agenda
9:00am-9:30am
Registration - Refreshments and Networking
9:30am-9:45am
Opening & Welcome Remarks
9:45am-10:15am
Keynote Addresses
Looking Beyond China's Growth Dilemmas for Lasting Consumer Opportunities
Tim Craighead, Global Chief Content Officer & Director of Research, Bloomberg Intelligence
10:15am-11:00am
Panel Discussion: China Is Democratising Luxury. What Does This Mean For You?
In 2025, Chinese consumers are redefining and democratising the concept of luxury. They favour quirky brand collaborations between luxury houses and Chinese coffee champions and advocate for a new standard of luxury that qualifies the emerging Chinese brands.
Across industries, China is disrupting the luxury establishment and its social hierarchy. Traditional markers of wealth and exclusivity are being replaced with a more personal, diverse, and experience-driven expression of status and identity. This shift is led by Gen Z and Millennials—who value emotional resonance, cultural relevance, and authenticity over logos and price tags.
For UK brands, this democratisation signals the importance of storytelling, experience design, and digital intimacy over traditional luxury marketing. Success in China now requires cultural fluency, local collaboration, and a deep understanding of evolving consumer identities. Don't be limited by your brand heritage and DNA, let it be an inspiration for better emotional connection.
Moderator:
Antoaneta Becker, Director, Consumer Economy, China-Britain Business Council
Speakers:
Charlie Gu, Founder & CEO, Jingzhi Media Group
Vanessa Wu, China PR & Marketing Director, de Gournay
11:00am-11:15am
Brand Fireside Chat
11:15am-11:30am
Morning Coffee Break
11:30am-12:15pm
Panel Discussion: Navigating The Chinese Consumer Market In A Post-Tariff World: The Regulatory, Cultural And Political Landscape
As China’s consumer market continues to evolve in complexity and opportunity, UK brands face a critical need to understand the regulatory frameworks, cultural sensitivities, and political dynamics shaping business success in 2025 and beyond.
This session brings together legal, cultural, and geopolitical experts to explore how brands can responsibly and effectively operate in a market influenced by rising nationalism, stringent compliance standards, and shifting global alliances.
In the context of ongoing US-China trade tensions and broader geopolitical uncertainty, this discussion will also dig deeper into how UK companies can capitalise on the country’s middle-ground status of perceived neutrality - navigating risk while uncovering opportunity.
Moderator:
Celine Tang, Retail & E-commerce Sector Lead, China-Britain Business Council
Speakers:
Francesco Montonati, Managing Director, Hawksford
Martin Gill, Managing Director, Vispring Ltd
12:15pm-1:00pm
Panel Discussion: UK Brands In China: Real Stories, Real Strategies
What does it really take for UK brands to gain traction in China’s fast-moving, competitive market? In this candid, insight-packed session, hear directly from the founders and leaders of UK lifestyle, wellness, food and drink, and fashion brands at various stages of their China journey - from first market entry to early growth and brand-building.
Through real-world case studies, you’ll learn what’s working (and what’s not), how brands are adapting to local consumer expectations, and how they’re approaching everything from platform strategy and influencer marketing to partnerships and product localisation. Whether you’re preparing to enter or looking to scale smartly, this session will offer grounded advice, lessons learned, and actionable takeaways to help shape your next steps in China.
Moderator:
Antoaneta Becker, Director, Consumer Economy, China-Britain Business Council
Speakers:
Sarah Henderson, International Business Manager – Asia, Central & South America, Taylors of Harrogate
Jeremy Taylor, Group Commercial Director, Boadicea the Victorious
Firoza Kholwadia, Senior Business Manager, Waitrose & Partners
Ross Leibbrandt, APAC Regional Managing Director, ghd
1:00pm-2:15pm
Lunch
2:15pm-3:00pm
Bridging Beauty: UK Brands & Chinese beauty retailer Harmay
Join the British Beauty Council, leading UK beauty brands, and Chinese retailer Harmay for an insider’s look at China’s fast-changing beauty market. From consumer trends to cross-border collaborations, this session explores how British heritage and innovation can thrive in partnership with one of China’s most influential retailers.
Moderator:
Millie Kendall OBE, Founder & Chief Executive, British Beauty Council
Speaker:
Sylvia Dai, Senior Merchandising Director, HARMAY
3:00pm-3:45pm
Panel Discussion: Working With Influencers & Connecting With Consumers
Influencers are no longer just brand amplifiers, they are at the centre of how Chinese consumers discover, trust, and buy products. Working with influencers in China’s fastmoving consumer economy requires profound understanding of the target audience, and quick actions of grasp the market trends. In this session, we will explore what it takes to engage Chinese consumers through content and creator partnerships: from understanding platform trends and consumer behaviours, to navigating the costs, expectations, and realities of influencer marketing in China. Hear from social commerce experts, platform insiders and Chinese influencers on how UK brands can build visibility, credibility, and community through authentic creator engagement, beyond paid posts and product placement.
Moderator:
Celine Tang, Retail & E-commerce Sector Lead, China-Britain Business Council
Speakers:
Robin Liu, Co-Founder, Influencer Hub International
Fay Jiang, Fashion and Lifestyle Influencer and Freelance Chinese Marketing Consultant
Dora Zhou, Managing Partner, BARK Media
Max Burns, Influencer
3:45pm-4:00pm
Afternoon Tea Break
4:00pm-4:30pm
British Lifestyle Brand Experience
Get Your Brand in Front of Chinese Consumers Through the People They Trust Most
As part of CBBC’s flagship China Consumer 2025, the British Lifestyle Brand Experience connects UK lifestyle brands with UK-based Chinese content influencers who are active on platforms like Xiaohongshu (RED), WeChat, and Douyin. They are your local partners to tell Chinese consumers directly what to discover, trust, and buy.
Chinese consumers rely on social media but not search engines to discover and evaluate brands. For UK companies, building credibility through these will help you:
Get seen by the right audience: real, engaged Chinese-speaking consumers
Build trust fast: influencer content adds credibility and drives buying decisions
Create long-term visibility: content remains searchable and shareable for consumers and potential buyers alike
Collect authentic marketing assets: usable images and videos to support China campaigns, telling your brand authenticity from home
4:30pm-5:00pm
Brand Fireside Chat
5:30pm-7:30pm
Drinks Reception
Final Agenda to be confirmed shortly!