Event Preview | Gain Insights into the Future of the Market: A Comprehensive Spoiler of the 2026 Consumer Trend Conference by ZM Consulting
The 14th Five-Year Plan has established the goal of increasing the household consumption rate as a core strategic objective, further consolidating the position of domestic demand as the main engine of economic growth. Standing at the starting point of the new consumption cycle in 2026, grasping the changes in the consumer market and seeking new opportunities to boost consumption have become the keys to promoting the high - quality development of industries and enterprises.
From December 6th to 7th, 2025, the "2026 Consumption Trends Conference and Trend Innovation Conference" hosted by ZM Consulting will be grandly held at the Crowne Plaza Beijing Lido. This conference brings together experts in the consumption field and leading figures from various industries to jointly discuss the variables in consumption trends and the growth logic in the new cycle.
Assessing the Macroeconomic Trends and Identifying Opportunities in the Consumption Industry during the 14th Five - Year Plan
How will macro - policies drive market opportunities? What industrial dividends will be released by the expansion of domestic demand during the 14th Five - Year Plan?
The conference specially invites Guan Lixin, the deputy director and researcher of the Institute of Circulation and Consumption at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Commerce. She will conduct an in - depth interpretation of "The Transformation of the Chinese Consumer Market and Opportunities for Domestic Demand Expansion under the 14th Five - Year Plan" from a macro perspective, helping enterprises understand policy directions and potential industrial opportunities.
Two Major Trend Reports to Be Released for the First Time, Offering a Comprehensive Understanding of the Pulse of the 2026 Consumer Market
Since 2017, ZM Consulting has regularly released the "China Consumption Trends Report" every year, continuously predicting the trends and changes in China's consumption. In 2025, ZM will release its tenth annual trend report, the "2026 China Consumption Trends Report".
ZM Consulting's "China Consumption Trends Report"
ZM will premiere two reports at the conference: "A Decade of Changes in China's Consumption Trends" and the "2026 China Consumption Trends Report".
By summarizing the structural changes in Chinese consumers' psychology and the consumer market over the past decade, understanding the Chinese consumer market, and unveiling the top ten consumption trends for 2026, these reports will help enterprises find new directions, tracks, opportunities, and inspirations for business and brand marketing in 2026. Xiao Mingchao, the founder and CEO of ZM Consulting, a well - known trend expert, will conduct an in - depth interpretation on - site.
Decoding the New Consumption Cycle: Three Perspectives of Policy, Industry, and the Consumer Society
We specially invite Wang Chunyan, the director of the Macro - legal Research Department at the Development and Research Center of the State Administration for Market Regulation; Dong Wenyang, the deputy director of the Industrial and Cultural Integration Department at the Industrial Culture Development Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; Sun Feng, a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Department of Sociology, Tsinghua University; Peng Siqing, a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Guanghua School of Management, Peking University; Zhao Weihua, a professor at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing University of Technology; and Zhao Chen, an industrial tutor at the School of International Business, Beijing Foreign Studies University.
They will reveal the underlying logic of the evolution of the consumer market and provide forward - looking decision - making references from aspects such as consumer rights protection, industrial integration and upgrading, the logic of changes in the consumer society, and emerging consumption opportunities.
From Brand Upgrading to Aesthetic Upgrading: Reconstructing the Underlying Logic of the Consumption Experience
Hai Jun, a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the deputy director of the art museum, and the director of the National Design Management Research Center, will give an in - depth sharing.
Starting from consumption trends, he will systematically interpret the essence of business aesthetics, reveal how enterprises can move from brand competition to aesthetic shaping, and provide a systematic thinking framework for building an ultimate experience, opening up new dimensions for enterprises' value growth.
Trend Strategy Guide: Trends, Cases, and Growth Methodologies
Innovation not only stems from forward - looking judgments on the industry landscape but also from a deep understanding and agile application of consumption trends.
This consumption trends conference brings together market monitoring experts, category experts, and front - line brand operators to jointly deconstruct the innovation logic and practical paths in the consumer goods industry.
Wang Huan, the assistant director of the China National Commercial Information Center, will deliver a speech on "The Operation of the Chinese Consumer Goods Market in 2025 and the Trend Outlook for 2026", systematically analyzing the innovation direction of the industry from three aspects: macro data, retail landscape, and industrial opportunities.
Shao Jianwei, the marketing director of Haier Washing Machines in the Chinese market, will share the product innovation system behind "listening to users' advice" and explain how Haier interacts with users and launched popular products such as the "lazy person's washing machine" in 2025.
Liang Jian, the deputy general manager of Huatang Yunshang and the CEO of Food Industry Headlines, will interpret the new trends in the food and beverage category in 2026. Deng Yong, the brand director of Master Kong's instant noodle business, will combine the practice of "quality upgrading" to tell how the instant noodle category can achieve quality upgrading and product value reconstruction.
Zhang Xiaolin, the general manager of Guangdong Qingshang Biotechnology Co., Ltd., and Zuo Ci, the vice - president of Shaanxi Guofeng Big Health Industry Co., Ltd., will respectively reveal the product logic and the path to creating popular products in the big health sector from the perspectives of functional beverage innovation and branding.
Zhou Zidi, the deputy general manager of the brand department of KAILAS, will tell how outdoor brands can build a high - loyalty niche consumption ecosystem through the dual - wheel drive of "product + culture".
These cross - industry and multi - perspective practical sharing sessions aim to help participants break through cognitive boundaries, absorb implementable strategic frameworks, and build a business closed - loop of "trend - insight - innovation - growth" to achieve sustainable growth in the new cycle.
The Marketing Perspective of Internet Platforms: Interpreting the Synergy Mechanism of Content and Traffic
Internet platforms provide strong support for product innovation and marketing. The in - depth integration of content, traffic, and technology in consumption trends continuously gives rise to new marketing logics. This conference specially invites three front - line practical experts from platforms to share innovation methods and synergy mechanisms from the platform perspective.
Jiao Niang, the person - in - charge of the FMCG industry at the marketing center of Xiaohongshu, will analyze "The Innovation Logic and Trends of New Products" and reveal how to create popular products by understanding users' needs.
Liu Xiaowei, the person - in - charge of the brand data product center of Kuaishou's Magnetic Engine, will discuss the new consumption scenarios and growth logic in the short - video ecosystem and interpret the synergy path of content - driven business.
Ning Bo, a development engineer of NetEase's Ganmeng Engine, will share "The New Paradigm of Content Marketing in the AI Era" and show how to use artificial intelligence technology to improve content creativity and consumption conversion efficiency.
These three guests will present the business practices of the "content - traffic - technology" triangle synergy from different dimensions and provide implementable new platform marketing strategies for brands.
Breaking Through and Reaching Consensus: Finding New Answers for Brand Building
To clarify the brand fog in the era of traffic and AI, the conference has specially set up a round - table forum on "Brand Strategy", inviting guests such as Zhao Xinli, the dean of the School of Advertising and Branding, Communication University of China; Yu Zihuan, the general manager of the consumer brand department of China Resources Sanjiu; Zhang He, the general manager of the market promotion center of Jinpai; and Wu Gang, the general producer of "Great Power Brands".
They will conduct in - depth discussions around the fundamental question of "Where is the new path for brand building in the era of traffic and AI?"
This is not only a discussion about brand marketing methods and tools but also a pursuit of the essence of brands and a discussion on brand paths in response to technological changes.
Transformation and Outlook of Chinese Automobile Brands in the New Cycle
As a pillar industry of the national economy, the automobile industry will continue to play a key role in promoting economic development and industrial upgrading during the 14th Five - Year Plan. This conference has a special session on the automobile industry to in - depth discuss the industry's transformation trends and brand growth paths.
Cui Dongshu, the secretary - general of the Automobile Market Research Branch of the China Automobile Dealers Association, will first present "The Trend of the Automobile Market in 2025 and the Forecast for 2026", using authoritative data to understand the industry's direction.
Meanwhile, the conference will hold a round - table dialogue on "The Transformation of the Automobile Market and the Outlook for 2026". Tian Tian, the deputy secretary - general of the China Automobile Dealers Association; He Zhaopeng, the general manager of the 212 Off - road Vehicle Marketing Company; and Zeng Qinglin, the deputy general manager of the sales and service company of VOYAH, will gather together to have in - depth discussions around core topics such as user co - creation, technological innovation, channel ecosystem, and marketing breakthroughs, exploring how automobile brands can build systematic advantages in the new competitive landscape.
Revitalizing Local Resources with New Vitality
Against the backdrop of continuous changes in consumption trends, the hotel and catering industries are facing a new round of opportunities and challenges.
This conference specially invites Zhang Xiang, the deputy secretary - general and the director of the industry department of the China Hotel Association, to share "Industry Trend Changes from the Perspective of the 2025 Catering and Hotel Consumption Index", providing in - depth trend references for industry practitioners.
As the new cycle of the 14th Five - Year Plan begins, how regional characteristic industries can expand nationwide and deeply integrate with culture and tourism has become a core issue for enterprises.
As the core origin of Pu'er tea, Menghai, Yunnan, is rich in ancient tea tree resources and has a millennium - old tea culture. In recent years, relying on the Menghai Industrial Park, it has systematically built the regional public brand of "Menghai Tea" by integrating leading tea enterprises, promoting the integrated development of the "tea industry + culture + tourism".
Tian Fang, the secretary of the Party Working Committee and the director of the management committee of the Menghai Industrial Park, will join representatives from leading tea enterprises such as Dayi, Chengsheng Tea, and Anfeng Mingyuan to tell the Menghai model and share the "taste of Menghai", revealing the market opportunities behind a single tea leaf.
The Continued Rise of Cultural and Tourism Consumption: What Scenarios and Stories Are Consumers Willing to Pay For?
This conference has a special session on cultural and tourism trends. Cheng Chaogong, the chief researcher of Tongcheng Research Institute, will release the latest data report on cultural and tourism consumption and interpret the transformation from sightseeing to a lifestyle.
Ma Yongjin, a second - level researcher at the Industrial Development Department of the Henan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and Zhang Yan, the deputy director of Henan Satellite TV, will systematically reveal the logic behind the creation of the "Walking in Henan, Understanding China" IP.
Xu Fangyi, the deputy director of the Datong Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, will decode on - site how Datong has achieved the "Datong style" through "cultural breakthroughs". In addition, this conference will also gather the presidents and representatives of member enterprises of 28 provincial - level chambers of commerce in Beijing, setting up a dialogue on regional brand and the innovation of the integrated industry of agriculture, culture, and tourism, inviting chamber presidents, vice - presidents, and enterprise representatives to jointly discuss the breakthrough paths and practical innovations of local characteristic industries.