Soccerex values China soccer potential big time

Premier football (soccer) players, clubs, and investors from around the globe will be in Zhuhai on April 17 and 18 for the first-ever Soccerex China 2018.

They are coming to one of the fastest-growing football markets as China overhauls professional clubs and leagues, national teams, and grassroots football.

The two days will be spent at the Zhuhai International Convention & Exhibition Center in Shizimen Central Business District. The venue will burst with exhibitions, meetings, and networking opportunities. Attending will be more than 1,200 delegates, 65 exhibitors, and 40 major speakers from over 40 countries.

Anderson Luís de Souza, known as Deco, a retired Brazilian-born Portuguese footballer, and legend Hernán Jorge Crespo of Argentina are featured speakers.

Clubs Primera División (La Liga), Premier League, Ligue 1 Conforama, Italian League, Bundesliga, Japan Professional Football League, and Eredivisie will take part. Altogether, 180 domestic and international businesses and organizations are booked.

Shandong Luneng and Guangzhou R&F will send representatives of the Chinese Football Association Super League. And, Hong Kong and Macao football associations will attend as ambassadors for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Moreover, La Liga Marketing Director Adolfo Bara and Kate Dowler, head of International Relations of Premier League, will address the growth of football in China and national reforms for the sport. Wanda Sports and Alisports, two leading athletic companies in China, will join the proceedings.

Coordinating is Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura, the first female Secretary General of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). Soccerex Chairman Tony Martin will also be at the opening ceremony hosted by Liu Jianhong, a renowned former CCTV football commentator.

The latest developments and innovations in football governance, technology, and commercial growth will be showcased. Interviews and forums will consider future events to be hosted in China, the reform and development of Chinese football, local football education, and cultivation of young players.

It will be held in partnership with Chinese event agency Time Fun Culture & Media Co and in collaboration with Huafa Sports.

Soccerex was founded in 1995 in Chiswick, London as a way of connecting the industry and enhancing the game's commercial potential. It promotes football through high-profile events around the world.