The concurrent MarketingPulse and eTailingPulse conferences, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), will be held on March 19 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Under the theme "Generate New Growth," the events aim to help brands rethink growth strategies amid global market uncertainty, bringing together approximately 70 global experts to share insights through 30 thematic sessions. This focus is particularly relevant as e-commerce continues to inject momentum into global economic growth and governments encourage SMEs to enhance their competitiveness through digital capabilities.
The conferences will adopt a dual-track approach, advancing both e-commerce development and brand marketing. A lineup of speakers will address critical topics including agentic AI, lifestyle e-commerce, quick commerce, and global brand expansion. These discussions will examine innovation in e-commerce alongside global marketing trends and emerging consumer opportunities, providing a comprehensive roadmap for the industry to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape.
Jinhee Lee, Chief Operating Officer of South Korea's leading health and beauty brand Olive Young, will present on building a high-growth ecosystem through seamless omnichannel operations and data-driven marketing strategies. His session, "Beyond Retail, Building an Ecosystem: Driving Collaborative Growth of Olive Young and K-Beauty," will demonstrate how technology enables brands to stay ahead of trends and expand their global footprint.
Haijun Wang, Founder, CEO & Chief Experience Officer of Atour Group, will share strategies for experience differentiation and customer segment operations, illustrating how to deeply integrate hotel and retail businesses to create a unique brand group model. Meanwhile, Pauline Brown, former Chairman of LVMH North America, will discuss leveraging "aesthetic intelligence" to elevate brand value and shape consumer perception in both online and offline experiences.
The impact of agentic AI and quick commerce on the e-commerce market will be explored by Yatong Qiu, Vice President of Taobao&Tmall Group at Alibaba, and Terry Li, Vertical General Manager of Smart Retail at Tencent. Qiu will address how brands can maintain competitiveness through flexible merchandising and real-time marketing, while Li will delve into practical approaches for agentic AI-driven e-commerce strategies from the perspectives of service providers and ecosystems.
With ASEAN emerging as a dynamic economic region, a dedicated session titled "Decoding the Gateway to ASEAN: Cross Border Growth and Market Entry Strategies" will feature speakers including Luca Barni, SVP, Commercial at Lazada Group. This session will provide enterprises with insights into growth opportunities, common pitfalls, legal and regulatory challenges, and localization strategies for the Southeast Asian market.
The evolution of brand marketing through social platforms will be examined in the "Threads for Consumer and Audience Engagement" session, featuring Kenie Kwok, Creative Strategy Lead at Meta, and actor Ng Siu-hin. Additionally, the "Healing Economy and IP Marketing" session will explore how brands can engage younger demographics by understanding trends like "oshikatsu culture," healing elements, and IP-driven consumer behavior, with speakers including Yiying Wang, Founder and Designer of Noodoll Limited.
This year's conferences will introduce a new "e-Commerce Connect" feature, showcasing latest one-stop e-commerce solutions from nearly 30 exhibitors. Participants can also attend digital marketing workshops, networking activities, and one-to-one business matching services to facilitate cross-sector collaboration. For more information on speakers and the detailed programme, visit https://marketingpulse.hktdc.com/conference/mp/en. Additional event details are available at https://marketingpulse.hktdc.com/conference/mp/en/programme and https://marketingpulse.hktdc.com/conference/mp/en/speaker.
