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51Talk Online Education Group Announces Second Quarter 2024 Results

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SINGAPORE, Aug. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — 51Talk Online Education Group (“51Talk” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: COE), a global online education platform with core expertise in English education, announced its unaudited results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.

Second Quarter 2024 Financial and Operating Highlights

Gross billings1 for the second quarter of 2024 were US$15.9 million, a 61.3% growth from the second quarter of 2023.

Net revenues were US$11.0 million for the second quarter of 2024, a 75.1% increase from US$6.3 million for the second quarter of 2023.

The number of quarterly active students with attended lesson consumption was approximately 54,400 in the second quarter of 2024, representing a 83.2% increase from approximately 29,700 for the second quarter of 2023.

Key Financial and Operating Data

For the three months ended

June 30,

June 30,

Y-o-Y

2023

2024

Change

Net Revenues (in US$ millions)

6.3

11.0

75.1 %

Gross Margin

78.4 %

78.1 %

-0.3ppt

Gross Billings (in US$ millions)

9.8

15.9

61.3 %

Active students with attended lesson consumption2
(in thousands)

29.7

54.4

83.2 %

“We have achieved strong growth in Q2, exceeding our Q2 guidance, and anticipate sustained momentum in the foreseeable future, as reflected in our Q3 guidance. Our strategic investments across a diverse portfolio of markets are yielding positive results, propelling us towards our objective of becoming a globally leading EdTech company.” stated Jack Jiajia Huang, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of 51Talk.

“Through our localization efforts, we have gained a deeper understanding of individual markets, allowing us to meet specific local needs. This approach has improved our product market fit. Additionally, we actively explore new market opportunities that align with our strategic direction and existing product offerings.”

“Our strategy hinges on global expansion based on local needs and platform strength enabled by AI. We make targeted investments to enhance team efficiency and local customer experience, aiming to drive higher retention rates and more customer referrals.” Jack Jiajia Huang concluded.

1 Gross billings for a specific period, which is one of the Company’s key operating data, is defined as the total amount of cash received and receivable from third party payment platforms for the sale of course packages and services in such period, net of the total amount of refunds in such period. The gross billings data included herein was from the Company’s business system and converted with quarterly corresponding exchange rate, which may lead to differences with bank records

2 An “active student with attended lesson consumption” for a given period refers to a student who attended at least one paid lesson, excluding those students who only attended paid live broadcasting lessons or trial lessons.

Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Net Revenues and Gross Margin

Net revenues for the second quarter of 2024 were US$11.0 million, a 75.1% increase from US$6.3 million for the same quarter last year. The number of active students with attended lesson consumption was approximately 54,400 in the second quarter of 2024, a 83.2% increase from 29,700 for the same quarter last year.

Cost of revenues for the second quarter of 2024 was US$2.4 million, a 77.3% increase from US$1.4 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily due to the increase in total service fees paid to teachers, mainly resulting from an increased number of paid lessons.

Gross profit for the second quarter of 2024 was US$8.6 million, a 74.5% increase from US$4.9 million for the same quarter last year.

Gross margin for the second quarter of 2024 was 78.1%, compared with 78.4% for the same quarter last year.

Operating Expenses

Total operating expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were US$11.0 million, a 39.7% increase from US$7.9 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was mainly due to the increase in sales and marketing expenses.  

Sales and marketing expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were US$7.3 million, a 43.6% increase from US$5.1 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was mainly due to higher sales personnel costs related to increases in the number of sales and marketing personnel. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were US$7.3 million, a 44.0% increase from US$5.1 million for the same quarter last year.

Product development expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were US$0.9 million, a 22.6% increase from US$0.7 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily due to higher product development personnel costs. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP product development expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were US$0.8 million, a 25.7% increase from US$0.7 million for the same quarter last year. 

General and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were US$2.8 million, a 35.8% increase from US$2.1 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily due to higher general and administrative personnel costs. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP general and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were US$2.6 million, a 35.4% increase from US$1.9 million for the same quarter last year.

Loss from Operations

Operating loss for the second quarter of 2024 was US$2.4 million, compared with operating loss of US$3.0 million for the same quarter last year.

Non-GAAP operating loss for the second quarter of 2024 was US$2.2 million, compared with non-GAAP operating loss of US$2.8 million for the same quarter last year.

Net loss attributable to the Company’s ordinary shareholders

Net loss attributable to the Company’s ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2024 was US$1.2 million, compared with net loss of US$2.9 million for the same quarter last year.

Excluding share-based compensation expenses of US$0.2 million, non-GAAP net loss for the second quarter of 2024 was US$1.0 million, compared with non-GAAP net loss of US$2.7 million for the same quarter last year.

Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2024 was US$0.004, compared with basic and diluted net loss per share of US$0.01 for the same quarter last year.

Excluding share-based compensation expenses of US$0.2 million, non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2024 was US$0.003, compared with non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders of US$0.01 for the same quarter last year.

Basic and diluted net loss per American depositary share (“ADS”) attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2024 was US$0.22, compared with basic and diluted net loss per ADS of US$0.51 for the same quarter last year. Each ADS represents 60 Class A ordinary shares.

Excluding share-based compensation expenses of US$0.2 million, non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2024 was US$0.18, compared with non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders of US$0.48 for the same quarter last year.

Balance Sheet

As of June 30, 2024, the Company had total cash, cash equivalents and time deposits of US$21.0 million, compared with US$23.4 million as of December 31, 2023.

The Company had advances from students3 of US$34.5 million as of June 30, 2024, compared with US$27.2 million as of December 31, 2023.

3 “Advances from students” is defined as the amount of obligation to transfer goods or service to students or business partners for which consideration has been received from students in advance. The deposits from students are also presented in the total amount of “advances from students”

Outlook

For the third quarter of 2024, the Company currently expects net gross billings to be between $17.0 million and $18.0 million, which would represent a sequential growth of 7.2% to 13.5%.

The foregoing outlook is based on current market conditions and reflects the Company’s current and preliminary estimates of market and operating conditions and customer demand, which are all subject to change.

Conference Call

The Company’s management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on August 23, 2024 (8:00 PM Singapore/Hong Kong time on August 23, 2024).

Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

United States (toll free):

1-888-346-8982

International:

1-412-902-4272

Singapore (toll free):

800-120-6157

Mainland China (toll free):

4001-201203

Hong Kong (toll free):

800-905945

Hong Kong (local toll):

852-301-84992

Participants should dial-in at least 5 minutes before the scheduled start time and ask to be connected to the call for “51Talk Online Education Group.”

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company’s investor relations website at http://ir.51talk.com.

A replay of the conference call will be accessible until August 30, 2024, by dialing the following telephone numbers:

United States (toll free):

1-877-344-7529

International:

1-412-317-0088

Replay Access Code:

1167367

About 51Talk Online Education Group

51Talk Online Education Group (NYSE American: COE) is a global online education platform with core expertise in English education. The Company’s mission is to make quality education accessible and affordable. The Company’s online and mobile education platforms enable students to take live interactive English lessons, on demand. The Company connects its students with a large pool of highly qualified teachers that it assembled using a shared economy approach, and employs student and teacher feedback and data analytics to deliver a personalized learning experience to its students.  

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In evaluating its business, 51Talk considers and uses the following measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the SEC as supplemental metrics to review and assess its operating performance: non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses, non-GAAP product development expenses, non-GAAP general and administrative expenses, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating income/(loss), non-GAAP net income/(loss), non-GAAP net income/(loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders, and non-GAAP net income/(loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders per share and per ADS. To present each of these non-GAAP measures, the Company excludes share-based compensation expenses. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned “Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

51Talk believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance by excluding share-based compensation expenses that may not be indicative of its operating performance from a cash perspective. 51Talk believes that both management and investors benefit from these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing its performance and when planning and forecasting future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management’s internal comparisons to 51Talk’s historical performance. 51Talk computes its non-GAAP financial measures using the same consistent method from quarter to quarter and from period to period. 51Talk believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its financial and operational decision-making. A limitation of using non-GAAP measures is that these non-GAAP measures exclude share-based compensation expenses that have been and will continue to be for the foreseeable future a significant recurring expense in the 51Talk’s business. Management compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from each non-GAAP measure. The accompanying table at the end of this press release provides more details on the reconciliations between GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to non-GAAP financial measures.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “aims”, “future”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “estimates”, “likely to” and similar statements. Among other things, 51Talk’s quotations from management in this announcement, as well as 51Talk’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. 51Talk may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about 51Talk’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: 51Talk’s goals and strategies; 51Talk’s expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its brand and platform; 51Talk’s ability to retain and increase its student enrollment; 51Talk’s ability to offer new courses; 51Talk’s ability to engage, train and retain new teachers; 51Talk’s future business development, results of operations and financial condition; 51Talk’s ability to maintain and improve infrastructure necessary to operate its education platform; competition in the online education industry in its international markets; the expected growth of, and trends in, the markets for 51Talk’s course offerings in its international markets; relevant government policies and regulations relating to 51Talk’s corporate structure, business and industry; general economic and business condition in the Philippines, its international markets and elsewhere; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in 51Talk’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and 51Talk does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

 

51TALK ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands)

 As of

Dec. 31,

Jun. 30,

2023

2024

US$

US$

ASSETS

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

21,298

16,686

Time deposits

2,091

4,311

Inventory

29

Prepaid expenses and other current
assets

6,394

10,424

Total current assets

29,783

31,450

Non-current assets

Property and equipment, net

138

181

Intangible assets, net

92

86

Right-of-use assets

723

1,413

Deferred tax assets

72

69

Other non-current assets

348

340

Total non-current assets

1,373

2,089

Total assets

31,156

33,539

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’
DEFICITS

Current liabilities

Advances from students

27,214

34,497

Accrued expenses and other current
liabilities

6,189

6,353

Amounts due to related parties

4,077

3,620

Lease liabilities

590

820

Taxes payable

1,060

741

Total current liabilities

39,130

46,031

Non-current liabilities

Lease liabilities

41

519

Other non-current liabilities

176

274

Total non-current liabilities

217

793

Total liabilities

39,347

46,824

Total shareholders’ deficits

(8,340)

(13,617)

Noncontrolling interests

149

332

Total deficits

(8,191)

(13,285)

Total liabilities and shareholders’
deficits

31,156

33,539

 

51TALK ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

For the three months ended

For the six months ended

Jun. 30,

Mar. 31,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

2023

2024

2024

2023

2024

US$

US$

US$

US$

US$

Net revenues

6,260

9,446

10,960

11,812

20,406

Cost of revenues

(1,354)

(2,128)

(2,400)

(2,596)

(4,528)

Gross profit

4,906

7,318

8,560

9,216

15,878

Operating expenses

Sales and marketing expenses

(5,109)

(7,728)

(7,335)

(9,550)

(15,063)

Product development expenses

(694)

(945)

(851)

(1,356)

(1,796)

General and administrative expenses

(2,053)

(2,589)

(2,789)

(3,812)

(5,378)

Total operating expenses

(7,856)

(11,262)

(10,975)

(14,718)

(22,237)

Loss from operations

(2,950)

(3,944)

(2,415)

(5,502)

(6,359)

Interest income

36

82

63

69

145

Other (expenses)/income, net

(45)

141

1,131

(120)

1,272

Loss before income tax benefit/(expenses)

(2,959)

(3,721)

(1,221)

(5,553)

(4,942)

Income tax benefit/(expenses)

61

(22)

(41)

52

(63)

Net loss

(2,898)

(3,743)

(1,262)

(5,501)

(5,005)

Net loss attributable to noncontrolling
interests

(19)

(15)

(34)

Net loss attributable to the Company’s
ordinary shareholders

(2,898)

(3,724)

(1,247)

(5,501)

(4,971)

Weighted average number of ordinary shares
used in computing basic and diluted loss per
share

340,329,892

345,124,338

346,701,530

339,836,750

345,913,731

 

51TALK ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

For the three months ended

For the six months ended

Jun. 30,

Mar. 31,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

2023

2024

2024

2023

2024

US$

US$

US$

US$

US$

 Net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders

Basic and diluted

(0.01)

(0.01)

(0.00)

(0.02)

(0.01)

 Net loss per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders

Basic and diluted

(0.51)

(0.65)

(0.22)

(0.97)

(0.86)

Share-based compensation expenses are included in the operating expenses as follows:

Sales and marketing expenses

(37)

(29)

(31)

(85)

(60)

Product development expenses

(36)

(33)

(24)

(90)

(57)

General and administrative expenses

(126)

(225)

(180)

(246)

(405)

 

51TALK ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to the Most Comparable GAAP Measures

(In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

For the three months ended

For the six months ended

Jun. 30,

Mar. 31,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

2023

2024

2024

2023

2024

US$

US$

US$

US$

US$

Sales and marketing expenses

(5,109)

(7,728)

(7,335)

(9,550)

(15,063)

Less: Share-based compensation expenses

(37)

(29)

(31)

(85)

(60)

Non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses

(5,072)

(7,699)

(7,304)

(9,465)

(15,003)

Product development expenses

(694)

(945)

(851)

(1,356)

(1,796)

Less: Share-based compensation expenses

(36)

(33)

(24)

(90)

(57)

Non-GAAP product development
expenses

(658)

(912)

(827)

(1,266)

(1,739)

General and administrative expenses

(2,053)

(2,589)

(2,789)

(3,812)

(5,378)

Less: Share-based compensation expenses

(126)

(225)

(180)

(246)

(405)

Non-GAAP general and administrative
expenses

(1,927)

(2,364)

(2,609)

(3,566)

(4,973)

Operating expenses

(7,856)

(11,262)

(10,975)

(14,718)

(22,237)

Less: Share-based compensation expenses

(199)

(287)

(235)

(421)

(522)

Non-GAAP operating expenses

(7,657)

(10,975)

(10,740)

(14,297)

(21,715)

Loss from operations

(2,950)

(3,944)

(2,415)

(5,502)

(6,359)

Less: Share-based compensation expenses

(199)

(287)

(235)

(421)

(522)

Non-GAAP loss from operations

(2,751)

(3,657)

(2,180)

(5,081)

(5,837)

 

51TALK ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to the Most Comparable GAAP Measures

 (In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

For the three months ended

For the six months ended

Jun. 30,

Mar. 31,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

2023

2024

2024

2023

2024

US$

US$

US$

US$

US$

Income tax benefit/(expenses)

61

(22)

(41)

52

(63)

Less: Tax impact of Share-based compensation
expenses

Non-GAAP income tax benefit/(expenses)

61

(22)

(41)

52

(63)

Net loss attributable to the Company’s ordinary
shareholders

(2,898)

(3,724)

(1,247)

(5,501)

(4,971)

Less: Share-based compensation expenses

(199)

(287)

(235)

(421)

(522)

Non-GAAP net loss attributable to the
Company’s ordinary shareholders

(2,699)

(3,437)

(1,012)

(5,080)

(4,449)

Weighted average number of ordinary shares used
in computing basic and diluted loss per share

340,329,892

345,124,338

346,701,530

339,836,750

 

345,913,731

Non-GAAP net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders

Basic and Diluted

(0.01)

(0.01)

(0.00)

(0.01)

(0.01)

Non-GAAP net loss per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders

Basic and Diluted

(0.48)

(0.60)

(0.18)

(0.90)

(0.77)

 

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Siemon Announces Optical Patching Solutions for GenAI Networks Using NVIDIA Accelerated Computing

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Siemon announces it is offering its full range of optical patching solutions to work specifically with NVIDIA AI infrastructure for generative AI networks.

WATERTOWN, Conn., Sept. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The Siemon Company, a global leader in network infrastructure solutions, today announced it is offering its full range of optical patching solutions to work specifically with NVIDIA AI infrastructure for generative AI networks. Large complex GPU clusters can benefit from using structured cabling patch panels versus point-to-point cabling. Siemon acts as a trusted advisor to customers by providing expert advice and best practice recommendations for design & deployment of NVIDIA AI Infrastructure.

“Siemon is very familiar with NVIDIA reference architectures and has worked with many customers to design and deploy NVIDIA clusters… Siemon offers a full range of AI-ready fiber cabling, DAC, and AOC solutions that support 400G, 800G, and 1.6T applications.”

As part of the solution integration, Siemon has joined the NVIDIA Partner Network (NPN) as a Solution Advisor Consultant. NPN Solution Advisor Consultants provide consultation services and expert advice to customers looking to implement NVIDIA-based solutions or technologies. Siemon joins the network to offer its expertise in addressing the unique infrastructure and cabling challenges presented by accelerated computing.

NVIDIA optical reach specifications are calculated assuming two optical patch panels are used in the link and assuming each employ two optical connectors, which makes for a total allowance of four optical connectors in the link. The Siemon optical patching solutions meet NVIDIA requirements and provide customers with flexibility and ease of management.

Media Contact

Brian Baum, Siemon, 1 8609454200, brian_baum@siemon.com

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AMSimpkins & Associates Awarded Wisconsin Technical Purchasing Consortium Contract RFB 25-002TP – for Identity Verification Solutions

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AMSimpkins & Associates has been awarded the Wisconsin Technical Colleges Purchasing Consortium (WTC-PC) contract for Identity Verification Solutions. This partnership includes providing their advanced S.A.F.E. (Student Application Fraudulent Examination) platform to 16 Wisconsin technical colleges, enhancing security and safeguarding against fraudulent student applications. With a focus on higher education, AMSA aims to support these institutions in maintaining the integrity of their admissions processes and preventing identity fraud. This collaboration underscores AMSA’s commitment to delivering innovative solutions tailored for the education sector.

ATLANTA, Sept. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — AMSimpkins & Associates is proud to announce its selection by the Wisconsin Technical College System Purchasing Consortium (WTC-PC) to provide Identity Verification Solutions through the S.A.F.E. platform. The WTC-PC comprises 16 independent, publicly funded two-year technical colleges across Wisconsin, including Blackhawk Technical College, Chippewa Valley Technical College, Fox Valley Technical College, and Milwaukee Area Technical College, among others.

“We are honored by the Wisconsin Technical College Consortium’s trust in AMSA. This partnership further emphasizes our commitment to providing secure, innovative identity verification solutions that support the needs of educational institutions in protecting their students and operations.”

With a focus on preventing identity fraud, AMSimpkins & Associates’ comprehensive solutions will strengthen the security measures across admissions, enrollment, and financial aid processes, ensuring secure verification and compliance with federal and state regulations. S.A.F.E. will now support Wisconsin’s higher education system, offering its cutting-edge technology to streamline operations and safeguard student data.

“We are honored by the Wisconsin Technical College Consortium’s trust in AMSimpkins & Associates,” said Maurice Simpkins, President and Founder. “This partnership further emphasizes our commitment to providing secure, innovative identity verification solutions that support the needs of educational institutions in protecting their students and operations.”

As part of this agreement, AMSimpkins & Associates will deliver comprehensive services, including system integration, training, and ongoing support to ensure seamless implementation. S.A.F.E.’s capabilities are designed to evolve with growing threats of fraudulent activities, keeping institutions one step ahead in securing student identities.

Institutions in the Wisconsin Technical College System:

Blackhawk Technical CollegeChippewa Valley Technical CollegeFox Valley Technical CollegeGateway Technical CollegeLakeshore Technical CollegeMadison Area Technical CollegeMid-State Technical CollegeMilwaukee Area Technical CollegeMoraine Park Technical CollegeNicolet Area Technical CollegeNorthcentral Technical CollegeNortheast Wisconsin Technical CollegeNorthwood Technical CollegeSouthwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeWaukesha County Technical CollegeWestern Technical College

The S.A.F.E. platform’s advanced identity verification services will play a pivotal role in securing sensitive data and ensuring a safe and fraud-free environment for Wisconsin’s technical colleges and their students.

For more information about AMSimpkins & Associates and the S.A.F.E. platform, please visit amsa-highered.com.

Media Contact

LAQWACIA SIMPKINS, AMSimpkins & Associates, 1 6786824193, LSIMPKINS@AMSA-CONSULTING.COM, amsa-highered.com

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Shijingshan: Committed to High-Level Openness

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BEIJING, Sept. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Following the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, China successfully hosted its first national-level international large-scale fair—the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) 2024, which concluded on September 16. The event featured exhibitors from 85 countries and international organizations, participating under their national governments or headquarters, with over 450 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders showcasing their offerings both online and offline.

Adhering to the open, cooperative and mutually beneficial principle, the CIFTIS injects new momentum into global economic development through concrete actions. As one of the “dual venues” for the fair, Shijingshan District hosted a variety of business activities, including exhibitions, negotiations, and conferences. While providing meeting organization services, it showcased the achievements of Shijingshan in fostering openness and development. By leveraging the Fair’s platform, Shijingshan seeks to promote its developmental advantages globally and aims to attract more partners to this welcoming district for mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation.

Presenting Achievements in Open Cooperation and Development in Multiple Dimensions

This CIFTIS’s Shougang Park venue is composed of nine thematic exhibitions, including telecommunications, computer and information services; financial services; culture & tourism services; education services; sports services; supply chain & business services; engineering consulting & construction services; health services; and environmental services. It circles around cultivating new quality productive forces while showcasing the latest achievements, technologies, and applications in the digitalization, intelligentization, and greening of services trade, creating a “debut stage” for global services trade.

Shijingshan leverages its strengths by organizing five thematic exhibitions and four promotional booths on-site. The culture & tourism services exhibition promoted Shijingshan’s rich culture and tourism resources, while also building a support area for paired assistance to highlight its revitalization efforts to a global audience. The financial services exhibition showcased its achievements in economic development across five sectors, that is, sci-tech finance, green finance, inclusive finance, pension finance, and digital finance. The exhibition of telecommunications, computer and information services highlighted the growth of Shijingshan’s the artificial intelligence large model industry cluster and key humanoid robot enterprises. In addition, the primary and secondary school science education experimental zone invited participation from six national-level science education centers, including Shijingshan District, to display their accomplishments. Four schools, including the Beijing National Day School Shijingshan, showcased their scientific research and learning outcomes through visual presentations and videos, while also engaging visitors in interactive science experiments.

The AIES Beijing Open is made up of four competition areas, virtual cycling, virtual rowing, virtual dance, and virtual table tennis. The event welcomed international competitors, domestic professional athletes, high-level amateurs, and university students, while showing the achievements of the “digital + sports” industry. Besides, four promotional booths focused on taxation, justice, investment, and commerce showcases Shijingshan’s tax and judicial policies, offering one-stop policy guidance for participating businesses and visitors. These booths also clarified investment promotion policies, creating a unique event that integrates commerce, tourism, culture, and sports.

Working Together for Global Open Cooperation and Development

The Open Cooperation Forum 2024 was held on the afternoon of September 13. Experts, scholars, government representatives, and business leaders from both domestic and international backgrounds gathered at the Shougang Park to engage in in-depth discussions on promoting high-level open cooperation and supporting regional economic development. Shijingshan District is committed to taking industrial transformation as the strategic foundation for its initiatives, establishing several distinctive industrial parks, including the Intelligent Technology Park, Industrial Internet Park, Virtual Reality Park, Science Fiction Industry Cluster, and Artificial Intelligence Large Model Cluster. What’s more, the district is focusing on new opportunities in future information, future health, future manufacturing, and future space, continually enhancing its innovation capacity, development vitality, economic strength, and overall competitiveness.

It is dedicated to expanding openness as a key driver for integrating into the capital’s new development pattern. The district capitalizes on a range of policy opportunities, including the construction of Beijing’s two zones, effectively leveraging the role of expanding services and deepening economic reforms. It continues to optimize the business environment, actively participates in organizing the CIFTIS, and develops high-standard international cooperation zones to provide a broad platform and efficient services for enterprises to settle and cluster. Shijingshan aims to implement high-level openness to promote high-quality development, enhance mechanisms for foreign openness, innovate and elevate services trade, and align with international economic and trade standards, creating a premier business environment characterized by marketization, rule of law, and internationalization.

Three parallel forums took place during this CIFTIS. With the theme of “Leveraging Overseas Strength for Development • Pursuing Broad Horizons Through Innovation”, the Dream Incubator of Overseas Chinese Beijing Forum set up ten sub-venues abroad, aiming to enhance the involvement of overseas Chinese’s capital and expertise in Beijing’s high-quality development. The Artificial General Intelligence Computility Forum focused on “Releasing New Quality Productive Forces with Unbounded Intelligence and Computational Foundations”, where industry experts and scholars explored new possibilities in artificial general intelligence computility. The Digital Energy Development Forum 2024, themed as “Energizing the Future with Digital Innovation”, showcased a range of quality development achievements and finalized partnerships for several high-quality projects, uniting all parties to advance digital innovation and development.

The rich array of side events is one of the highlights of this CIFTIS. The International Open Cooperation Promotion Conference circled around developing the international open cooperation zone, drawing representatives from international organizations, leading global companies, and prospective businesses seeking to establish a presence in these areas. It centered on the advantages of Shijingshan’s key industries to attract target enterprises. Furthermore, the Roundtable Discussion of Foreign-Funded Enterprises engaged representatives from international organizations, business associations, and foreign-funded companies from countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and France to explore collaboration in aligning with high-standard international economic and trade rules, as well as market access in the service sector, sharing the successes of modernization with Chinese characteristics.

To enhance the consumer experience for attendees of the CIFTIS, Shijingshan has expanded its comprehensive service offerings in areas such as food, accommodation, transportation, tourism, entertainment and shopping. The Second “Here I Am for CIFTIS” Shijingshan Culture and Tourism Carnival has been significantly upgraded, evidenced by the “Divine Beasts Ascend to Immortal Mountain”: Enchanting Night Tour in Shijing Mountain. The “Surprises Await in Shijingshan. Hey There, CIFTIS!” promotional event was held during the 14th Shijingshan Consumption Festival. This included online surprise announcements and a consumption map showcasing quality shopping venues. Special surprise floats were on display, with oversized themed shopping bags distributed. Shopping centers like Joy City, Xirondo Plaza, Modern Plaza, and Chang’an Mills in Shijingshan also launched supporting promotional activities. Business tours in Shijingshan offered three dedicated routes, inviting exhibitors from digital technology, finance and insurance, culture and tourism, and sports related industries to explore relevant industrial parks and attractions for in-depth exchanges.

The China International Fair for Trade in Services 2024 has successfully concluded. Utilizing this platform, Shijingshan has once again showed its high-quality development achievements and favorable business environment to a global audience. We look forward to collaborating with more partners in an open and inclusive manner to create a win-win future.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shijingshan-committed-to-high-level-openness-302254872.html

SOURCE Open Cooperation Forum

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