Grit keynotes for western China’s hub
Chengdu is Sichuan’s capital, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and home to the giant panda breeding base. Paris brings The Grit Code to its businesses.
Pandas, peppercorns and high tech
Intel, Cisco, Sony and Toyota have manufacturing bases in Chengdu, and Motorola, Ericsson and Microsoft have research centres. The city has a hi-tech zone and the Tianfu Software Park.
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding was founded in 1987 with six pandas rescued from the wild. UNESCO named Chengdu a City of Gastronomy in 2011.
The New Century Global Center in the Tianfu New Area is the world’s third-largest building by floor area, and Chengdu hosted the World Games in 2025.
Who Paris speaks to in Chengdu
Electronics and software
Keynotes for engineering teams.
Western China offices
Leadership meetings.
Wildlife organisations
Talks on persistence and conservation.
Universities and schools
The Grit Generation for students.
Where Chengdu meets
Large events gravitate to the Tianfu New Area; company meetings use the hotels around the city centre.
- New Century Global Center – a vast mixed-use complex in Tianfu New Area
- Chengdu Panda Base – a research and conservation centre founded in 1987
- City-centre hotels – for corporate meetings
Keynote, workshop or virtual
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 →
Stories with the miles behind them
Seven marathons in under six days
Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami: 7 marathons on 7 continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
Across the Pacific by rowing boat
A 4,800 km row in 2023 that raised more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
Paris rowed the Pacific to raise more than £150,000 for marine conservation. Watch the film. 39 days at sea: the Pacific row film · The Grit Code keynote · Keynote speaker Shanghai
How a booking works
Available for in-person events in Chengdu, or virtually in your local time zone.
Organisers typically book speakers about three months ahead, so get in touch early to secure your date.
Paris presents in English. Organisers can arrange an interpreter if the audience would benefit.
See also keynote speaker in China, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
Chengdu’s economy and who the talk is for
Chengdu has a population of about 20,937,757 (2020 figure, Wikidata), which makes it a substantial market for conferences, leadership events and company gatherings.
Chengdu is the head-office city for organisations such as Dongfang Electric (power station).
Energy and resources (Dongfang Electric). Energy teams live with long project cycles, price shocks and safety-critical work. The Grit Code gives operations and project leaders a shared language for staying steady when a plan meets reality, which is the same discipline that kept four rowers moving across 4,800 km of the Pacific.
Students, graduates and faculty
Chengdu’s universities, including Sichuan University, Southwest Minzu University and Southwest Jiaotong University, make it a strong market for student, graduate and alumni events. Paris speaks to young audiences about effort, setbacks and choosing hard goals, and to faculty about building resilient teams.
Typical formats include welcome weeks, graduation events, entrepreneurship programmes and alumni dinners. University keynote speaker →
How a Grit Code session works
- Each booking begins with a call about the audience and what success looks like after the event.
- The talk turns the 7-marathon challenge and the Pacific row into habits teams can use on Monday morning.
- A virtual version of 30–45 minutes is available for distributed teams.
The content is shaped around Chengdu 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 Chengdu
Organisers in Chengdu usually book Paris for one of these occasions:
- 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.
- He is the CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, an AI video production company.
- 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.
Common questions
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in Chengdu?
Yes. Paris takes Chengdu bookings for keynotes, workshops and hosting, live or virtual.
Does Paris speak at conservation events?
Yes. His 2023 Pacific row raised more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
Can the keynote be delivered virtually for teams in Chengdu?
Yes. A 30–45 minute virtual version runs in your local time zone.
Which Chengdu industries is The Grit Code suited to?
The keynote is tailored to each sector. In Chengdu it suits 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 Chengdu?
Yes. He speaks to students, graduates and staff, for example at institutions such as Sichuan University and Southwest Minzu University, on grit as a learnable skill.
Is there a workshop option for teams in Chengdu?
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 Chengdu?
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.
More about Paris: About · The Grit Code · TV shows · Contact