Wang Weihong, Vice President of PPMG, delivered a keynote speech entitled "Liquor Culture as part of Chinese Civilization". With substantial archeological evidence and quotations from historical records, he reviewed China's long history of liquor making and liquor culture. He further elaborated how liquor represents the convergence of material civilizations and ideals. His argument "liquor promotes culture and inspires literature and art" left the audience with lasting impression on how poets, writers and calligraphers, inspired by liquor, produced the memorable artistic creations.

Zhang Bin, commercial counselor at the Chinese Embassy in the UK, praised the Phoenix initiative to introduce the Chinese liquor and liquor culture to Britain.

Jason Li, renowned Chinese cooking expert in the UK and Healthy Chinese Cuisine Ambassador, and Yang Guanrong, Head of Sichuan Institute for Distilling Research, are invited to the event. Both experts shared with the guests the differences in liquor culture, table etiquette and brewing technologies.