Universal City, CA, USA – On 20 October 2006, the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley hosted the Southern California International Trade Conference at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City, CA. With a focus on helping SMEs interested in expanding their businesses to the global marketplace, the conference presented attendees with a number of panels hosted by industry experts. More than 40 sponsors and exhibitors showcased products and services important to international trade in the Exhibit Hall. As the Gold Sponsor of the conference, Alibaba.com stood out as one of the popular destinations in the Exhibit Hall.

As part of a panel on Trends in Sourcing, David Wang, Marketing Manager for Alibaba.com, Inc., spoke about the importance of the Internet as a sourcing and marketing tool for any business interested in expanding globally. Using examples drawn from his tenure at Alibaba, Mr. Wang discussed the growing importance of the Internet as a sourcing tool by pointing out that potential suppliers could now be located within a matter of minutes, instead of weeks. At the same time, he commented on the growing trend among Alibaba members to both buy and sell through the Internet.

Mr. Wang went on to discuss a recent survey that showed that buyers were beginning to move away from more traditional forms of sourcing. The top five sourcing resources were all based on the Internet or word of mouth. “Ultimately,” noted Mr. Wang, "it’s all about forming relationships. The beauty of online resources like Alibaba.com is that businesses are no longer restricted to their local regions but are able to reach out to potential partners and buyers all around the world."

David Wang of Alibaba.com

About the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley
The Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley is a private, non-profit economic development and marketing corporation that works with public and private stakeholders for the purpose of growing and sustaining the economic base of the San Fernando Valley, and improving the quality of life in our five-city region (Calabasas, Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles and San Fernando).  Their four major initiatives are: Economic Development & Job Attraction, Workforce & Education Investment, Livable & Sustainable Communities and Regional Marketing & Branding.