Technology

Shijingshan: Committed to High-Level Openness

Published

2 years ago

September 22, 2024

BEIJING, Sept. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Following the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, China successfully hosted its first national-level international large-scale fair—the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) 2024, which concluded on September 16. The event featured exhibitors from 85 countries and international organizations, participating under their national governments or headquarters, with over 450 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders showcasing their offerings both online and offline.

Adhering to the open, cooperative and mutually beneficial principle, the CIFTIS injects new momentum into global economic development through concrete actions. As one of the “dual venues” for the fair, Shijingshan District hosted a variety of business activities, including exhibitions, negotiations, and conferences. While providing meeting organization services, it showcased the achievements of Shijingshan in fostering openness and development. By leveraging the Fair’s platform, Shijingshan seeks to promote its developmental advantages globally and aims to attract more partners to this welcoming district for mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation.

Presenting Achievements in Open Cooperation and Development in Multiple Dimensions

This CIFTIS’s Shougang Park venue is composed of nine thematic exhibitions, including telecommunications, computer and information services; financial services; culture & tourism services; education services; sports services; supply chain & business services; engineering consulting & construction services; health services; and environmental services. It circles around cultivating new quality productive forces while showcasing the latest achievements, technologies, and applications in the digitalization, intelligentization, and greening of services trade, creating a “debut stage” for global services trade.

Shijingshan leverages its strengths by organizing five thematic exhibitions and four promotional booths on-site. The culture & tourism services exhibition promoted Shijingshan’s rich culture and tourism resources, while also building a support area for paired assistance to highlight its revitalization efforts to a global audience. The financial services exhibition showcased its achievements in economic development across five sectors, that is, sci-tech finance, green finance, inclusive finance, pension finance, and digital finance. The exhibition of telecommunications, computer and information services highlighted the growth of Shijingshan’s the artificial intelligence large model industry cluster and key humanoid robot enterprises. In addition, the primary and secondary school science education experimental zone invited participation from six national-level science education centers, including Shijingshan District, to display their accomplishments. Four schools, including the Beijing National Day School Shijingshan, showcased their scientific research and learning outcomes through visual presentations and videos, while also engaging visitors in interactive science experiments.

The AIES Beijing Open is made up of four competition areas, virtual cycling, virtual rowing, virtual dance, and virtual table tennis. The event welcomed international competitors, domestic professional athletes, high-level amateurs, and university students, while showing the achievements of the “digital + sports” industry. Besides, four promotional booths focused on taxation, justice, investment, and commerce showcases Shijingshan’s tax and judicial policies, offering one-stop policy guidance for participating businesses and visitors. These booths also clarified investment promotion policies, creating a unique event that integrates commerce, tourism, culture, and sports.

Working Together for Global Open Cooperation and Development

The Open Cooperation Forum 2024 was held on the afternoon of September 13. Experts, scholars, government representatives, and business leaders from both domestic and international backgrounds gathered at the Shougang Park to engage in in-depth discussions on promoting high-level open cooperation and supporting regional economic development. Shijingshan District is committed to taking industrial transformation as the strategic foundation for its initiatives, establishing several distinctive industrial parks, including the Intelligent Technology Park, Industrial Internet Park, Virtual Reality Park, Science Fiction Industry Cluster, and Artificial Intelligence Large Model Cluster. What’s more, the district is focusing on new opportunities in future information, future health, future manufacturing, and future space, continually enhancing its innovation capacity, development vitality, economic strength, and overall competitiveness.

It is dedicated to expanding openness as a key driver for integrating into the capital’s new development pattern. The district capitalizes on a range of policy opportunities, including the construction of Beijing’s two zones, effectively leveraging the role of expanding services and deepening economic reforms. It continues to optimize the business environment, actively participates in organizing the CIFTIS, and develops high-standard international cooperation zones to provide a broad platform and efficient services for enterprises to settle and cluster. Shijingshan aims to implement high-level openness to promote high-quality development, enhance mechanisms for foreign openness, innovate and elevate services trade, and align with international economic and trade standards, creating a premier business environment characterized by marketization, rule of law, and internationalization.

Three parallel forums took place during this CIFTIS. With the theme of “Leveraging Overseas Strength for Development • Pursuing Broad Horizons Through Innovation”, the Dream Incubator of Overseas Chinese Beijing Forum set up ten sub-venues abroad, aiming to enhance the involvement of overseas Chinese’s capital and expertise in Beijing’s high-quality development. The Artificial General Intelligence Computility Forum focused on “Releasing New Quality Productive Forces with Unbounded Intelligence and Computational Foundations”, where industry experts and scholars explored new possibilities in artificial general intelligence computility. The Digital Energy Development Forum 2024, themed as “Energizing the Future with Digital Innovation”, showcased a range of quality development achievements and finalized partnerships for several high-quality projects, uniting all parties to advance digital innovation and development.

The rich array of side events is one of the highlights of this CIFTIS. The International Open Cooperation Promotion Conference circled around developing the international open cooperation zone, drawing representatives from international organizations, leading global companies, and prospective businesses seeking to establish a presence in these areas. It centered on the advantages of Shijingshan’s key industries to attract target enterprises. Furthermore, the Roundtable Discussion of Foreign-Funded Enterprises engaged representatives from international organizations, business associations, and foreign-funded companies from countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and France to explore collaboration in aligning with high-standard international economic and trade rules, as well as market access in the service sector, sharing the successes of modernization with Chinese characteristics.

To enhance the consumer experience for attendees of the CIFTIS, Shijingshan has expanded its comprehensive service offerings in areas such as food, accommodation, transportation, tourism, entertainment and shopping. The Second “Here I Am for CIFTIS” Shijingshan Culture and Tourism Carnival has been significantly upgraded, evidenced by the “Divine Beasts Ascend to Immortal Mountain”: Enchanting Night Tour in Shijing Mountain. The “Surprises Await in Shijingshan. Hey There, CIFTIS!” promotional event was held during the 14th Shijingshan Consumption Festival. This included online surprise announcements and a consumption map showcasing quality shopping venues. Special surprise floats were on display, with oversized themed shopping bags distributed. Shopping centers like Joy City, Xirondo Plaza, Modern Plaza, and Chang’an Mills in Shijingshan also launched supporting promotional activities. Business tours in Shijingshan offered three dedicated routes, inviting exhibitors from digital technology, finance and insurance, culture and tourism, and sports related industries to explore relevant industrial parks and attractions for in-depth exchanges.

The China International Fair for Trade in Services 2024 has successfully concluded. Utilizing this platform, Shijingshan has once again showed its high-quality development achievements and favorable business environment to a global audience. We look forward to collaborating with more partners in an open and inclusive manner to create a win-win future.

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SOURCE Open Cooperation Forum

Technology

Walmart Has 23.6% of U.S. Grocery Sales – But Costco Owns the AI Answer – 5W Grocery Retail AI Visibility Index 2026

Published

2 hours ago

May 7, 2026

Walmart Owns 21% of U.S. Grocery — But Costco Owns the AI Answer

NEW YORK, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 5WPR, the premier AI communications firm in the United States, today released the U.S. Grocery Retail AI Visibility Index 2026 — the 11th installment in 5W’s AI Visibility Index research series, and the first to rank American grocery retailers by how frequently they are cited inside AI-generated answers.

The headline finding rewrites the category league table.

Walmart, with approximately 21 percent of U.S. grocery market share — the largest in the country — ranks fourth in AI citation share. The retailer cited most often when American shoppers ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews where to buy their groceries is Costco. Trader Joe’s ranks second. Whole Foods ranks third. Aldi, H-E-B, and Wegmans are all punching far above what their physical footprint would predict.

“Market share is a lagging indicator. AI citation share is a leading indicator,” said Ronn Torossian, Founder and Chairman of 5W. “The grocers who close that gap in 2026 will define the category in 2030. Most grocery CMOs we talk to are running 2019 playbooks against 2026 consumer behavior.”

5W researchers ran more than 80 consumer-intent queries across 12 sub-categories — best overall grocery store, cheapest, highest-quality produce, best private label, best organic, best meal planning, best bulk, best delivery, best customer service, best regional, and others — across the four leading consumer AI platforms. Each retailer was scored on citation frequency, position within the answer, sentiment, and sub-category dominance.

The top 10: Costco, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Walmart, Kroger, Aldi, H-E-B, Publix, Wegmans, and Target.

Key structural findings:

Market share no longer predicts AI citation share. Walmart’s roughly 21 percent share translates to an estimated 8 to 10 percent AI citation share across premium query categories. The decoupling is the single largest such gap in American retail.Private label is the highest-leverage citation asset a grocer owns. Kirkland, Trader Joe’s, 365, Good & Gather, and Great Value are cited directly by name in AI answers at rates that exceed most national CPG brands.Regional loyalty translates directly into regional AI dominance. Regional chains outperform national chains in their home markets by 3x or more.Reddit and TikTok are under-priced citation surfaces. Perplexity pulls a majority of its answers from community sources. ChatGPT and Claude weight Reddit heavily.

The report also identifies six 2026 dynamics reshaping the category, including the new GLP-1 grocery basket, Aldi’s expansion as a citation-compounding program, and Walmart’s CEO transition from Doug McMillon to John Furner — effective February 1, 2026 — as a brand-narrative inflection point.

The full Index, including ranks 11 through 25 and sub-category breakdowns, is available as a free download at 5wpr.com/research.

About 5W

5W is the AI Communications Firm, building brand authority across the platforms where decisions now happen — ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews — alongside earned media, digital, and influencer channels. 5W combines public relations, digital marketing, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and proprietary AI visibility research, helping clients measure and grow their presence in AI-driven buyer research.

Founded more than 20 years ago, 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s, named Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards®, and honored as a Top Place to Work in Communications in 2026 by Ragan. 5W serves clients across B2C sectors including Beauty & Fashion, Consumer Brands, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, and Nonprofit; B2B specialties including Corporate Communications and Reputation Management; as well as Public Affairs, Crisis Communications, and Digital Marketing, including Social Media, Influencer, Paid Media, GEO, and SEO. 5W was also named to the Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year list.

For more information, visit www.5wpr.com.

Media Contact
Chris Bergin
cbergin@5wpr.com

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SOURCE 5W Public Relations

Technology

ICAT Logistics Appoints Youssef Annali as Chief Financial Officer

Published

2 hours ago

May 7, 2026

Transportation and logistics finance leader joins as ICAT accelerates its next phase of growth

DALLAS, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ICAT Logistics announces the appointment of Youssef Annali as Chief Financial Officer. Annali brings more than two decades of senior finance leadership across global logistics and supply chain businesses, and joins as the company scales its platform, team, and operational capabilities globally.

Annali joins ICAT from OIA Global, a $1.4 billion revenue supply chain management leader, where he served as CFO for four years overseeing Finance, Corporate Development, Strategy, Legal, Compliance, and Real Estate. Prior to OIA, he spent eleven years at CEVA Logistics—one of the world’s largest freight and logistics providers—rising to CFO & EVP Finance for North America, where he held financial accountability for a business generating over $4.5 billion in annual revenue and more than 14,000 employees. Earlier in his career, he served in senior finance roles at Abbott, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Annali has a consistent track record of building finance functions that support strategic growth and has deep experience across financial planning, M&A, treasury, and corporate restructuring. He holds a Post-Master’s in Finance and Control from the University of Amsterdam and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Groningen.

“Youssef has led high-performing finance teams at the highest levels of global logistics. He brings the operational depth and strategic mindset our platform demands as we enter the next phase of growth,” said Brad Stogner, CEO of ICAT Logistics.

“ICAT has built something genuinely differentiated—a specialized platform operating in verticals where precision and domain expertise are non-negotiable. The foundation is strong, and the opportunity ahead is significant. I look forward to working with the team to accelerate that momentum,” said Youssef Annali, Chief Financial Officer of ICAT Logistics.

About ICAT

ICAT is the world’s leading specialized logistics company, delivering customized solutions and deep vertical expertise to industries where failure is not an option. With 65 offices and operating capabilities in 190 countries, ICAT serves customers across Live Events, Luxury, Technology, Defense & Aerospace, Life Sciences, and Financial Institutions—sectors defined by uncompromising performance standards. ICAT’s proprietary, AI-powered technology platform provides end-to-end visibility and predictive intelligence, enabling precise execution for the most demanding operations.

ICAT is backed by New Atlas Capital following its acquisition of the Company in 2024.

Contact Information

ICAT Logistics, Inc.
8840 Cypress Waters Blvd, Ste 325,
Coppell, TX, 75019
marketing@icatlogistics.com

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SOURCE ICAT Logistics, Inc.

Technology

HelloNation Article Highlights Poughkeepsie’s Focus on Youth Investment, Neighborhood Parks and Sustainable Reuse

Published

2 hours ago

May 7, 2026

The article examines how redevelopment projects and youth programs are reshaping community life across Poughkeepsie.

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y., May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — What does long term community growth look like when a city invests in both people and public spaces? HelloNation has published a HelloNation article that provides the answer through a detailed look at how Poughkeepsie is combining youth investment, neighborhood improvements and adaptive reuse projects to support residents and strengthen the city’s future.

The article explains that Poughkeepsie is undergoing a period of reinvention centered on infrastructure upgrades, youth programming and redevelopment along the city’s Northside. According to the article, local and county leaders are working to create spaces where residents can learn, gather and build stronger community connections. The article notes that these efforts are intended to improve quality of life while helping the city grow in a more sustainable and inclusive way.

A major focus of the article is the planned Youth Opportunity Union, also known as the YOU, a large multipurpose youth facility backed by Dutchess County. The HelloNation article describes the project as a 19,000 square foot center that will include childcare services, wellness support, tutoring areas, teaching kitchens and both indoor and outdoor recreation spaces. The article explains that the project reflects a larger regional effort to increase opportunities for children and teenagers in underserved communities.

The article also highlights additional youth centered investments connected to sports, education and recreation. According to the article, Dutchess County has awarded grants to local organizations serving young people between the ages of 6 and 17. The article further explains that Poughkeepsie’s City Parks program has introduced mini grants designed to support renovations and activities in neighborhood parks, including Pershing Avenue and Malcolm X parks.

Beyond youth programs, the article details how the city is working to improve transportation and neighborhood infrastructure. The HelloNation article explains that Poughkeepsie launched its first five year paving plan in 2025, beginning with major roadway improvements on Main Street and other corridors. The article states that these upgrades are intended to improve safety, durability and daily conditions for residents while supporting broader redevelopment goals throughout the city.

Another important part of the article focuses on adaptive reuse and environmental redevelopment on the Northside. The article describes how Scenic Hudson plans to transform the former Standard Gage Factory into the Northside Hub, a redevelopment project designed to serve as both a nonprofit headquarters and a community gathering space. According to the article, the project will feature solar powered operations, office space, public parkland and community facilities near the Walkway Over the Hudson and Dutchess Rail Trail.

The article also explains that Poughkeepsie’s selection as the Mid Hudson winner in New York’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative adds additional momentum to current redevelopment efforts. The HelloNation article notes that the funding will support new downtown projects that build on existing investments in youth programs, infrastructure and adaptive reuse. Together, these efforts are presented as part of a broader strategy to create long term stability and opportunity for local residents.

The article concludes that Poughkeepsie’s emerging identity is closely tied to projects that strengthen neighborhoods while supporting future generations. Poughkeepsie Puts Youth, Neighborhood Parks and Sustainable Reuse at the Center of Renewal features insights from HelloNation Staff Writer, community development coverage of Poughkeepsie, New York, in HelloNation.

About HelloNation

HelloNation is America’s Good News Network, a premier media platform built on the idea that good news travels faster when real people tell real stories. Through its community-focused digital publications and innovative “edvertising” approach, HelloNation delivers expert-driven, good-news content that informs, inspires, and spotlights the leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities. HelloNation maintains partnerships with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the United States First Responders Association.

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SOURCE HelloNation