Quick takes

Alibaba reports slowest ever growth, misses expectations

Alibaba, the largest e-commerce group in China, posted 10% revenue growth – the slowest growth rate since its 2014 IPO. It continues to be challenged by macroeconomic headwinds, political tensions, Beijing’s watchful eye and increased domestic competition. Growth in its cloud business is also slowing.

Greater Bay Airlines wins routes

This is not exactly a B2B media story, but it is certainly a sign of the times and another step toward the endgame of engineering Cathay Pacific’s demise. Greater Bay Airlines was awarded a license to operate 104 routes running out of Hong Kong.

New white paper calls for the return of events

A new white paper, “Business Events are the Fast Track to Recovery,” was launched to call for the re-opening of the business events industry and highlight the contributions that business events make to the wider economy. The report was jointly issued by the three main global trade bodies representing the business events industry – including UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.

Tarsus’ OFFPRICE show looks strong

It is good to see parts of the business events world roaring back. Tarsus’ retail-focused exhibition posted robust results when it was held in Las Vegas earlier this month.