On Jan 13, 2020, PTCG CEO Michelle Zou talked about Exhibition Opportunities and Cross-border at the Silicon Valley Annual Post-CES Conference. 

In the conference, Michelle talked about what she observed at CES and why so many companies coming from worldwide to attend CES.  She also pointed out, for American companies to grow business in China, they can select some trade shows to exhibit and use these shows as a low cost entry point to enter the China market.  In the trade shows in China, companies can test their products,  get user feedback, find partners and customers.  In addition, some trade shows invite investors and organize pitch events for startups to meet potential investors.

At present, PTCG organizes American companies to attend two trade shows in China. The China (Shanghai) International Technology Fair is in April, and the China International Import Expo is in November.  Both shows are in Shanghai.  PTCG has successfully brought US companies to exhibit both shows and helped them grow business in China.

On December 14, 2019, PTCG CEO Michelle Zou attended the Microsoft Alumni Network China Chapter launch event in Beijing.  Over 150 Microsoft China alumni celebrated this moment together with current and prior Microsoft leaders at the Microsoft building in Zhongguancun. 

Michelle started this China Chapter initiative together with Michael Rawding, ex. Microsoft Greater China President, after attended a Microsoft Alumni Network event in Redmond in March, 2019.  After 9 months partnering and coordinating with Microsoft Alumni Network headquarters, Microsoft Corp, Microsoft China and Microsoft Research Asia, etc., this alumni-led-for-alumni organization was established with global and local benefits to help alumni in China keep in touch with each other, and help each other. 

Michelle will continue serving as the Redmond-China liaison for Microsoft Alumni Network.  In addition, she will interview Microsoft alumni to produce future podcasts for this organization.  

Nov 6 and 7, Washington State Department of Commerce representatives attended the International Aviation Supply Chain Summit (IASC) in Shanghai. Director Lisa Brown of Commerce spoke at the IASC banquet, and expressed her confidence of working with China partners to help Washington State companies seize the huge opportunities in the China market and grow business in China.​   

PTCG is a partner for IASC since the debut of IASC in 2018, and PTCG CEO Michelle Zou is an advisor for the IASC team.  In 2018, PTCG helped IASC invited Washington State and Kansas State Department of Commerce to present at IASC; in 2019, besides the participation of US state government agencies to the IASC Summit, Michelle Zou facilitated all the 1:1 Business Matching meetings for American companies and organizations.  We hope these meetings are beginning of partnership between US and China organizations, and we will help to advise the parties to achieve real business results. 

PTCG has brought four American companies to exhibit at the Food & Agriculture Hall in CIIE (China International Import Expo) in Shanghai.  They are:

HSU's Ginseng Enterprises
Anderson Northwest
USorce
Pacific Sunrise International

​The exhibitors have generated hundreds of leads and some signed contracts in the first two days of the show.

Below is the contract signing ceremony that Mike Anderson from Anderson Northwest attended at CIIE. 

Our Exhibitors are selling Ginseng, wine, seafood, nutrition and supplements, grains and beans.  They found Chinese buyers are very interested in American products but in the meantime are caucious about the uncertainty caused by the US-China trade war.  Some Chinese buyers want to wait for a couple of months until the trade tariff is clear before signing a contract.  This did not stop other buyers go ahead and locked down deals with our sellers.   

As the US agent for China International Import Expo, PTCG is tasked to promote and provide service to companies in the US to attend CIIE.  In addition to recruiting individual companies in the US, PTCG has worked with government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture of Washington State, the Department of Commerce of Washington State, and NGOs such as the Greater Huston Partnership.  In the 2019 CIIE, working closely with the Greater Huston Partnership, we have jointly brought 20 organizations to exhibit at CIIE. 

Greater Huston Partnership is one of the largest Chambers of Commerce in the world.  Their membership is comprised of more than 1,200 companies and organizations in the industry sectors of Comprehensive Services, Consumer Products, Cultural Service, Educational Services, Energy, Finance Services, Health, Legal Service, Logistic Services, Information Technology, Real Estate, Tourism Services and etc.

PTCG showcases its services for US-China cross-border consulting at the 2nd China International Import Expo, Nov 5-10 in Shanghai.  Our Amazon online marketing consulting service has gained big attraction from Chinese manufacturers and consulting service providers.  Manufacturers are looking for ways to market and sell their products in addition to the traditional offline channel, especially with the tariff increasing in the US market for China imported goods.

On the Amazon platform, there are tens of thousands shops selling consumer products made in China.  Some of these online shops are opened by Chinese manufacturers, some are operated by professional sellers, and some are operated by 3rd party service providers to run the business on behalf of manufacturers.  We have learned many manufacturers feeling the pain by using service providers who are not professional.  This caused lost opportunities and losses in profits.  Many of them are interested in learning about the professional services that PTCG's consultants can provide.  

June 4 & 5, PTCG CEO Michelle Zou and partner Fang Li attended NGO Leadership Development workshop in Houston, Texas.  After that, Michelle attended the annual CelebrAsian 2019 Procurement + Business Conference.  The workshop and conference was hosted by USPAACC, the most established (founded in 1984) and largest non-profit organization representing Pan Asian American and their related groups in business, sciences, the arts, sports, education, public and community services.

The 2019 Young Entrepreneur and Professional Summit (YEPS) was hosted in the Marriot Hotel at Bellevue, Washington, on June 1, 2019.   Attendees were investors, entrepreneurs, corporate managers, young professionals, and university students.  The Summit has three sections: Leadership, Career, and Entrepreneurship. 

As a business leader, and a certified Executive and Career Coach, PTCG CEO Michelle Zou gave a keynote speech at the Career session: How to Achieve Success & Happiness in Your Career?  She shared a framework of Commitment and Meaning of work/life from Harvard Professor Tal Ben-Shahar, and illustrated with her own career path and important decisions along the journey, as well as examples from other leaders and professionals she has coached.  The speech raised tremendous excitement from audience, and many asked for further information after the session.

Michelle then invited three panelists who are women leaders and managers shared their own learnings and experience in their career growth.  Their paths demonstrated the framework Michelle presented earlier, each of them made a successful career by combining their passion and strengths, and grew from their own failures along the way. 

About career and family for women, the panelists shared their own stories on how they think about the two sides and played both roles in their life.  

PTCG consultants are actively involved in local activities and contribute to communities.  Please follow our blogs to see more upcoming events that PTCG is working on. 

Every year PTCG consultants collaborate with University of Washington Foster Business School on Applied Consulting projects.  PTCG provides a real world consulting project to the Global Executive MBA program, and a team of students work on that project and develop strategies at the end of the two-month consulting time. 

The 2019 project is to help PTCG develop strategies for the NEV Expo Asia (New Energy Vehicle Expo).  The lead consultants from PTCG is Michelle Zou and Professor Eva Luo.  The team of students are from Israel, Sri Lanka, Korea and China.  The students presented their report on May 28th at UW, to the client and their professors and fellow students. They have done a great job in developing sound market analysis and promotional strategies in the US market.