AME: Sir David Tang on breaking into the China market

Speaking on the morning of day two at the AME Festival taking place on 24 and 25 March in Shanghai, founder of the Shanghai Tang chain, Sir David Tang, will address delegates about the sober realities of building a business in China.

His speech entitled, 'What to build in China?' will explore the notion that everyone is dazzled by the sheer size of China's population as a seductive multiplier for commercial calculations. According to Sir David, the fulcrum between success and failure lies in how and with what businesses go about capturing those numbers and anyone who thinks there is an automatic magic formula needs a reality check.

Sir David is a Hong Kong businessman and socialite best known as the founder of the Shanghai Tang chain which he sold in 1998. He writes a column for Hong Kong-based newspaper, Apple Daily, and in 1997 a selection of his articles were published in an English book called An Apple a Week.

Known for his love of Cuban cigars, Sir David is also a cigar importer and the Honorary Consul of Cuba in Hong Kong. His other interests include aviation and gold-mining. In 2008 he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in recognition of his charity work.

Sir David was born in Hong Kong and attended The Perse School in Cambridge.

The AMEs is now in its eighth year and hailed as the region’s premier recognition of excellence in marketing effectiveness. A highly influential list of leading industry executives, brand pioneers and globally acclaimed marketing experts will take part in an unparalleled programme of challenging keynotes, dynamic panel discussions and informative breakout sessions. The AME Festival is Asia’s premier forum to discuss, debate and celebrate results driven marketing and innovation.