asia / SiGMA Manila 2020. Our team fully understands the value that both brands bring to this region. Their expertise in developing globally renown shows will be showcased in June and we are very happy to be part of the team bringing this unique show to Asia.”

The event is set attract a range of attendees including operators, regulators and technology firms from across Asia, as well as global firms seeking to build and advance Asian gaming opportunities.

Friday, August 23, 2019 (Sasebo City, Japan): The Sasebo Chamber of Commerce / Nagasaki Marine IR Promotion Council have confirmed speakers for their seminar to be held on 27 August (Tuesday) at the Fuji International Hotel located in Sasebo City. Speakers will include Mr. Brendan Bussmann of Global Market Advisors, Dr. Glenn McCartney of the University of Macau and the Irish and European Chambers of Commerce (Macau), and Mr. Niall Murray, President of the Irish Chamber of Commerce (Macau).

The seminar is expected to attract between 50 and 100 participants including local businesses from throughout Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture and the Greater Kyushu Region. Presentations will include overviews on how the private sector should begin to formulate engagement plans with IR operators, as well as best practices with regards to how other Chambers of Commerce engage with both IR operators and the local business communities.

Wednesday, 21 August 2019 (Manila, Philippines): HOGO’s Managing Partner has been named as one of the speakers for the upcoming Gaming Innovation Summit 2020 to be held in Manila on 14 and 15 January 2020. Developed by Wispool Sports & Entertainment of Chengdu, China, the event is endorsed by PAGCOR (Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation) and will concentrate on emerging Asian markets, e-gaming, e-sports and marketing for the gaming industry.

Mr. Chris Wieners of HOGO will be presenting Emerging Markets: How the developing markets of Vietnam, Korea, Cambodia and Japan will affect Asia’s gaming eco-system. The presentation will focus on how these developing jurisdictions will affect and alter the marketing requirements of gaming entities throughout Asia, as well as what operators can and should do in order to effectively stand out when marketing to players.

A representative from Wispool Sports & Entertainment stated: “We are delighted to have HOGO on board as a speaker for the upcoming event in Manila. Their background in marketing and advertising across Asia’s gaming scene will surely bring new ideas to the conference attendees and be beneficial for all involved.”

The event lineup includes a variety of industry experts such as Mr. Alfredo Lim, President and COO of Pagcor, Mr. Joji Kokuryo of Bay City Ventures and Mr. Albert Yu, COO of Alphaslot, amongst others. More information is available at the official event website: http://asiagaminginnovation.com/

1 August 2019 (Thursday), Sasebo City, Japan:   The Sasebo Chamber of Commerce/the Nagasaki Marine IR Council will launch multiple initiatives in September focused on the further development of an integrated resort within Nagasaki Prefecture. These events come after the successful Kyushu-Nagasaki IR Business Connect Seminar held in June and include both public and private sector as well as IR operator-focused initiatives.

The first initiative will be an open seminar focused on assisting companies in building their business plans, utilizing their resources to develop long-lasting relationships with IR operators and the development of the region. An expected attendance of approximately 50 to 100 people will include business owners and leaders in Sasebo and Nagasaki and will include multiple international speakers (to be announced shortly). The speakers, all existing vendors currently engaged with international IR operators, will work with the audience to help provide a blueprint for building relationships and ultimately engaging operators.

The second initiative will primarily focus on IR operators and will consist of a digital summit presentation by the Sasebo Chamber of Commerce/the Nagasaki Marine IR Promotion Council. This presentation will focus on further expanding the presentation given to operators by the Chamber of Commerce and will explain in detail the groups ideas related to operators and their engagement with the business community. Discussions will include staffing and training, local procurement plus business participation by the local business community and will be explained to operators who may wish to integrate aspects of the plan into a future strategy / RFP. Additionally, it will give opportunity to those companies who belong to the Sasebo Chamber of Commerce/ the Nagasaki Marine IR Promotion Council to state their thoughts and ideas directly to IR operators.

July 4, 2019 (Thursday), Nagasaki, Japan:  The Kyushu – Nagasaki IR Business Connect Seminar attracted a full house of more than 500 delegates from across Kyushu on Thursday, 27 June 2019. In attendance were local politicians, supporters, the Sasebo Chamber of Commerce as well as Houdou Nakamura, Governor of Nagasaki Prefecture and Norio Tomonaga, Mayor of Sasebo City.

Speaking to the audience representing both the public and private sectors of Kyushu, a total of six groups including integrated resort operators and interested investment parties discussed their thoughts on Sasebo and Nagasaki. Speakers included representatives from Agora Hospitality Group( Far East Consortium), CURRENT Corp-Sofitel Macau at Ponte16/Get Nice Holdings, Disaster Support Foundation, OSHIDORI International Development Limited, Casinos Austria International among others. The operators represented a wide range of existing properties and products, including

Topics from the individual speakers ranged across a variety of topics such as layout plan, the investment amount, non-gaming facilities and responsible gaming but focused heavily on the potential for Sasebo in Nagasaki as a potential site for the development of one of Japan’s first integrated resorts. Specific issues such as access and infrastructure were raised, with many operators discussing how they plan to tackle these issues as part of their overall site development plan. Economic benefits to the region, integration with local companies and corporate social responsibility strategies were also discussed. The event also included a strategic review of initiatives for IR operators to take into consideration related to the local private sector put on by the Sasebo Chamber of Commerce.

The event drew a variety of trade and domestic news outlets, including highlighted attendance by NHK, TV Nagasaki, Nagasaki Culture Telecasting Corporation, TV Sasebo and trade media including Asia Gaming Brief, GGRAsia and Inside Asian Gaming amongst others.

Mr. Kosei Tsuji, Sasebo Chamber of Commerce / Chairman of the Nagasaki Marine IR Promotion Council stated: “We very much appreciate the operators coming from around the world to reinforce our commitment to develop an integrated resort in Sasebo. We believe that public understanding and acceptance is paramount in our ability to proceed with developing the IR industry here; we look forward to continued cooperation in ensuring a successful IR development plan for Kyushu and Nagasaki.”