Event Agenda (9:30 AM – 5:00 PM):

9:30 – 10:00 | Arrival & Registration
•    Welcome coffee/refreshments
•    Networking opportunity

10:00 – 10:30 | Welcome and Introduction 
•    CBBC overview and framing the opportunity
•    Key trends shaping UK–China consumer business

10:30 – 11:00 | The Modern Chinese Consumer – Trends & Transformation
•    Who they are: Gen Z, Millennial parents, silver economy, HNWIs
•    What they want: wellness, status, personalization, experience
•    Where they live: rising cities, regional segmentation

11:00 – 11:30 | What Drives Chinese Consumer Behaviour?
“Who’s Buying What – and Why?”
•    Cultural insights, emotional triggers
•    Nationalism, guochao, and local pride
•    Premiumization, trust, and functionality

11:30 – 11:45 | Coffee Break

11:45 – 12:30 | Sector Spotlights: What’s Working in China?
1.    Retail & Fashion – Occasion-driven shopping, smart retail
2.    Beauty & Personal Care – Ingredient storytelling, male grooming
3.    Health & Wellness – Functional foods, stress/sleep solutions
4.    Food & Beverage – Snacking culture, packaging innovation

12:30 – 1:15 | Networking Lunch

1:15 – 2:00 | Digital Commerce in China: Platforms, Payments & Pathways
•    Digital Ecosystem 101: Tmall, JD, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, WeChat
•    Online-to-offline (O2O) integration
•    Role of social selling and private traffic
•    Payment systems (Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay)

2:00 – 2:45 | Market Entry & Compliance
•    Regulatory do’s & don’ts (especially for cosmetics, food, supplements)
•    IP protection and trademarking
•    General trade vs. CBEC
•    How to vet partners/distributors

2:45 – 3:00 | Afternoon Break

3:00 – 3:45 | Influencer Marketing in China & the UK: How to Work with KOLs & KOCs
•    Who are KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) vs. KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers)?
•    How to activate influencers in China on platforms like Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Weibo
•    Influencer management best practices, contracts & ROI
•    Working with Chinese diaspora and influencers based in the UK
•    Campaign examples and budget ranges

3:45 – 4:30 | Interactive Workshop: Building Your China Consumer Strategy
•    Define your target Chinese consumer
•    Tailor a brand or product story for a Chinese audience
•    Select appropriate digital and influencer channels
•    Present in small groups

4:30 – 4:45 | Wrap-Up & Action Plan
•    Key takeaways
•    Next steps with CBBC support
•    Key China events and business opportunities 

5:00 | End

Speakers: 

Yang Ding, Founder, New Silk Route Digital

Yang Ding is the founder of New Silk Route Digital and the Director at the Bristol and West of England China Bureau. With a mission to bridge the gap between the UK and China, Yang has played a pivotal role in helping British brands and organizations enter and thrive in the Chinese market through tailored digital strategies and localized campaigns.

His expertise highlights the importance of understanding Chinese consumer culture and the vast opportunities for UK businesses to connect with one of the world's most dynamic markets. Yang's work continues to amplify the potential of UK-China collaborations, fostering cultural and commercial exchange that benefits both sides.

Antoaneta Becker, Director, Consumer Economy, China-Britain Business Council

Antoaneta has lived and worked in China for more than 20 years. In her most recent role as a Director, Consumer Economy for the China Britain Business Council, she has supported numerous British consumer companies entering and expanding into the Chinese market.

Prior to joining CBBC, she worked as a Beijing-based reporter for several international media publications including the Economist Intelligence Unit and USA Today, covering China’s economic and social affairs. She has reported on some of the main trends and policies that have defined China’s economic trajectory over the years 2000-2010 including China’s stateowned enterprises reforms, the emergence of free trade zones, the rise of digital economy and the ascendence of the Chinese consumer.

Antoaneta is a fluent Mandarin Chinese speaker. She holds a Bachelor’s in Chinese Language and Literature and a Master’s in Chinese Contemporary Literature & Film from Peking University. 

Celine Tang, Retail & E-commerce Sector Lead, China-Britain Business Council

Celine Tang has been based in the UK for the last 4 years and for most of this time she has been working as a freelance Consumer Consultant across the Beauty, Fashion, Lifestyle, Food and Drink sectors.  

Between 2013 - 2017, Celine worked in the New Zealand Consulate General in Shanghai, prior to which she gained an MSc in Social Anthropology from the London School of Economics. 

Kenrick Davis, Senior China Policy Analyst, China-Britain Business Council

Kenrick Davis is a Senior China Policy Analyst at the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), where he is responsible for keeping CBBC’s 300-plus business members informed about China’s latest laws, policies, and economic developments. Based in the UK, he publishes regular briefs, analyses, and reports, including the CBBC China Trade Tracker, which examines two-way trade between UK regions and China. 

A fluent Mandarin speaker, Kenrick spent eight years living in six different cities in China. During that time, he worked as a features journalist for the Shanghai-based media outlet Sixth Tone, as a PR professional for the New York-based communications consultancy Ketchum, and as a Chinese-English translator. His longform pieces have received recognition from international news awards, covering topics as varied as bullfighting in southwestern Guizhou province and the global cultural impact of China’s video game industry.