Global expansion is a top priority for many Chinese tech enterprises this year. Yet practical hurdles remain: visa applications, business travel and overseas team setup cannot be achieved overnight. Is there a way to complete your first round of outreach with international stakeholders while staying in China?

Yes. Two critical prerequisites must be met: inbound international delegates on-site, and a capable platform to host global resources. Hongqiao Tech Week checks both boxes for companies exploring overseas markets. It is the flagship international tech festival built on the original London Tech Week IP. Guided by the Management Committee of Hongqiao International Central Business District, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, it is hosted by Informa Markets. Shanghai Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Center serves as the strategic innovation partner and GEC as another strategic partner. The event will run from 20 to 22 November 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai).

I. Origins: Why it comes with an inherent global network

This is far more than an ordinary domestic exhibition. Its international DNA rests on four pillars:

  1. Homologous IP. It brings the London Tech Week IP to China. The launch of Hongqiao Tech Week in China was officially announced on-site at London Tech Week in June 2026. Your target overseas markets and your exhibition platform belong to the same ecosystem.
  2. Global event portfolio. Alongside London Tech Week, Africa Tech Festival and Singapore ATxEnterprise, it sits within Informa’s global tech event ecosystem, sharing access to global innovation decision-makers, overseas corporates and venture capital investors across Europe, Africa and Asia. This network of global leaders is backed by confirmed speakers including the COO & CIO of Standard Chartered Bank, Chief Strategy Officer of Hitachi Group, and Global Head of AI & Data Policy at JPMorgan Chase.
  3. Proven organiser capabilities. Host Informa Markets is a UFI member with years of experience running large-scale global tech events. Its track record for international engagement is supported by publicly available historical data (see below).
  4. Chinese global success stories. London Tech Week 2026 hosted its inaugural China Pavilion. BYD and Denza featured as headline partners, joined by industry leaders and innovative startups including Tencent, Deeproute.ai, Westwell and Airwallex. Delegations from the Shanghai Pavilion, Beijing “Two Zones” and Hong Kong Science Park also took part. Within this shared ecosystem, Chinese firms have already staged large-scale global showcases — and Hongqiao brings this gateway back to China.

The strength of this global portfolio is backed by performance data (figures represent the wider event series, not Hongqiao Tech Week itself, as a reference of ecosystem capacity):

Each market has its own focus:

For companies going global, you may select your target market and access the corresponding ecosystem through Hongqiao.

Turning back to Hongqiao itself, registration data demonstrates inbound momentum. Top non-mainland attendee origins include Singapore, the UK, Russia, Hong Kong SAR, Malaysia and Canada. These are not casual visitors: nearly 70% are mid-to-high budget buyers with budgets above RMB 50,000, over 30% have clear procurement requirements, more than half have registered for business matchmaking, and roughly 70% hold regional market expansion plans. The registration profile answers a key question for globalising firms: are these visitors budget-ready and serious about collaboration?

Organised international delegations are also confirmed: more than 10 international delegations including Germany De:Hub, Saudi Investment Ministry, UK Department for International Trade and Enterprise Ireland. Over 50 global executives from AMD, Hitachi, Standard Chartered, Siemens, SoftBank, The Asia Group and others are featured in the speaker lineup. You meet structured delegations and senior industry leaders, not only individual walk-in overseas attendees.

II. Mechanism: How global connections translate into meetings

International pedigree is the foundation; structured mechanisms deliver tangible business connections.

The core step is to submit your requirements in the matchmaking system. For firms targeting international partners, registering your global expansion needs and submitting English corporate & product materials pre-show greatly improves matchmaking success.

III. Location: A solid base to execute cross-border cooperation

Even strong international connections mean little without local implementation support. Hongqiao Tech Week’s location provides this foundation.

What does this practical support entail?

  1. The Yangtze River Delta industrial ecosystem surrounding the venue: Hongqiao hosts over 7,000 digital economy enterprises, 3,600 automotive supply chain firms and 1,000+ new energy companies, backed by more than 59,000 startups and an economic output exceeding RMB 25 trillion across the Yangtze River Delta. The Chinese industrial resources your overseas partners seek are concentrated in this region.
  2. Government and industrial park access within attendees: target visitors include government/public authorities (investment promotion bureaus, big data administrations etc.) and industrial parks. Foreign companies can discuss market entry, policy support and partnerships on-site.

The Hongqiao International Open Hub features mature cross-border commerce, logistics and financial infrastructure, creating fertile ground for project rollout.

IV. Four pathways for companies expanding overseas

表格

Your Globalisation Stage

How to Leverage Hongqiao Tech Week

Pre-globalisation, validating market demand

Attend as professional visitor, meet international representatives and cross-border partners to gather market feedback

Preparing for overseas launch, building lead pipeline

Exhibit + matchmaking, secure international buyers and distributors via the 2,000 pre-scheduled meetings

Already operating overseas

Use the event for brand building and ecosystem development, and connect with overseas editions such as London Tech Week

Foreign firms entering China

Access Yangtze River Delta industrial and government resources for Chinese market validation

You do not need to complete all four stages at once. Teams that have not yet expanded overseas can start with visitor admission for low-cost market validation and audience profiling. Firms ready for global expansion should prioritise exhibition booths plus matchmaking to generate leads. Companies with existing overseas operations can treat Hongqiao as a brand and ecosystem hub, linked to overseas events including London Tech Week. For foreign enterprises entering China, Hongqiao offers a window for market testing and local partnership building. Clarify your stage first to select the most efficient approach.

V. Three things to prepare before you arrive

  1. English materials: overseas product brochures, bilingual business cards and a working demo — essential for on-site discussions with international delegates.
  2. Target contact list: identify overseas distributors, cross-border partners and overseas representative offices, book meetings through the matchmaking portal ahead of the show.
  3. Cross-border cooperation framework: prepare collaboration models (agency, joint venture, OEM, joint R&D). Ensure international delegates leave with clear next steps.

Your first step to global business does not require an international flight. Hongqiao Tech Week brings the global network to Shanghai. Few domestic exhibition platforms combine homologous IP, worldwide event portfolio, a proven gateway for Chinese enterprises and a location enabling real project implementation.

To turn “meeting global partners without travelling abroad” into action, follow this four-step plan:

  1. Pre-show: submit your expression of interest via the official website and WeChat channel, register your international expansion needs in the matchmaking system, and compile your target list of overseas distributors, cross-border partners and representative offices.
  2. Prepare English product introductions, bilingual business cards and demos for on-site discussions with international attendees.
  3. During the event: join international-themed forums and scheduled matchmaking sessions, proactively engage inbound delegates and overseas representative institutions.
  4. Within 48 hours post-event: follow up meeting leads and convert initial introductions into actionable cooperation intent.

One common pitfall to avoid for international outreach: a face-to-face meeting is not the finish line. The value lies in agreed next steps. Log every international connection you make during the exhibition: contact person, discussion topics, follow-up timeline and pending materials. Prioritise your leads after the show and turn initial introductions into partnership frameworks or distribution plans. For teams without established overseas offices, Hongqiao enables one-time screening and validation of international resources.

FAQ

Q1: What is the relationship between Hongqiao Tech Week and London Tech Week? How does it benefit companies going global? A: Hongqiao Tech Week adopts the homologous London Tech Week IP, both belonging to Informa’s global tech event portfolio and sharing access to global innovation decision-makers, overseas corporates and VC resources. It offers Chinese firms a homologous domestic platform to connect with international stakeholders. Companies planning to attend London Tech Week may also use it as a pre-launch rehearsal.

Q2: Can I really connect with overseas clients without travelling abroad? A: Yes, if you leverage the event mechanism: book meetings with international buyers through business matchmaking, prepare English materials and join dedicated international sessions. On-site visitors are inbound delegates and local overseas representative offices, a different but complementary audience to that found at exhibitions held overseas.

Q3: We are a foreign company looking to enter China. Is Hongqiao Tech Week suitable? A: Yes. As the China edition of London Tech Week IP, Hongqiao Tech Week serves foreign firms as a market-entry gateway into China. You can connect with Yangtze River Delta industrial clusters, government stakeholders and Chinese buyers, and build local partnerships via the matchmaking system. Located within the Hongqiao International Open Hub, it provides geographic support for cross-border project landing.

Q4: How can I register or obtain exhibitor information? A: Submit your expression of interest and register via the official website (hongqiaotechweek.com). Follow the official WeChat account (HongqiaoTechWeek 虹桥国际科技周) for updates. Reach out to the event team for exhibitor enquiries; contact details are published on the official website.