(From left) Retired NBA star Kobe Byrant, English soccer star David Beckham with Jack Ma, chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group at a party ahead of the 2016 Tmall 11.11 Global Shopping Festival Gala in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, on November 9, 2016. [Photo/IC]

Consumers preparing to splurge during the annual shopping spree will be entertained by big names at a gala in Shenzhen hosted by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding on Thursday night.

This year the company's Tmall 11.11 Global Shopping Festival Gala will be directed by Los Angeles-based TV producer David Hill, who has overseen numerous blockbuster broadcasts including the Oscars, NFL Super Bowls and the popular reality TV show American Idol.

Consumers can watch the gala via Zhejiang Satellite TV, mobile phones and live streaming from 8pm.