Keynotes for Tianjin’s port and plants
Tianjin has been Beijing’s gateway to the sea since it became a treaty port in 1860. Paris brings The Grit Code to its multinationals and manufacturers.
A treaty port turned industrial zone
Tianjin opened as a treaty port in 1860. The Binhai New Area, built around Tianjin Port, became the focus of its growth from 1994.
The Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) was founded in December 1984, and Airbus has assembled A320 aircraft here since 2009.
Nankai University and Tianjin University are among China’s best known, and in 2010 the Tianhe-1A supercomputer at the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin was ranked the fastest in the world.
Who Paris speaks to in Tianjin
Aerospace and automotive
Keynotes on precision and pressure.
Port and shipping teams
Talks on endurance for 24-hour operations.
Regional offices
English-language kick-offs and offsites.
Nankai and Tianjin universities
Sessions for students and faculty.
Event venues
Tianjin’s summits use the Meijiang centre, and companies in TEDA and Binhai hold their meetings in local hotels and campuses.
- Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center – built for the 2010 Summer Davos forum, it also hosted the 2025 SCO Tianjin Summit
- Tianjin Eye – the 120-metre wheel over the Hai River, opened in 2008
- TEDA – the development area’s business parks and hotels
Ways to book Paris in Tianjin
Options: keynote, 45 to 60 minutes · workshop, 90 minutes up to half a day · virtual session, 30 to 45 minutes · host or MC for your event. Compare formats →
Why audiences believe him
5 days, 21 hours, 51 minutes
The time it took Paris to run 7 marathons on 7 continents: Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami.
More than £150,000 raised
For marine conservation, by rowing 4,800 km across the Pacific in 2023.
See the Beijing page next door, or read how The Grit Code is built. Keynote speaker Beijing · The Grit Code keynote · 39 days at sea: the Pacific row film
Booking for Tianjin
Available for in-person events in Tianjin, 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.
Tianjin’s economy and who the talk is for
Tianjin has a population of about 13,866,009 (2020 figure, Wikidata), which makes it a substantial market for conferences, leadership events and company gatherings.
Businesses with their headquarters in Tianjin include CanSino Biologics (pharmaceutical industry).
Manufacturing and engineering (CanSino Biologics). Manufacturing and engineering audiences value process. The Grit Code breaks grit into habits that can be practised on a production line or a project site, using the discipline of a 4,800 km ocean row as the example.
Students, graduates and faculty
Higher education is part of Tianjin’s talent pipeline, with institutions such as Tianjin University, Tianjin Foreign Studies University and Tianjin Normal University. 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 →
How a Grit Code session works
- Paris starts with a short briefing call to understand the room, the sector and the challenge in front of it.
- The keynote uses film from his expeditions and TV work to make each idea concrete.
- Many organisers pair it with a Grit Deconstruction workshop or ask Paris to host the full day.
The content is shaped around Tianjin 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 Tianjin
Organisers in Tianjin usually book Paris for one of these occasions:
- Kick-off meetings for new financial years, projects or teams.
- Industry association conferences and trade-show main stages.
- Executive retreats that pair the keynote with a Grit Deconstruction workshop.
- Hybrid all-hands meetings with a virtual version for remote staff.
Credentials at a glance
- 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.
- He is the CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, an AI video production company.
- He ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
Questions from Tianjin organisers
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in Tianjin?
Yes. Organisers in Tianjin can book him in person or for a virtual session.
Can Paris speak at an event at the Meijiang centre?
Yes. He gives keynotes at large forums and can host or moderate sessions.
Does Paris work with multinational teams in TEDA?
Yes. English-language keynotes for international teams are a core part of his work.
Which Tianjin industries is The Grit Code suited to?
The keynote is tailored to each sector. In Tianjin it suits manufacturing and engineering audiences in particular, along with leadership teams, sales kick-offs and all-hands meetings in any industry.
Does Paris speak at universities in Tianjin?
Yes. He speaks to students, graduates and staff, for example at institutions such as Tianjin University and Tianjin Foreign Studies University, on grit as a learnable skill.
Is there a workshop option for teams in Tianjin?
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 Tianjin?
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 Tianjin
Send the basics and Paris’s team will reply, or book a call.