Foreign businesses learn how to succeed in China at Gerald Edelman’s latest event

On Thursday 12 September 2023, Gerald Edelman hosted an event at their offices in London on Succeeding in China: A Roadmap for Foreign Businesses, which drew key representatives from various industries. The event was followed by a networking session, celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Hosted by Gerald Edelman’s Head of Asia, Lynn Lin, the event featured panellists: Caiyu Wang, Representative of Shenzhen European Office, John Mclean OBE, Chair of China UK Business Development Centre, Rilong Wu, Chief Representative from Qingdao Centre for Business and Commerce (UK), Jian Lu, Chief Representative from Invest Shanghai, and Mark Hedley, Deputy Head from Invest Hong Kong. The panellists shared case studies and insights into how they have assisted their clients to successfully enter the Chinese market. Topics discussed included:

• How to access the Chinese market with the help of UK Chinese local government representatives
• How to build relationships with local government officials
• How to build a Chinese brand, including insight into successful marketing and sales strategies

Panellists also shared their core responsibilities and how businesses can use them as a channel to access investment opportunities and connections in both the UK and China.

Gerald Edelman’s ethos is to think beyond accountancy, striving to have a positive impact on its clients, its people, its community and its planet. For its clients, Gerald Edelman aims to become a one-stop-shop and continually improve and enhance the services it delivers. One of the services that helps Gerald Edelman do this is its Asia advisory services. These services, delivered by Lynn Lin, support Asian investors looking to expand their business to the UK, invest in UK or emigrate to the UK, as well as businesses looking to successfully grow in Asia.

The event was followed by a networking event, celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival, which welcomed more contacts, clients and guests from various industries to the Gerald Edelman office. The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important festival in China after the Chinese New Year and is a celebration of family reunion and friendship. Recognising the festival reflects Gerald Edelman’s Mission, which is to have a positive impact on its community. It was also an opportunity for clients and contacts to come together and learn about Chinese culture, which is especially important when expanding or investing into the Asia market. Mooncakes are a traditional food eaten during the festival and every guest got to take a mooncake home with them too.

“We were delighted to host this event and provide foreign businesses with a roadmap for success in China,” said Lynn Lin, Head of Asia at Gerald Edelman. “Succeeding in China isn’t easy. But with the right support it can be done. We hope that by holding these events we help more businesses successfully navigate the Chinese market. I cannot thank our panellists enough for sharing their wisdom, stories and advice.”

“Celebrating the Mid-Autumn festival is important to us. Understanding Chinese culture is an important factor to consider when expanding your business into Asia and showing Chinese customers that you understand and value their culture and traditions. We wanted to create an opportunity for people to meet new contacts, learn about new businesses and different cultures, and build relationships that can benefit them in the future” said Richard Kleiner, CEO at Gerald Edelman. Richard did the opening speech at both events.

To find out more about Gerald Edelman’s Services for Asian Investors, visit our page here.