Ahi Shanghai Pop-up – November 2025

Tribal Brands Asia (TBA) developed and delivered a sold-out month-long culinary activation at W Shanghai, bringing Chef Ben Bayly's acclaimed Ahi Auckland to China for the first time. The pop-up transformed the hotel's Kitchen Table into an immersive showcase of New Zealand food, design, and culture, running at full capacity throughout November.

Opening week featured five major events orchestrated by TBA: a media dinner with leading KOLs; Beef + Lamb New Zealand's 82-guest Taste Pure Nature launch with symbolic Hearth Lighting Ceremony; Cloudy Bay's 2024 vintage dinner with top sommeliers; brand partner hosting nights; and the largest-ever Kiwi Drinks in China, bringing together 200 guests on The Bach terrace overlooking the Bund.

The experience featured a localised menu celebrating premium New Zealand ingredients, from Moana Pacific oysters to Canterbury Ocean Beef, alongside interior design by hcreates and custom coastal installations including The Bach recreation. Notable attendees included Trade Minister Todd McClay, NZ Consul-General Ardi Barnard, NZTE Chief Executive Peter Chrisp, and award-winning Aotearoa artists from the 15th Shanghai Biennale.

The activation coincided with CIIE and will feature in Season 5 of A New Zealand Food Story and TBA's Ends of the Earthseries, generating significant media attention.