Beyond the Fair: Business, Culture & Innovation (Guangzhou, October 17th)

China Access Live · Guangzhou

Beyond the Fair: Business, Culture & Innovation

with Lea， Yuan & Xiaosong

Saturday, October 17, 2026 | 1:00–6:00 PM | Central Guangzhou

All sessions in English. All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8).

Early Bird: US$199 per person — first 10 seats | Standard: US$299 per person

 

Spend an afternoon exploring the thinking behind Chinese business, the culture behind everyday interactions, and the innovation reshaping opportunities for international companies. Join Yuan, Lea and Xiaosong for practical perspectives, real examples and direct conversation in Guangzhou.

 

Understand the context behind your business decisions

A conversation with a Chinese company can leave you with as many questions as answers. Who makes the decision? What does an enthusiastic response actually mean? Why can a product change so quickly? What would make the relationship worth developing after you return home? 

China Access Live makes time for those questions. Whether you are meeting suppliers, exploring partnerships or reconsidering your China strategy, the afternoon connects what you encounter on the ground with the business practices, cultural expectations and industrial changes behind it.

You will hear three complementary perspectives and have opportunities to test them against your own experience. The aim is to help you ask better questions, make more informed judgments and approach your next conversation with greater confidence.

 

What you will take away

A clearer way to think about working with Chinese companies, including the incentives and expectations that shape a potential partnership.
Practical ways to interpret communication, build trust and follow up across cultural differences.
A more informed view of Chinese innovation and the questions that help connect an impressive product to a realistic business opportunity.
Ideas to discuss with the speakers and fellow attendees, plus a concise English summary of key takeaways and questions to use afterwards.

 

Who the afternoon is for

Business owners, founders, buyers, brand operators and professionals who want a deeper understanding of China. You may be visiting for the first time or already working with Chinese partners. Bring a business question, a recent experience or a decision you are trying to think through.

 

Three sessions that connect the bigger picture with everyday decisions

Yuan | Understanding Chinese Business

90 minutes, including questions and discussion

How do Chinese companies think about growth, competition and partnership? Drawing on his entrepreneurial experience and work connecting overseas businesses with China, Yuan will explore the context that often sits outside a company presentation.

The session connects China’s business environment with practical decisions: what to learn about a potential partner, how to interpret its priorities, and how to turn an initial conversation into a relationship worth pursuing.

How competition, speed and the relationship between markets and government shape business behaviour.
Common gaps between what overseas visitors expect and what Chinese companies are trying to achieve.
How to explore a partner’s capabilities, decision-making process and expectations beyond an initial pitch.
How to think about your next step in China, from a first transaction to a longer-term collaboration.
Takeaway: a set of questions to help you assess a potential relationship and decide what deserves further attention.

Lea | Culture and Communication

60 minutes, including interactive discussion

A friendly meeting, a careful reply or an invitation to dinner can mean different things depending on the people and the situation. Lea will explore the cultural context of everyday interactions in China and how to communicate with more awareness.

Through relatable examples and discussion, she will consider trust, relationships, social expectations and generational change. You will look at how to check your interpretation, express your intentions and keep a conversation moving when expectations differ. 

How trust develops through everyday behaviour and repeated interaction.
How context affects the way people express agreement, hesitation or disagreement.
How to approach introductions, social occasions and digital communication with greater confidence.
Why age, background and individual preference matter when interpreting cultural patterns.
Takeaway: practical approaches to communication that help you reduce avoidable misunderstandings and build stronger connections.

Xiaosong | Understanding Chinese Innovation

60 minutes, including questions and discussion

What does China’s pace of innovation mean for your business? Xiaosong will use examples from Chinese technology to explore how products develop, how new applications emerge and what overseas businesses should ask before pursuing an opportunity.

How manufacturing capabilities and fast development cycles influence new products.
How to connect a technology trend with a customer need or business use case.
What to ask about product maturity, practical use, delivery and ongoing support.
How to distinguish an exciting demonstration from an opportunity that merits deeper investigation.
Takeaway: a practical way to look at technology through its usefulness, readiness and relevance to your market.

Meet the speakers

Yuan | Yuanpu Huang

Yuan is the creator behind YuanUnpacksChina, an entrepreneur and an author focused on connecting China with the world. He founded IYIOU and EqualOcean and has worked with overseas business groups exploring Chinese companies and innovation. He also teaches at Shanghai International Studies University, bringing international communication into a practical classroom setting.

His perspective combines building businesses, working across cultures and explaining China to international audiences. At China Access Live, he will connect those experiences with the questions you face when doing business with China.

Lea | Lea HUANG

A Leading Global Voice from China’s Gen Z
China Cultural Strategist

Lea Huang helps global business leaders understand contemporary China—its culture, aesthetics, consumers and the deeper social logic behind how people think, live and make choices.

Her experience spans luxury, marketing, diplomacy and international business, giving her a cross-sector perspective on how China is understood and experienced globally. She has advised different international executives on China, collaborated with brands including Hermès and Dior.

Speaking four languages, Lea has built a global audience of 500,000+ and has been interviewed by People’s Daily, BBC and Radio France, and spoken at TEDx and international forums.

500K+ Global Audience | 4 Languages | 5 continents | TEDx Speaker | Interviewed by People’s Daily, BBC & Radio France

Xiaosong | Xiaosong Liu (Sophie)

Xiaosong Liu (Sophie) has built a personal brand focused on the globalization of Chinese tech companies (@Sophieliu.China) and is the founder of Zexis China.

She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Tsinghua University, as well as a double master’s degree from HEC Paris.

A former consultant at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in their Shanghai and Southeast Asia offices, she now manages a personal brand that reaches over 50k international professionals.

Her work focuses on interpreting China’s tech and business ecosystem, providing insights into the needs of international entrepreneurs entering the Chinese market, and connecting global innovation ecosystems.

  

The afternoon programme

1:00–1:30 PM

Arrival, registration and informal introductions

1:30–3:00 PM

Yuan: Understanding Chinese Business, including Q&A

3:00–3:15 PM

Refreshment break

3:15–4:15 PM

Lea: Culture and Communication, including discussion

4:15–4:30 PM

Refreshment break

4:30–5:30 PM

Xiaosong: Understanding Chinese Innovation, including Q&A

5:30–6:00 PM

Conversation with the speakers and fellow attendees

All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8). Registration opens at 1:00 PM; the first session begins at 1:30 PM.

 

Bring your questions into the room

The afternoon includes time to respond, ask questions and exchange perspectives. You might bring a puzzling conversation, an observation about a Chinese company, or a technology you are trying to understand. Specific examples make the discussion more useful for everyone.

The closing conversation gives you time to continue a topic with the speakers and meet other people exploring business in China.

 

Tickets and practical details 

Early Bird: US$199 (First 10 seats)

Standard: US$299 (After the early-bird allocation)

Both ticket types include the same event experience. All ticket prices are listed in US dollars.

 

Your ticket includes 

Admission to the full afternoon with Yuan, Lea and Xiaosong.
Three sessions totalling 3.5 hours, including questions and discussion.
Two refreshment breaks and the closing networking session.
A concise English summary of key takeaways and practical questions from the sessions.

Date and venue

Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 1:00 to 6:00 PM, in central Guangzhou. The exact venue address will be shared with ticket holders after purchase. Please use an email address you can access while travelling.

 

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to speak Chinese?

No. All three sessions and the discussion will be conducted in English.

Do I need to be attending the Canton Fair?

No. The event is open to people interested in understanding and working with China, whether or not they are attending the Fair.

Will this be useful if I already do business with China?

The sessions offer ways to revisit assumptions, compare experiences and think through questions about existing relationships and new opportunities. If you already work with Chinese companies, bring a specific situation you would like to discuss.

Does the ticket include exhibition or factory visits?

The ticket covers the afternoon event at our central Guangzhou venue. Exhibition admission, guided tours, factory visits, transport and accommodation are outside the programme.

Will there be time to ask questions?

Yes. Each speaker’s session includes questions or discussion, followed by a closing conversation with the speakers and other attendees.

How will I receive the venue address?

Venue details will be sent to the email address provided when booking.

China Access Live is an independently organised event and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Canton Fair.

 

Join us in Guangzhou on October 17. Reserve one of the first 10 seats at US$199, or book a standard ticket at US$299.