Keynote Speaker in Shanghai | Sylvie di Giusto, Hall of Fame

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Looking for an international keynote speaker in Shanghai?

Sylvie di Giusto calls the United States home, and airport lounges around the world her second office. She is a CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame keynote speaker who helps organizations, and the people inside them, become impossible to replace. She has worked with leaders from Germany to the UK and Hong Kong, and brings two keynotes to Shanghai stages: Forever Human and The Power of Choice, live or as the world’s first 3D immersive keynote.

PassengerYour audience

ClassIrreplaceable

GateYour stage

BoardingWhen you are ready

Languages: English
Keynotes: Forever Human
The Power of Choice
Formats: 3D immersive or traditional · in person, hybrid, virtual
Recognition: CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame · Esprit, Davey and EventEx awards
Reach: Audiences in 25+ countries
Books: More than a dozen books on leadership and being chosen

Sylvie di Giusto, keynote speaker, smiling

你好，我是 Sylvie。

Shanghai does nothing halfway. The historic facades of the Bund face the towers of Lujiazui across the Huangpu, a century apart and only a river wide. I love a city that keeps reinventing itself without forgetting where it came from, because that balance is exactly what my keynotes ask of leaders who want to stay irreplaceable.

For nearly twenty years I sat on your side of the table. I led the leadership academy of Europe’s largest retail and tourism group and booked the speakers our leaders heard. Working with teams from Germany to the UK and Hong Kong showed me that the best international audiences reward a speaker who arrives prepared, respects protocol, and still dares to say something new.

With an Austrian mother, a French father, a Spanish grandmother and an Italian grandfather, I have never had a single home culture, and I like it that way. Today I live in Tampa, Florida, and have served audiences in more than 25 countries. Shanghai, a port that has traded with the whole world for generations, feels like a natural stage for that story.

Trusted by organizations around the world

Choose your route

Two keynotes, built for your Shanghai audience

Future of work & AI

Forever Human

The better the machines get, the more your people will set you apart.

AI just made everyone equally capable. Sylvie names the ten moves a machine still can’t make and shows your audience how to lead, sell and connect with the human signals technology can’t fake.

Why it lands in Shanghai: in a city whose industry fairs showcase the latest automation every year, your audience already works beside machines. This shows them the ten moves that keep humans in charge.

Explore Forever Human

Leadership & sales

The Power of Choice

What your people know rarely gets them chosen. What others see in them does.

Clients, talent and the room decide in seconds. Sylvie reveals the five dimensions that quietly decide who gets kept, followed and chosen, and how to shape them on purpose.

Why it lands in Shanghai: where relationships and reputation open every door, it shows leaders the five dimensions that decide who gets kept, followed and chosen.

Explore The Power of Choice

Step inside it

Bring the world’s first 3D immersive keynote to Shanghai

No slides, no pre-recorded hologram beamed in from somewhere else. Sylvie stays live in the room while holograms appear around her, and your leaders, sponsors and theme can step into the story. In Shanghai, our team works hand in hand with your venue and AV partner, so the wow never costs you a sleepless night.

Explore the 3D experience

Why planners bring Sylvie to Shanghai

Ready for interpretationA clear structure and steady pacing that work with simultaneous interpretation, and presentation files that run locally with no streaming required.

From your side of the tableTwenty years of booking speakers herself. She knows what you risk when you choose one.

Built for your roomEvery keynote is researched and customized, down to your people, your theme and your city.

Zero diva, full partnerOne team for travel and logistics, working hand in hand with yours or your bureau’s, and a speaker who makes your event the star.

Planning a conference in Shanghai: local insights

Shanghai thinks big about events: it hosted 978 exhibitions in 2025, covering 19.34 million square meters. Here is what helps when you plan yours.

Fly inShanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)Direct international connections, with taxis and transfers to the city center.

Time zoneCST (UTC+8, no daylight saving)Check the live clock under the departures board above.

LanguageMandarin Chinese (with local Shanghainese); English is used in international business, but interpretation is often neededSylvie’s keynotes are delivered in English and built for international audiences.

CurrencyRenminbi / Chinese yuan (CNY)Mobile payment (Alipay, WeChat Pay) dominates; visitors should link a foreign card to a mobile wallet before arrival.

Shanghai’s largest event venues

Venue	Area	Up to
Shanghai International Convention Center (Shanghai Hall)	Lujiazui, Pudong	3,000

Capacities as published by Shanghai Municipal and Pudong government English portals, CIIE.

My planner tips for Shanghai

Run everything offline. Many Western services, including Google and YouTube, are blocked, so Sylvie brings files that run locally and tests any streaming on site. Plan on WeChat as your main channel with delegates.
Respect seniority on stage. Business cards are exchanged with both hands and seniority guides seating and speaking order, so agree the sequence of introductions well in advance.
Steer clear of peak weeks. Avoid Chinese New Year and October’s Golden Week, and check the NECC calendar: CIIF runs in the autumn and the China International Import Expo in early November.
Taking it on the road? Combine Shanghai with Beijing and Hong Kong, or hop across to Tokyo, for a keynote tour through three very different business capitals.
Make the evening unforgettable. Take a night cruise on the Huangpu River between the Bund and the Lujiazui skyline, then wander the lanes of Xintiandi.

Landmarks for your evening program

The BundLujiazui skyline (Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower)Huangpu River night cruiseYu GardenFormer French ConcessionXintiandiNanjing RoadZhujiajiao water town

Questions planners ask about Shanghai

Who is a good international keynote speaker for a conference in Shanghai?

Sylvie di Giusto is a CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame keynote speaker and has worked with leaders across Europe and Asia. She delivers two keynotes, Forever Human on the human edge in the age of AI and The Power of Choice on how people get chosen, either on a traditional stage or as the world’s first 3D immersive keynote.

Can the keynote be tailored to an international audience in Shanghai?

Yes. Every keynote is researched and customized for your people, your industry and your theme, and Sylvie’s multicultural background helps her connect with audiences of many nationalities in Shanghai.

Can the 3D immersive keynote be staged in a Shanghai venue?

Yes, wherever there is a stage and a room that can go dark. Sylvie’s team works directly with your Shanghai venue and AV partner, checks the floor plan early and sends the full tech requirements. See how the experience works.

Which keynote fits an AI or technology conference in Shanghai?

Forever Human. It shows audiences the ten moves a machine still can’t make, and turns AI anxiety into a clear plan for the human skills that grow in value as technology gets better.

Which keynote fits a leadership, sales or HR event in Shanghai?

The Power of Choice. It reveals the five dimensions that decide who gets kept, followed and chosen, and shows people how to shape those judgments on purpose. It is built on Sylvie’s book The Image of Leadership.

Sylvie is based in the US. Does she travel to Shanghai?

Yes. Sylvie speaks in more than 25 countries. Her team handles travel and logistics, so you work with one contact from the first call to the show.

Can we book Sylvie through our local speaker bureau?

Yes. Sylvie partners with speaker bureaus around the world. If a bureau already supports your event, Sylvie’s team will work directly with them from the first call to the show, so you keep the partner you trust.

What about visas, permits and other formalities for a keynote in China?

Sylvie’s team handles it with you. Sylvie speaks internationally all year, so her team knows the paperwork a cross-border keynote can involve: business visas or work permits, invitation letters, and any tax forms China requires for foreign speakers. They check the requirements for China early, tell you exactly what they need from you, and take care of the rest, so nothing stands between your date and the stage.

How far in advance should we book a keynote speaker for Shanghai?

As early as your dates are set. Peak conference seasons in Shanghai fill venues and hotels fast, and the 3D immersive keynote needs a few weeks of custom work for your audience. Check availability to hold your date.

Can Sylvie speak virtually or in a hybrid format for a Shanghai event?

Yes. Both keynotes are available in person, hybrid or virtual, and each version is customized to your audience and theme.

Around the clock

Still have questions? Ask Edna.

Last updated: October 2026

International
keynote speaker
in Shanghai