China
Consumer
2023
Agenda
9:00am-9:45am (Marshall of Cambridge Room & Foyer)
Arrival & Registration with Refreshments & Networking
9:45am-10:00am (The Bill Boeing Room)
Opening Remarks
10:00am-10:55am (The Bill Boeing Room)
Panel Session 1: The UK Experience
Are you ready for a China reset?
With borders open and UK companies' decision-makers finally returning to China after three and a half years, now is the time to explore how the most lucrative consumer market in the world has changed. China still represents the biggest opportunity for UK consumer brands even if travel restrictions, economic headwinds and geopolitical shifts have all combined to make this complex market more challenging.
China is the world’s largest e-commerce market (bigger than the sum of the following nine markets combined) and Chinese luxury consumers are expected to account for 60% of global luxury growth until 2030. The nation’s middle- and high-income population is also expected to double by 2030 reaching 500 million, according to a recent report by Bain & Co. But staying relevant to a consumer audience using unique social media platforms and experiencing a sense of growing national pride is an evolving challenge for UK brands. There is also fierce competition from Chinese players who can seamlessly create cultural experiences and products based on empathy and cultural relevance.
Join us to hear how UK brands have innovated and evolved to thrive in the Chinese market and learn what lies ahead now that China is once again open for business.
Host:
Antoaneta Becker, Director, Consumer Economy, China-Britain Business Council
Speakers:
Josie Zhang, President (China), Burberry
Michael Ward, Managing Director, Harrods
Sarah Rotheram, Chief Executive Officer, Fontaine Group
Atul Chhaparwal, Managing Director, Diageo Greater China
11:00am-11:55am (The Bill Boeing Room)
Panel Session 2: The China View
Consumers in China have been continuously shaped by the country’s rapid economic growth and digitalisation. There has been an explosion in e-commerce and the country's multi-faceted social media ecosystem is thriving. The international isolation inflicted on Chinese consumers by the Zero Covid policy over the past three years has also had a profound impact on consumer perceptions and interactions with international brands. China's retail space is now a lab for innovation, where omnichannel experiences: the 'phygital' and 'retailnment' are constantly experimented with, and increasingly adopted on a global scale.
In this session, we engage in a dialogue with Chinese retailers, distributors of UK consumer brands in China, and innovative entrepreneurs in-market, to understand how they incorporate British brands and products in China’s integrated retail and e-commerce space. We discuss China’s innovative approaches in the retail and live commerce areas, and what 'Brand Britain' can do to capture Chinese consumers' affections.
Host:
Ran Guo, Director, Consumer Economy China, China-Britain Business Council
Speakers:
Jerry Ji, General Manager of Public Affairs, Shanghai Hema / Freshippo
Zhu Dan, Business Operations Director, Douyin International
Grace Cheng, Head of Brand Business Development, HARMAY
William Lau, CEO of Bonnie&Clyde, Partner & Senior Vice President, USHOPAL
Natalie Lowe, CEO & Founding Partner, The Orangeblowfish
11:55am-12:10pm (Marshall of Cambridge Room & Foyer)
Coffee Break
12:10pm-1:05pm (The Bill Boeing Room)
Panel Session 3: Embracing the Chinaverse
The prolonged pandemic restrictions in China have accelerated an existing trend of digitalisation and experimentation with the Metaverse in this technology-savvy market. Driven by the expectations for novelty by increasingly sophisticated Chinese consumers many brands are boldly experimenting with immersive experiences, virtual product demos, virtual influencers and metaverse malls. Our panel of experts will delve into the unlimited potential of the Metaverse and Web 3.0 for consumer businesses in China and look at the opportunities for IP collaborations with Chinese creatives and domestic brands.
Host:
Antoaneta Becker, Director, Consumer Economy, China-Britain Business Council
Speakers:
Simon Mitchell, Co-founder, Sybarite
Ada Yang, Senior Market Manager China, Molton Brown
Gary Chan, Vice President, CAA Brand Management
Rachel Daydou, Partner, China Practice Europe, EY Fabernovel
1:10pm-2:00pm (Argyll Room & Terrace)
Lunch
2:00pm-3:00pm
Break Out Sessions
Choice of two sessions:
Chinese Tourists and the Promise of Hainan
The emergence of Hainan island as the prime tourist and travel retail destination in China during the last three years of pandemic restrictions has created new opportunities for UK consumer brands but it has also challenged the pre-Covid supremacy of international tourist destinations. Are UK brands ready for the return of Chinese tourists with global pricing strategies? Is Hainan’s evolving free trade opportunity part of their China strategy?
Host:
Ran Guo, Director, Consumer Economy China, China-Britain Business Council
Speakers:
Liya Zhang, Vice President Marketing, Pernod Ricard, Global Travel Retail
Jason Cao, Vice President, Hainan Holdings (GDF), Founder, DutyFreeExpert
Susan Huang Zhong, Head of Global Shopping Partnership - EMEA, Trip.com Group
OR
Private Domains and Beyond: Leveraging Livestreaming and Key Opinion Leaders in Chinese ecommerce
Discover the latest strategies and models for success in China's fast-evolving digital ecosystem. Join this session of industry leaders as we discuss the latest emerging sales channels, Chinese influencers and private traffic to mono brand e-commerce sites, working with live-streamers and product seeding.
Host:
Celine Tang, China Business Advisor - Retail & e-Commerce, China-Britain Business Council
Speakers:
Benji Lamb, Director of China & South Asia, Vitabiotics
Ntola Obazee, Trading Director, Emma Bridgewater
Robin Liu, Co-Founder, Influencer Hub International
Shlomi Mahfouda, Co-Founder & CEO, Up2China
3:00pm-3:15pm (Marshall of Cambridge Room & Foyer)
Coffee Break
3:15pm-4:10pm (The Bill Boeing Room)
How to Launch your China Business and Avoid the Most Common Mistakes
Starting a business in China is one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences you can have. It however, does not come without sleepless nights. There are several ways to approach creating a business in China with many important considerations. To help take the guesswork out of the process and improve your chances of success, we have developed a comprehensive guide on how to launch your China business by avoiding the most common roadblocks and mistakes along the way. In this session we will walk you through each step of the process, from defining your China business idea to registering, launching and growing your business. Case studies will be highlighted throughout the presentation.
Host:
Kristina Koehler-Coluccia, Head of Business Advisory, Woodburn Accountants & Advisors
Speaker:
Nick Parker, International Development Director, Holland & Barrett International
4:15pm-5:00pm (The Bill Boeing Room)
The Leadership Conversation - China Innovation for Global Growth
China is at the forefront of innovative technologies that are being adopted by other consumer markets – changes in the market are happening with lightning speed where top-down government directives meet with consumer demand. Join this exclusive session to hear from UK consumer brand leaders on their China takeaways.
Host:
Andrew Seaton, Chief Executive, China-Britain Business Council
In conversation with:
Joy Isaacs, Founder & CEO at ARgENTUM apothecary
William Butler-Adams OBE CEng, Chief Executive Officer, Brompton Bicycle
5:00pm-8:00pm (Argyll Room & Terrace)
CBBC Summer Reception 2023
The Summer Reception will bring together the UK-China business community to mark a turning point: with the end of covid travel restrictions, the focus on economic growth in China, and the improved UK-China political context adding up to a significantly more positive environment for UK-China business after the challenges we have seen over the past two years.
We would like to thank the sponsors of the Reception: HSBC, The China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), and the Bank of China, as well as Diageo who are the exclusive spirits sponsor of the Reception - providing cocktails specially for the event!
Learn more about the Reception here.
Day 2 - 5th July
Meet the china partner and chinese influencers programme
CBBC’s London Office & Online
Meet the China Partner
CBBC’s London Office & Online
CBBC is organising a virtual meet-the-China-buyers programme, as part of our flagship China Consumer 2023 event to support UK brands explore new business connections.
Through participating in this virtual event, British brands can identify and create relationships with new Chinese buyers in a cost-effective way and develop these connections until the next China visit. The customized CBBC Meet The China Partner session will offer also follow-up support and China market insights to build on the connections made.
CBBC will recruit Chinese buyers and partners that best match the categories of the participating UK retail and food and drink brands. The meetings will be conducted on Zoom or in person where buyers are in the UK. Each brand will have the opportunity to meet with four pre-warmed buyers on the day. View our list of participating partners here.
CBBC will aim to recruit buyers that are fluent in English but if and where needed CBBC staff will support with translation. CBBC will also assist in follow-ups with the buyers afterwards.
9:00 - 9:30
Arrival
9:30 - 10:10
Content Session
10:10 - 10:20
Break
10:20 - 11:40
Meet Chinese Partners one-to-one (4 sessions at 20 mins each)
11:40 - 12:30
Lunch & Networking Session
Chinese Influencer Programme
CBBC’s London Office
CBBC’s Influencer Focus Group offer has evolved! Join China Consumer 2023 and explore the latest sales channels, collaboration models and consumer decision making process with London based Chinese Key Opinion Consumers (KOCs). You will have the opportunity to have your brand featured through social media posts or you can choose to host a store visit for selected Chinese influencers and get noticed.
The session will bring together 6 dynamic London-based Chinese influencers to participate in targeted focus groups discussing any questions a UK brand or hospitality business has in relation to consumer perceptions, new product or experience launches, packaging, trends, shopping behaviour and more.
Please note that KOCs will be matched to attendees on a bespoke basis so as to best meet the needs and requirements of different participating brands or hospitality businesses.
The Focus group session will be supported by CBBC member, Influencer Hub International.
12:30 - 13:00
Arrival
13:00 - 14:30
Focus Group One
14:30 - 14:45
Break
14:45 - 16:15
Focus Group Two
16:15 - 19:00
Private View of Argentum Apothecary and Reception at their London venue (by invitation only)