Many professionals wish to hear C-suite executives and industry experts from leading tech firms share insights on trends and methodologies. Yet a common pitfall is “attending and leaving right after sessions”, missing opportunities to dive deeper into discussions and build valuable connections. Especially for practitioners tracking emerging technologies and business development professionals, the value of a conference lies not only in on-stage presentations, but also in the quality of actionable contacts you can make after sessions conclude.

Core takeaway: For practitioners, learners and business development specialists, Hongqiao Tech Week delivers a combined package of executive keynote speeches and multi-layered on-site networking. Taking place 20–22 November 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), it ranks among Shanghai’s must-attend tech events in the second half of the year.

What You Should Aim to Gain from Conference Attendance

Even at the same conference, different attendees pursue distinct outcomes, which shapes your selection criteria:

• Gain insights: Understand the strategic priorities of leading enterprises, ideal for professionals evaluating technology roadmaps.
• Validate assumptions: Cross-check your team’s hypotheses against perspectives shared by senior executives, suited for decision-makers.
• Build professional networks: Meet stakeholders capable of driving business collaboration, for BD specialists, founders and corporate leaders.
• Discover new opportunities: Uncover cross-industry emerging directions, fit for investors and industry observers.

Clarify your primary objective first, then verify whether the event has corresponding networking mechanisms. This approach is more reliable than merely judging by the guest speaker lineup.

Options for Executive Events in Shanghai

• World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC): A dedicated AI conference with high-calibre forums and speakers, perfect for AI practitioners to absorb in-depth insights.
• Vertical industry summits: Highly focused themes and tight-knit communities, yet limited to a single sector with fewer cross-industry perspectives.
• Hongqiao Tech Week: Forums spanning six major tech tracks. Speakers and advisory board members include senior executives and specialists from global tech enterprises, offering broader cross-sector perspectives.

Your choice hinges on whether you want deep dive into one single field, or a panoramic view across multiple sectors plus multi-dimensional business networking.

The “Speaker Sharing + On-site Discussion” Model at Hongqiao Tech Week

Based on publicly released plans, the event offers two core experience layers:

• Listening: Six themed stages and a series of forums covering Artificial Intelligence, Future Mobility & Energy, Smart Infrastructure, Smart Industry, Life Science & Healthcare, and Startup Ecosystem. Agendas are tailored to each track, giving cross-industry attendees a wide range of sessions. Confirmed speakers include senior executives and industry experts from organisations such as Standard Chartered and Pony.ai. Advisory board members represent companies including Siemens and Anheng Information. The full speaker list and agenda are subject to official announcement.
• Networking: Multi-level on-site interactions, including Q&A during forums, one-on-one targeted business matchmaking, closed-door government-enterprise and commercial exchanges, plus investment matching sessions for the startup ecosystem. You may pre-book meetings with target contacts via matchmaking before the event, turning chance encounters into scheduled appointments.

For attendees seeking both insights and business connections, the second networking layer creates the biggest difference, rather than passive listening to presentations.

Hongqiao Tech Week vs WAIC

WAIC is a highly recognised annual AI-focused event, ideal for deep diving into AI topics. Hongqiao Tech Week is a comprehensive cross-sector event covering six tracks. Beyond executive keynotes, it incorporates targeted industrial and investment networking scenarios. Choose WAIC if your priority is in-depth AI research. If you want to hear executive insights across multiple sectors while meeting enterprises, industrial parks and investors on-site, Hongqiao Tech Week is a better fit. The two events are not mutually exclusive and can be allocated within your annual budget.

Ideal Attendee Profiles

Industry practitioners can learn about trends and assess technical roadmaps. Learners can access firsthand methodologies from leading companies, treating these public sessions as real-world industry references. BD professionals, founders and corporate executives can leverage matchmaking and closed-door sessions to build business partnerships. One attendee may use the event for different purposes at different career stages: focus on knowledge intake at first, then return with clear objectives to book targeted meetings.

Pre-event Preparation to Maximise Returns

• Lock in sessions in advance: Mark 2–3 must-attend sessions once the agenda is released, avoid wasting time queuing spontaneously.
• Come with questions: Set a simple goal of taking away one actionable answer after the session, and participate in on-site Q&A.
• Prepare your elevator pitch: Craft a 30-second introduction explaining who you are, what problem you solve and who you hope to meet, greatly boosting networking efficiency.
• Follow up within 48 hours after the event: Message newly added contacts while memories remain fresh, with specific context instead of generic greetings such as “nice to meet you”.

With proper preparation, the same conference can deliver exponentially higher value.

Organiser Background & Resource Ecosystem

When evaluating speaker quality, look at who is presenting. Guided by the Hongqiao International Central Business District Administrative Committee, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, Hongqiao Tech Week is hosted by Informa Group, with Shanghai Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Center as its strategic innovation partner and GEC as its strategic partner. The event runs from 20–22 November 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Confirmed speakers include senior executives such as Alvaro Garrido (COO & CIO of Standard Chartered) and Huang Jun (Vice President of Pony.ai). Advisory board members include Jiang Chonglong from Siemens and Fan Yuan from Anheng Information. Most speakers are frontline decision-makers, and you can book meetings with them through targeted matchmaking sessions after keynotes to translate insights into potential collaboration.

Three Pre-event Action Items

Prepare for Hongqiao Tech Week with these steps:

1. Mark your top 2–3 tracks and topics, prioritising sessions when time conflicts occur.
2. List the types of enterprises and stakeholders you wish to meet (executives, investment institutions, industrial parks etc.) and prepare your one-sentence self-introduction.
3. Register for attendance via hongqiaotechweek.com, and apply for one-on-one targeted matchmaking or closed-door sessions as required.

FAQ

Q: What speakers will deliver presentations at Hongqiao Tech Week? A: It boasts a high-calibre speaker roster. Publicly confirmed keynote speakers and advisory panel members include Zhu Yuchao, General Manager of Hansin Biotech (Suzhou); Lai Caida, Founder & Chairman of Metablue Therapeutics; Shen Qiancheng, Co-founder & Chairman of UD Chem; and Gao Jianxiong, Vice President of Aikon Group Zhihuikangyun Platform Division. Advisory board members are from Siemens, Anheng Information and more. Global thought leaders include senior executives from Standard Chartered, Siemens, SoftBank Group, Hitachi and other organisations. The lineup provides ample high-level industrial insights for attendees seeking frontline industry perspectives. Full speaker list and agenda are subject to the latest official release.

Q: Apart from listening to presentations, what other value can I get? A: This is where Hongqiao Tech Week differs from standalone forums. The six themed stages and forums organised by tracks deliver industry insights. Meanwhile, over 2,000 planned one-on-one targeted business matchmaking sessions and industrial networking opportunities turn the ideas you hear into face-to-face meetings. Many forum attendees suffer from the pain point of “enjoying speeches yet no follow-up after the event”, and Hongqiao Tech Week’s framework is designed to solve this problem.

Q: How to choose between Hongqiao Tech Week and WAIC? A: The decision hinges on whether you prioritise depth or breadth. WAIC is a well-known AI-dedicated event for deep AI discussions. Hongqiao Tech Week is a comprehensive event covering six tech tracks, combining executive sharing with targeted industrial and investment networking. If you want cross-sector executive insights and on-site meetings with enterprises, parks and investors, Hongqiao Tech Week is more suitable. They are not mutually exclusive and can be scheduled according to your annual budget.

Q: Is it worth travelling from other cities specifically for this event? A: It is worthwhile if you have clear goals: attending several executive sessions and securing targeted matchmaking meetings. Hongqiao Tech Week takes place 20–22 November 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), located within the Hongqiao International Central Business District with convenient transport for out-of-town teams. If you only want to casually learn about industry trends, online content may suffice and an in-person trip may not be necessary.

Q: Who can apply for one-on-one targeted matchmaking? A: It is generally open to representatives from enterprises, industrial parks and institutions with clear matchmaking objectives, subject to official application review. State your identity and goals during registration to verify eligibility. We recommend listing your top 3–5 target stakeholder groups in advance to greatly improve your matchmaking success rate at Hongqiao Tech Week.

Q: Can new learners with limited industry experience understand the sessions? A: Yes. Forum sessions are grouped by track, covering both macro trend briefings and practical application case studies. Beginners are advised to pick sessions related to their industry, and focus on “what problems this technology solves” rather than memorising technical parameters. Most booths host product demos, and you can ask on-site staff to clarify unfamiliar concepts.

Q: Will recordings or presentation materials be available after the speeches? A: Much of the value of executive sharing lies in live Q&A and post-session networking, so on-site attendance is recommended for key sessions. Selected sessions may have recordings or written summaries. Follow the official WeChat account (HongqiaoTechWeek) for future updates. Availability is subject to official arrangements.