News from the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC)

13 October 2023

The China-Italy Chamber of Commerce and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macao are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of the Business Dialogue on “Lifestyle and Luxury Retail: challenges and opportunities for the positioning of Made in Italy in the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries”, held on October 13th in Hong Kong, and hosted by Deloitte Hong Kong.

The Business Dialogue focused on the growing opportunities for the Italian luxury sector in China, and it was organized with the great contribution from the Italian Quality Lifestyle Council of both Chambers and of Assocamerestero. The event was held under the patronage of the Italian Embassy in Beijing and the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong & Macao.

The opening remarks were given by the Ambassador of Italy to the P.R.C., Massimo Ambrosetti, followed by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR of the P.R.C., Algernon Yau, by the Chairman of China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, Paolo Bazzoni and the Chairman of the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Hong Kong and Macao, Davide De Rosa.

In representation of the hosting company, Francesco Nagari, Partner at Deloitte, intervened with a welcoming speech.

Before diving into the first panel discussion, a video by Stefania Lazzaroni, CEO of Altagamma, shed light on the global perspective of luxury and lifestyle retail, highlighting how Asia, and especially the Chinese market, will be leading the consumption of luxury goods.

Right after, the first panel discussion “Unleashing the Potential: High Net Worth Individuals and Luxury Consumption in Hong Kong and the GBA and Italian Design in Orient between Localization and Centralization of Style” got started, moderated by Christian Foddis, President Asia Pacific, Ermenegildo Zegna featuring Blondie Tsang, President at Lane Crawford & Joyce, Gian Luca Traverso, President APAC at Giuseppe Zanotti and Dimitri Gouten, CEO Asia Pacific at Buccellati.

In anticipation of the second panel, attendees got to hear valuable industry insights on emerging consumer trends in the luxury market through the words of Luca Solca, Managing Director Luxury Goods at Sanford C. Bernstein.

The second panel, “Italian Design in Orient between Localization and Centralization of Style” was then introduced, moderated by Donato Medici, CEO at Galileo Global Education Italy & Managing Director at NABA and featuring Attilio Tettamanti, CEO at Boffi Asia Pacific & Director APAC, Jacopo Pesavento, CEO at Branding Records, Fabio Rossi, CEO at Rossi & Rossi and Giovanni Di Salvo, President at Xpansion.

Final remarks on the events were provided by Domenico Mauriello, Secretary General of Assocamerestero, Paolo Bazzoni and Davide De Rosa thanking the numerous guests, speakers and moderators for their attendance and engagement.

The event saw an enthusiastic participation of a hundred guests among which major industry leaders, Italian and Chinese firms and institutional representatives.

The event was a result of a successful cooperation between the two Italian Chambers of Commerce in the P.R.C. and Hong Kong and was smoothly conducted by the Secretary Generals of the respective Chambers, Renzo Isler and Caterina Bernardini de Pace.

Special thanks go to our Sponsors, which helped to support the realization of the initiative: Generali, Illy and Casa del Pane.

“The value added of this business dialogue on luxury retail – co-organised in a very efficient and successful way by CICC and CCHK – was a concrete and high-level opportunity to Interact with LEADING companies and brands about our value proposition as Made In Italy in the important and challenging markets of GBA and ASEAN, boosting opportunities further and stimulating initiatives and future business actions.”
Paolo Bazzoni, Chairman China-Italy Chamber of Commerce

“The Business Dialogue on Lifestyle and Luxury Retail hosted by the China Italy Chamber of Commerce and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macao was an enriching experience, fostering valuable insights into the dynamic industry landscape at the intersection of Chinese and Italian markets”.
Davide De Rosa, Chairman Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macao