Programme
Wednesday 7 June
China Forum delegates are invited to join the presentation of the closing Keynote speaker of our WM3 conference: Bessie Lee, GroupM, China. Bessie Lee gives an insight into the people, the market and media scene in China.
Delegates are invited to the joint welcome / farewell drinks of WM3 and China Forum.
Thursday 8 June
The first day of the conference includes presentations, discussions and debates on a number of essential topics. Our moderator Marco Bevolo from Philips Design, Netherlands, will make sure it is going to be an interactive day! Below some of the programme highlights:
Economic and political context
Ian St-Maurice, McKinsey & Company, SingaporeIan St-Maurice is the Associate Principal of the McKinsey offices in Singapore. Ian has done some extensive studies into the Chinese market, its growth and the consumption patterns underpinning the economy.
At the China Forum he will give valuable insight about the Chinese economy on a macro-level as well as penetrating facts about consumption patterns, now and in the future.
McKinsey & Company has 13 offices in the Asian region, including ones in Shanghai, Bejing and Hong Kong.
Victor Yuan, Horizon Research Consultancy Group, China
Victor Yuan is the Chairman of Horizon Research Consultancy Group and was educated in Public Administration in China. He worked for the Chinese government for over 5 years and is currently the head of the Chinese alumni club of Keendy School of Government at Harvard.
At the China Forum he will talk about the role the Chinese government has played in the economic development as well as the role government plays in business life (e.g. rules and regulations, attitude to foreign investment, etc.).
Horizon is the leading polling firm on government policy issues in China with several offices across the country.
The Cultural Context
Jared Braiterman, JaredResearch, USA
A Harvard and Stanford-trained Anthropologist, Jared Braiterman talks about cultural paradoxes and social change in China that business people in many industries can learn from.
Jared currently leads a multi-year research project in China with his San Francisco based consultancy ‘JaredResearch’. As part of his cultural research, he has been studying Mandarin Chinese for the past three years.
Doing business in China
Beatrix Frisch, Volkswagen, China
Beatrix Frisch has long term experience in the China automotive industry and currently works for Shanghai Volkswagen. At the China Forum she will provide hands-on insights into the highlights and challenges of working in China.
Beatrix is a German National and fluent Mandarin Speaker. Dealing with Chinese people (both suppliers, marketers, advertising agencies, etc.) on a daily basis is an integral part of her job.
Piet Coelewij, Philips Consumer Electronics, China
Piet Coelewij is the Senior Vice President & General Manager of Philips CE in China. Hear first-hand from him what his experience and view is on ‘doing business in China’.
Philips opened up its first office in China in the 1920s. Since then, it has built tremendous experience and knowledge about doing business in China. Philips’ annual revenue in China is expected to reach $12 billion in 2007, making it the company’s largest market.
China as a global marketplace
Gilbert Lee, Research International, China
Gilbert Lee is the Marketing Director and Research Director for Research International China. Gilbert talks about the opportunities for global marketers to be successful in the Chinese market. Although in many ways a developing market, China has 150 million consumers who can afford international branded goods!
Over the past 10 years, Gilbert has concentrated his efforts in the Chinese market and has very hands-on experience in very diverse sectors of the market including consumer packaged goods, luxury goods, telecom and automobile.
The research industry in China
Jason Ho, CMRA, China
Jason Ho is one of the core drivers of the China Marketing Research Association. With 1.3 billion consumers in one country, Jason will talk about the highlights and pitfalls of doing market research in China – both from a local as well as an international perspective.
The CMRA is with its 202 company members and 300 individual members, the main Market Research body of knowledge in China. Marketing research in China has an annual turnover of $125,000, and growing at a rate of 20% per year.
Jim Sailor, TNS, China
Jim Sailor is the Managing Director of TNS Greater China. Altogether Jim has been working for 14 years in the marketing research business in Asia.
His previous postings have included Managing Director of TNS Taiwan and Client Service Director for CVSC-Sofres Media (CSM) - TNS' joint venture company focusing on TV audience measurement in China.
At the China Forum, he will not only share his perspective on doing market research in China but also address how to make sense of the many dimensions that are involved when trying to understand ‘the’ Chinese consumer.
TNS in China has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, and representatives in 14 other cities in China.
Communication in China
Chris Reitermann, Ogilvy, China
Chris Reitermann is the Managing Director of Ogilvy & Mather Advertising and of the OgilvyOne offices in Beijing. Chris has been with the Ogilvy Group for nine years, and led the team that paved the way for OgilvyInteractive in the area. As the Managing Director of OgilvyOne, he has pursued his long-standing dream of consulting clients in the migration of their brand into the interactive world.
At the forum he will talk about communication in China, advertising effectiveness and the latest media trends in China. He will also share some case-studies of multinational companies that he has worked with in China.
Chris is a very accomplished speaker and lectures at several universities in China on Relationships Marketing. He speaks 5 languages, including Mandarin.
Friday 9 June
Company visit
See a company in action on day two of the China Forum.
Founded in 1992 by a group of young, visionary entrepreneurs, Fosun is one of a new breed of Chinese private conglomerates rapidly becoming a world player. The group, which owns a portfolio of companies in the pharmaceutical, real estate, steel and retail sectors controls more than 100 subsidiary companies and provides approximately 60,000 job opportunities nationwide. Fosun is a fascinating example of a successful home-grown company and China Forum delegates get the unique opportunity to see behind the scenes; listen, absorb and experience!