The economic environment remains unsettled, and for marketing leaders, the ripple effects are becoming harder to ignore. Join us for a focused conversation designed to help marketing leaders step back, gain perspective, and plan with greater clarity in an uncertain economic environment.

Global growth is slowing unevenly, geopolitical tensions continue to shape trade and investment decisions, and policy signals from the US and China are still evolving rather than stabilising. At the same time, consumer confidence across Asia remains cautious, with spending patterns shifting toward value, relevance, and trust.

For Hong Kong, the questions are particularly pointed -

• How does the city position itself amid changing China-US dynamics?
• What does a prolonged period of uncertainty mean for business confidence, cross-border flows, and consumer sentiment?
• And how should brands plan when short-term volatility sits alongside long-term structural change?

This session is designed to help marketing leaders step back and make sense of the bigger picture, without getting lost in economic theory.

What we will explore

• How current US policy direction and trade decisions are influencing Asian markets, both directly and indirectly
• What China’s economic priorities and domestic pressures could mean for regional growth and demand
• Where Hong Kong sits within this shifting landscape, and what this means for brands operating locally and across borders
• How marketers can read economic signals more clearly and translate them into smarter decisions around investment, messaging, and growth planning

Ines Lam, Associate Director, Asia Economics at HSBC, will share a clear, marketer-focused view of the region’s economic outlook. Rather than forecasts for their own sake, the session will focus on what matters for those responsible for driving growth, managing risk, and planning for the year ahead.

Why this matters for marketing leaders

Economic uncertainty shapes consumer behaviour long before it shows up in campaign results. This session will help you understand the forces influencing confidence, spending, and decision-making across Asia, so you can plan with greater clarity and realism.

You will leave with a stronger sense of what to watch, what to question, and how to align your marketing choices with the economic context you are operating in.

This is an opportunity to zoom out, gain perspective, and return to your work better equipped to navigate what comes next.

The session will be hosted by our Board Member, Andrea De Vincentiis, who will guide the conversation and close the morning with reflections.