Get under the skin of the platform used by a third of the USA population. Understand how parent company ByteDance scaled and monetises it, and what’s next in global content and engagement.
The World Has Changed. Are You Keeping Up?
We’re living through a period of compounding disruption. AI. Geopolitical instability. A pace of innovation that many leaders privately admit they’re struggling to keep up with.
Whilst the West debates next steps, China is already five moves ahead.
• 1/3 of the world’s goods are manufactured in China
• They rank No.1 in 37 of 44 key industries
• They installed more robots & solar panels in 2024 than rest world combined
• 60% of the global EV market now belongs to Chinese manufacturers
Companies like DeepSeek, BYD, Xiaomi, Ping An and Temu are not anomalies, they are signals.
This is where the edge is now found.
“The experience really got below the surface of what makes China’s tech industry tick. It opened up ideas and opportunities regarding innovations that can be transferred to UK industries.”
Chris Meir, Director of IT and Innovation, DPD
As Elon Musk put it: “Without trade barriers, Chinese companies will demolish most other companies in the world.”
If you’re not watching China, you’re missing the bigger picture.
Why Take Five Days Out?
We know what it’s like. Your diary is full. The boardroom needs you. You’re making decisions that matter.
But the biggest risk for a senior leader today isn’t being out of the office for five days.
It’s being out of touch with what’s coming
Taking time out of the business might feel like a luxury – but it could be the smartest move you make this year.
Because:
• You don’t rise above disruption by reading about it. You have to see it, feel it, and experience it.
• Immersion breeds insight. It’s one thing to know AI is reshaping finance. It’s another to stand inside Ping An and watch it happen.
• The cost of time out is measurable.
“Six days that have changed my thinking.”
Peter Pritchard, Former Group CEO, Pets at Home
This trip is:
• A recalibration of how you think about innovation and speed
• A benchmark against what’s actually happening now, not what’s in the deck
• A wake-up call to step beyond the assumptions inside your organisation
This is business as unusual.
And the leaders who thrive tomorrow are the ones who make time to learn differently today.
See It. Feel It.
Understand It.
The Companies You'll Meet
Each visit is designed not just to inform, but to challenge your assumptions about the art of the possible and what your customers will expect next.
The world’s largest financial services group. Their AI systems process and pay car insurance claims in just four minutes. You’ll see automation and customer-centricity working at national scale.
Now the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, BYD has surpassed Tesla. Meet the people behind the strategy, and see how vertical integration gives them speed and cost advantage.
EHang is now fully licensed to operate autonomous passenger drones. Ride in one, and reflect on how air mobility might change the way cities and businesses function.
Known better in the West as Temu, this is the most downloaded shopping app in the US. Understand how price, convenience, and China’s manufacturing speed are reshaping global consumer expectations.
More than mobile. Xiaomi leads in IoT and is the first brand globally to connect car, home, and smartphone as one seamless system.
“A superbly organised, content-rich week amongst senior peers, which both challenged and informed my views on technology-led transformation.”
Haslam Preeston, Head of Digital Business, Jardine Matheson
Who You'll Be Learning From
Christina Boutrup
Leading China analyst, experienced business journalist and author. Her work explores China’s tech revolution and its impact on global markets. A regular keynote speaker and trusted voice on Chinese innovation.
Dr Wanli Min
Former Chief AI Scientist at Alibaba and member of China’s National Strategic Advisory Committee on Next Generation AI. Now CEO of North Summit Capital. A pioneer in AI application across finance, healthcare and smart cities.
Dr Xiao Jing
Group Chief Scientist at Ping An. Leads R&D in AI technologies and applications in financial services, with 90+ US patents and a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University.
Tina Hu
A specialist in social media insights and consumer behaviour in China. Tina decodes how digital communities and eCommerce trends are shaping the next wave of global consumer habits.
Peter Lisbygd
Investor, futurist and China expert with deep experience in green mobility and emerging technology. Advises global companies on innovation strategy in Asia.
Professor David Gosset
Global affairs and international relations expert. Frequently published by The Economist Intelligence Unit, he offers essential geopolitical context to China’s rise and global influence.
The Drone Experience That Changes Perspective
Flying in a fully autonomous drone, alone, no pilot, 70 metres in the air, above the city.
Christina Boutrup, a renowned tech journalist, was one of the first non-Chinese citizens to fly commercially. She called it “smooth, safe and genuinely mind-shifting.”
“It was literally like taking a lift up – very futuristic, very smooth. And I felt extremely safe.”
But this isn’t just about being first. It’s about seeing what’s coming – and what your business needs to prepare for.
Experiences like this spark new questions. How are your teams thinking about mobility? How are your products or services adapting to a world moving this fast?
You return from this trip not just informed – but provoked, focused, and more ready than ever to lead in uncertain times.
The Details
Dates: 18 – 23 October 2026
Cities: Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen
Included: 5-star hotels, all meals, ground transfers, curated access to companies, briefing sessions, and post-tour resources
This is a high-touch, curated experience for executive leaders.
“An incredible trip that gave me real insight into the macro and micro drivers of a rising superpower – and a great opportunity to forge connections with leaders from outside my sector.”
Ross Dalzell, MD – Head of Property, Aldermore Bank
Speak to the Team
We’re curating a senior, international cohort of leaders for this next tour.
If you’re leading transformation, innovation, or growth in your organisation, this is for you.
Contact Adrian or download the brochure.
Leaders we've inspired
This is not a tour. It’s a turning point. Will you be on it?
More lessons on innovation and the importance of an innovative culture in one week than I’d had in the last ten years!
An invaluable opportunity to broaden your horizons, learn, build new global networks and to understand and challenge established perspectives.
It was a fascinating trip. The pace and passion with which the Chinese consumers and companies are embracing digital transformation has to be seen to be believed. I came away convinced that China will be at the forefront of the AI revolution!
This was a fantastic opportunity to see what a developed digital economy looks like and really helped shape my own business’s future – six days that have changed my thinking!
A superbly organised, content-rich week amongst senior peers, which both challenged and informed my views on technology-led transformation.
