This is our first post about the blogosphere, before someone accuses EngagingChina of navel-gazing. But I thought I'd flag the forthcoming ad:tech Shanghai
conference, running 18-19 October, which will presumably be besieged by
China-based bloggers and others flying the flag for Web 2.0.
Jack Ma, founder and CEO of Alibaba.com is the star attraction and is always worth listening to, if only because he is the only head of a Chinese internet company who is widely known in the west.
Other sessions provide a low-down on topics as diverse as mobile marketing, video mash-ups, interactive gaming and "the evolving Chinese consumer landscape."
For those not employed in the internet industry, I know these events can seem of doubtful relevance. Nevertheless, there are representatives from bricks-and-mortar businesses speaking at the event, including Ford Motor, TNT Direct Marketing and Johnson & Johnson.
There are also couple of sessions on the weird and wonderful world of Web 2.0, a term that includes social networking like blogs and other technologies for collaboration and sharing. Its surprising the growing number of mainstream companies in the west that are now taking a growing interest in Web 2.0. Some see China as equally fertile ground.
Shaun Rein, MD of the China Market Research Group (CMR) and a speaker at the event, says:
Companies have to realise the importance that Web 2.0 can have on their operations and develop strategies to take advantage of the fast-growing blogosphere. It is especially true when considering that most of China's bloggers fall within the coveted 18-25 year old age group."
Nevertheless, I'm not sure how much of the buzz that surrounds social networking technologies in the west will rub off in China, where the government likes to keep a tight control on the media, the internet and most other forms of expression.
In a previous story , EngagingChina looked at the problems facing the likes of Facebook and Myspace if they enter China, and the blogosphere is full of stories of China bloggers being arrested for overstepping the line.
