Farewell 2017, a year in which marketing technology really took off and where both consumers and marketers alike started to experience the potential of artificial intelligence in our daily personal and professional lives. Thanks to our new voice-operated companions Alexa and Siri, and advanced analytics tools based on machine learning becoming increasingly accessible, we all caught a glimpse of the exciting future driven by AI.

Toward the end of every year, I ask CEOs, CMOs, authors, executive recruiters and other experts from a variety of industries and backgrounds to weigh in on what will be hot for marketers in the upcoming year. From cybersecurity to AI to social media to impact in the boardroom, this year’s predictions do not disappoint. And to understand trends and predictions from around the globe, take a look at these 18 hot trends from leaders in China--from Tencent to McDonald's to Visa to WPP to Publicis to Google.