Keynotes for Beijing’s international community
Beijing hosts more Fortune Global 500 headquarters than any other city and was the first to hold both Summer and Winter Olympics. Paris brings The Grit Code to its international teams.
Headquarters, embassies and two Olympics
Beijing is home to most of China’s largest state-owned companies and the largest number of Fortune Global 500 headquarters in the world. It also hosts 176 foreign embassies.
Zhongguancun is a leading centre of science, technology and entrepreneurship, close to Tsinghua and Peking universities.
The city has eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. In 2022 it became the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
Who Paris speaks to in Beijing
Country leadership teams
Offsites and leadership meetings.
Business chambers
Keynotes for international business communities.
Tech companies
Resilience for fast-growing teams.
International schools and universities
The Grit Generation for students.
Event venues
Big conferences use the China National Convention Center on the Olympic Green; chambers and multinationals often meet in Chaoyang hotels.
- China National Convention Center – on the Olympic Green, built for the 2008 Games
- China International Exhibition Center – with sites in Chaoyang and Shunyi
- Hotels in Chaoyang – ballrooms near the embassy districts
Ways to book Paris in Beijing
The Grit Code keynote (45–60 min) · Grit Deconstruction workshop (90 min to half day) · virtual keynote (30–45 min) · event host and MC. Compare formats →
Tested at sea, on the ice and on stage
7 marathons, 7 continents
Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
Rowed the Pacific
4,800 km in 2023, raising more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
See the Shanghai and Hong Kong pages, or read how The Grit Code is built. The Grit Code keynote · Keynote speaker Shanghai · Keynote speaker Hong Kong
Booking for Beijing
Available for in-person events in Beijing, or virtually in your local time zone.
Organisers typically book speakers about three months ahead, and shorter notice is sometimes possible, so it is worth asking.
Paris speaks in English, and organisers can add interpretation for the audience if needed.
See also keynote speaker in China, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
Beijing’s economy and who the talk is for
Beijing has a population of about 21,893,095 (2020 figure, Wikidata), which makes it a substantial market for conferences, leadership events and company gatherings.
Companies headquartered in Beijing include Xiaomi (automotive industry), Lenovo (computer hardware industry), Baidu (Internet), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (economics of banking), Sinopec (petroleum industry) and PetroChina Company Limited (petroleum industry).
Technology and software (Xiaomi, Lenovo and Baidu). For software and tech companies, the talk focuses on resilience during constant change, including the shift to AI. As CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, an AI video production company, Paris speaks from inside that change rather than about it.
Banking and financial services (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and China Construction Bank). Banking and finance audiences respond to evidence. Paris frames grit as a measurable habit rather than a personality trait, and links it to the pressure of targets, regulation and market swings that finance teams face every quarter.
Energy and resources (Sinopec and PetroChina Company Limited). For energy and resources businesses, grit is about consistency over decades-long assets. Paris shows how small, repeatable routines beat bursts of motivation, using the 7 marathons on 7 continents as the case study.
Students, graduates and faculty
Higher education is part of Beijing’s talent pipeline, with institutions such as Tsinghua University, Beihang University and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Paris’s talks for students and graduates focus on grit as a skill that can be learned, using his own expeditions as evidence.
Typical formats include welcome weeks, graduation events, entrepreneurship programmes and alumni dinners. University keynote speaker →
Other large venues in Beijing
Beyond the main conference halls, Beijing also has large venues for major events, including Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground and Shougang Gymnasium.
Paris is comfortable on any stage, from an arena to a boardroom, and can also host the main stage as MC. Event host and MC →
How a Grit Code session works
- Before the event, Paris speaks with the organiser about the audience and the outcome they want.
- On the day, the 45–60 minute Grit Code keynote mixes adventure film, stories and practical tools.
- Afterwards, teams can go deeper with a Grit Deconstruction workshop of 90 minutes to half a day.
The content is shaped around Beijing organisations and their goals, so the room hears examples that match its own challenges. Paris presents as an adventurer and CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, not as a theorist.
Where the talk fits in Beijing
These are typical Beijing events for The Grit Code:
- Leadership offsites and strategy days, where senior teams need energy for a hard year ahead.
- Sales kick-offs and annual conferences, where the talk resets ambition and stamina.
- Awards nights and staff celebrations, where Paris can speak or host.
- Graduation, alumni and entrepreneurship events.
Credentials at a glance
- He ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
- Past speaking clients include Nokia, DHL, Kraft Heinz, IHG, Dubai Airports, Expo 2020, COP28 and the UN Tourism General Assembly.
- His TV shows have been distributed in 123 countries, and Guy in Dubai has 22 million views.
- In 2023 he rowed 4,800 km across the Pacific with three teammates, raising more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
Questions from Beijing organisers
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in Beijing?
Yes. Organisers in Beijing can book him in person or for a virtual session.
Can Paris speak at a chamber of commerce event in Beijing?
Yes. The keynote suits chamber lunches, dinners and member forums.
Is there a virtual option for teams across China?
Yes. A 30–45 minute virtual keynote can reach offices in several cities at once.
Which Beijing industries is The Grit Code suited to?
The keynote is tailored to each sector. In Beijing it suits technology and software, banking and financial services and energy and resources audiences in particular, along with leadership teams, sales kick-offs and all-hands meetings in any industry.
Does Paris speak at universities in Beijing?
Yes. He speaks to students, graduates and staff, for example at institutions such as Tsinghua University and Beihang University, on grit as a learnable skill.
Is there a workshop option for teams in Beijing?
Yes. The Grit Deconstruction workshop runs from 90 minutes to half a day and turns the keynote’s ideas into team habits and actions.
Can the keynote be delivered online for teams in Beijing?
Yes. A 30–45 minute virtual version is available for remote or hybrid audiences, delivered in your local time zone.
Who has Paris spoken for?
Past clients include Nokia, DHL, Kraft Heinz, IHG, Dubai Airports, Expo 2020, COP28 and the UN Tourism General Assembly.
Check a date for Beijing
Send the basics and Paris’s team will reply, or book a call.