On September 12–13, 2026, the 3rd Alternative Business Principal Conference will convene in Puyuan Fashion Ancient Town, Tongxiang, Zhejiang. Under the theme Riding the White Horse | Across the Noise, practitioners from commercial real estate, branding, cultural tourism, hospitality, architecture, and culture will gather in Puyuan to engage in dialogue on shifting consumer behaviours, urban regeneration, place-based commerce, and long-term operational resilience.
The Alternative Business Principal Conference is an annual industry forum dedicated to the operators and principals of China’s alternative commercial sector. Since its launch, the conference has consistently anchored itself in real-world practice, tracking the evolving landscapes of urban renewal, cultural tourism innovation, and content-driven commerce.
From the inaugural theme At the City Gates to the second edition’s Start Anew, the discussion around “alternative commerce” has progressively moved from conceptual exploration to concrete, on-the-ground commercial realities. According to the organisers, content from the second conference garnered over 6 million views on Xiaohongshu and exceeded 20 million views across all platforms. Over the first two editions, the conference has cultivated an industry community of more than 5,000 professionals, connecting over 500 principals and frontline practitioners.
80 Speakers, One Living Magazine
This year’s programme brings together 80 speakers spanning commercial real estate, branding, cultural tourism, catering, architecture, media, and the arts. Notable participants include Supaluck Umpujh (Board Director of The Mall Group, Thailand), Zhang Bin (CEO of Shui On Xintiandi), Luo Liping (President of Wanhua Investment Group and Chief Designer of Luxelakes Eco-City), as well as Miura Atsushi, Cheng Qian, Lü Xingyan, Wu Jun, Jian Ming, Xu Husheng, and many others. Together, they will share their practical insights and strategic foresight across a spectrum of scales—from large-scale commercial operations and city-level stewardship to brand cultivation, cultural tourism, and content-driven initiatives.
Over the course of two days and one night, the conference will be curated as a one-off “living magazine,” featuring 16+ independent talks, a special roundtable, five city columns, ten parallel night conversations, three live music sessions, and a distinctive segment titled Everyone Asks Everyone—a space that brings together practitioners from different cities, scales, and trajectories into a single, shared arena.
From sprawling shopping complexes to independent boutiques, from metropolitan centres to local place-making endeavours, the conference aspires to paint a vivid and nuanced portrait of commerce as it is being reshaped today—through authentic, diverse, and grounded cases.
September 12–13, 2026 | Puyuan Fashion Ancient Town, Tongxiang, Zhejiang
Riding the White Horse | Across the Noise
The 3rd Alternative Business Principal Conference
Tickets are now on sale.
