The Circle is The Network’s women-focused event series in Shanghai, created as a space for women to connect, exchange perspectives and take time away from the demands of everyday professional and personal life. While The Network brings together business professionals across industries and cultures, The Circle offers a more intimate format focused on meaningful connection, wellbeing, personal development and shared experience. The events are designed for women from different b

17 September 2026 | Laowei Jie, Shanghai China is changing rapidly. But understanding those changes requires more than following short-term economic indicators, consumer trends or international headlines. On 17 September 2026, The Network brought together three speakers with different perspectives for an evening dedicated to “Understanding Today’s China.” The discussion was structured around three dimensions: Cultural Foundations – Marco Beba Deeper Patterns – Axel Kruse Emer

1 July 2026 | SFECO Mansion, Shanghai Global supply chains are undergoing fundamental change. Rising costs, geopolitical uncertainty, new regulatory requirements and shifting sourcing strategies are forcing companies to rethink how products move from factories to customers. These challenges were at the centre of the second The Network event, “SUPPLY CHAINS IN TRANSITION,” held on 1 July 2026 at SFECO Mansion in Shanghai. The event brought together professionals from supply ch

4 June 2026 | Shanghai Centre, Shanghai On 4 June 2026, The Network officially launched its event series in Shanghai with its first gathering at the Shanghai Centre. Under the theme “The Right People. The Right Venue. The Right Beginning.”, the evening brought together business leaders, entrepreneurs and experienced China professionals from Shanghai and the surrounding region. The idea behind The Network is simple: create a platform where meaningful business relationships can

Older consumers are no longer peripheral to beauty in China. They are becoming one of the category’s most important forces for demand, relevance, and long-term growth. For a long time, beauty in China was marketed as a young person’s game. Product launches, campaign language, platform strategies, and influencer ecosystems all revolved around youth, speed, and trend turnover. The industry focused heavily on what was new, what was viral, and what appealed to younger shoppers. T

China’s beauty market is no longer a distant opportunity for European brands to consider at leisure. At CIBE 2026, Armin Lissfeld observed firsthand a market that operates with a level of speed and intensity many foreign beauty brands still fail to grasp. This market is not theoretical or waiting for Europe to catch up. It is active, competitive, and driven by rapid digital innovation and consumer engagement. The Reality of China’s Beauty Market China’s beauty market thrives

For decades, China was known as the world’s factory, a place where products were made quickly, efficiently, and cheaply. Western markets saw China mainly as a source of low-cost goods, often manufactured under other companies’ brands. That image no longer fits the reality. Today, China is not just exporting products; it is exporting its own brands, reshaping global markets and consumer perceptions. This transformation is about more than just volume. Chinese companies are movi

Livestream shopping is often discussed as a global phenomenon, but this broad view misses the real story: the market is evolving very differently across regions. Understanding these regional differences is essential for KOLs, CEOs, marketing leaders, and streamers who want to navigate this dynamic space effectively. This post explores how livestream shopping is developing in China, the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, highlighting key trends an