On March 23, Shanghai International Exhibition (Group) Co., Ltd. (“SIEC”) and Ant Group officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The two parties will collaborate on a series of initiatives, including Alipay's “Tap-to-Connect” feature, the AI health assistant “Ant A-Fu,” and AI-powered customer service, to accelerate the digital and intelligent transformation of the exhibition industry and advance AI applications in this sector.
SIEC plans to adopt Alipay's “Tap-to-Connect” integrated solution for large-scale exhibitions, implementing it at events such as the GAF and Music China to enhance digital services and upgrade the application of intelligent products in exhibition settings.
In addition, SIEC will integrate Ant Group's AI-powered intelligent customer service into its exhibition operations and leverage Ant Group's “Baibaoxiang” (Treasure Box) platform to develop its own customized AI agent application. The two parties will also collaborate on IP-driven initiatives, including digital collectibles and co-branded merchandise.
Gu Chunting, Chairman of SIEC, stated: “The deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy is an inevitable trend in industrial development. This partnership—built on each party's strengths—aims to digitally upgrade exhibition scenarios and represents a significant step toward implementing multi-domain digital services. Going forward, we will take this collaboration as a starting point to deepen synergy across multiple areas, drive innovation-led transformation of the exhibition industry, and support Shanghai's vision of becoming a global hub for international exhibitions, as well as advancing smart city and elderly care systems through digital services.”
Zhou Zhifeng, Senior Vice President of Ant Group, added: “This collaboration uses ‘exhibitions’ as a strategic lever. By harnessing Ant Group's cutting-edge AI capabilities, integrated health and elderly care solutions, inclusive tech-enabled flexible employment programs, and secure, efficient cross-border payment services, we aim to unlock broader social value. We look forward to continuously exploring and refining AI-driven applications that empower both the exhibition economy and public welfare, ultimately contributing to the high-quality development of the real economy.”
