Global KOLs gather in SZ for Future Close-up program

Video and photos by Lin Songtao

Sixteen young key opinion leaders (KOLs) representing 14 countries around the world gathered yesterday morning at Tencent Binhai Headquarters to kick off the third Future Close-up program, during which they will embark on a weeklong tour of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Future Close-up program participants wear 3D glasses as they observe a demonstration of precision surgical technology during a guided tour at Mindray’s headquarters in Shenzhen yesterday. 

The program, jointly organized by Shenzhen-based tech giant Tencent and China International Communications Group (CICG), aims to showcase China’s dynamic achievements to international KOLs, with a particular focus on the GBA's tech scene this year.

The participating social media influencers come from diverse professional backgrounds, including PR professionals at energy companies, financial analysts, project managers, and tech students. During the tour, they will visit leading tech enterprises to gain firsthand insights into the innovation landscape of the GBA.

Hugo Fontanel, head of Omnichannel at ViiV Healthcare from France, tries out Tencent’s palm payment system at its Binhai headquarters in Nanshan District yesterday.

Hugo Fontanel, head of Omnichannel at ViiV Healthcare from France, expressed great interest in China’s digital transformation. He hopes to use this trip to focus on the development models of China’s technology industry and to explore the practical aspects of digitalization.

Robin Tim Köhnlein, a growth and project manager with Arteus Energy GmbH, flew in yesterday from Germany specifically for the program. Having heard about it before, he submitted his application for the program via LinkedIn in April. “I felt honored when I was notified by the organizers of my acceptance, about four weeks after handing in my application,” Köhnlein said.

He is particularly looking forward to visiting Shenzhen’s high-tech companies as well as touring Hong Kong.

Participants engage in discussions and exchanges at Tencent Binhai Headquarters in Shenzhen yesterday. 

Köhnlein and the other 15 participants stood out from approximately 300 applicants this year, according to Zhang Jun, general manager of Tencent’s marketing and public relations department.

At the welcoming ceremony, Zhang expressed his delight that the program has garnered significant international attention. Since its inception three years ago, over 100 young KOLs from 35 countries have participated. He highlighted that upon returning to their home countries, these participants have actively shared their experiences and insights about China, thereby sparking broader interest in the country’s true story. “This is the power of information. Information shapes perception,” Zhang emphasized.

The participants were briefed on the latest progress of Tencent’s Hunyuan 3D Generation app and challenged to create their own 3D images using the app.

An animated figure created by Vanessa Marina Dias Herdade of Portugal and her teammate Pedro Henrique Vigné Alvarez using Tencent’s Hunyuan 3D Generation app yesterday.

Vanessa Marina Dias Herdade from Portugal, a digital solutions manager with Carrefour Global Sourcing currently based in Shanghai, worked with her Brazilian teammate Pedro Henrique Vigné Alvarez to create a fairy with Chinese cultural elements.

“The fairy is cute, isn’t it?” said Herdade, adding that the app is very user-friendly. “We just provide the app with detailed instructions defining what we want to create, and with a little patience, we get exactly what we want.”

Ko Torry Ho Hyun, a senior strategy manager at a U.S. company, explores livestreaming technology at Tencent Binhai Headquarters in Shenzhen yesterday.

In the afternoon, the group visited Mindray, a leading global provider of innovative medical devices and solutions.

The KOLs will also visit Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou, and Dongguan over the following six days of the program.

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