In our last article, we discussed how to buy products from China through Alibaba. You must have noticed how time-consuming and tedious the process can be after a few encounters with vendors on Alibaba. A very useful way to get around this problem is to attend the China Canton fair.
On the Canton fair, there are thousands of suppliers, they are all gathered in the same place, you will gain the opportunity to communicate and negotiate with them face to face. In this article, you will get a lot of useful information.
The Canton fair, also known as the China import and export fair, was established in 1957. It is held in Guangzhou, China, in spring and autumn every year. This is the ultimate gathering of industries that make China what it is today, the world’s preferred place for outsourced products and components! The Canton Fair is the largest trade fair in China.
With the Canton fair coming up in 2019, it is important to know how to get to the host city and some basic knowledge about the fair. We will provide you with the ultimate guide to let you know the canton fair.
What is the location of Canton Fair in China 2019
The Canton fair is held in Pazhou, the same place every year.
If you are at the airport, take line 3 to Kecun (in the direction of Panyu square), then change to line 8 (in the direction of Wanshengwei) and get off at Pazhou.
Railway station: line 5 (Wenchong direction) — Zhujiangxincheng take line 3 — line 8
High-speed: line 2 — Changgang take line 8
Well, you can use “Didi” there. It’s very convenient! If you have any questions, please contact me.
How to register at the Canton Fair?
The buyer’s card (badge) is the only official ticket to the Canton fair. Valid for years of attending several fairs. The only place to pick up a buyer’s badge is at the Canton fair registry – in person. You can also save time by pre-registering online.
Online pre-registration
Please take your personal information to visit Canton fair website “Buyer E-service Tool (BEST) to register at https://invitation.cantonfair.org.cn/BuyerUser/RegisterUser/ After registration, the verification email will be sent to your email address. Please click the email link to activate your username and password. After obtaining your username and password, please fill in the personal and company information under the “my Canton fair” button. If you do not have a buyer’s pass, please click “attend”. “Pre-application for Buyers Badge”, scan to the bottom of that website, click “Pre-application for Buyers Badge”, “Query” choose the employee who you would like to apply for the Buyer Entry Badge, complete the information, then you can submit it and wait for the approval patiently. Once the stamp application is accepted, please click “my stamp” on our electronic buyer service tool and print this pre-application receipt. Upon your arrival, you can get your buyer card pre-application receipt for free.
On-site registration
You can apply for the buyer to enter the badge at the exhibition, but there is a service charge of 100 yuan. At the same time, you need to show your overseas passport, business card and id photo (5cmX4cm, exhibition fee is 50 yuan) to the overseas buyer registry when you arrive.
Where is a schedule of Canton Fair 2019 available?
The Canton fair 2019 (the 125th and 126th China import and export fair) will be held in Guangzhou on April 15th-19th, April 23rd-27th, and May 1st-5th. You visit the Canton Fair official Website: China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) to check the details schedule. There are 3 phases in total:
Phase 1 (15th-19th April; 15th-19th October 2018)
Electronics and Household Electrical Appliances, Lighting equipment, vehicles and spare parts, machinery hardware and tools, energy resources, chemical products, building materials, and international pavilion.
Phase 2 (23rd-27th April; 23th-27th October 2018)
Consumer Goods, Gifts, Home Decorations
Phase 3 (1st-5th May; 31st October- 4th November 2018)
Office supplies, cases and bags, and recreation products, medical devices and health products, food, shoes, textiles, garments and international pavilion.
Canton Fair Transportation: How to get to Guangzhou/Canton Fair guide?
Many foreign customers usually fly to Shenzhen or Hong Kong, and then transfer to Guangzhou, and then to the exhibition hall. In order to let you know the route clearly, we will lay out how to get to Guangzhou/Canton fair based on these two airports.
Travel from Hong Kong Airport to Canton Fair
A. Flight to Guangzhou
If you don’t like the trouble that you need to get out of the airport and then transfer to another means of transportation to Guangzhou. You might consider switching to a plane. From Hongkong to Guangzhou by air takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes, the price is about HK$380-1400. B. When you arrive at Guangzhou airport, you can take a taxi to downtown Guangzhou, which takes about one hour and costs 140 yuan.
B. By Train
The train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou is the most convenient way to and from these two Chinese cities. In Hong Kong, all trains depart from Kowloon station to Guangzhou East station. There is no direct link between Hong Kong and the Canton fair, but a shuttle bus service is available from the Canton fair station. There are 12 trains a day between the two cities. It takes about three and a half hours. Tickets are available 20 minutes before departure from Hong Kong but must be available 6 hours before departure from Guangzhou. Please note that you need to allow extra time for border clearance as the 20 minutes mentioned above is for Hong Kong identity card holders who do not need border clearance.
Travel from Shenzhen Airport to Canton Fair
A. By Train
You can take a taxi to Shenzhen railway station for about 40 minutes, you can take the train to Guangzhou station or Guangzhou East station. Please note that Guangzhou East station is near the Canton fair (Pazhou subway station). A one-way ticket is 79.5 yuan. Trains to Guangzhou East station usually run every 10 to 15 minutes (there are fewer trains to Guangzhou station). As Guangzhou is a little far to the East station, you can wait for the next train from Guangzhou. This is the fastest and easiest way to get from Shenzhen to Guangzhou. The high-speed trains are new, quiet and very fast. You don’t need to buy a ticket in advance unless it’s a major holiday like Chinese New Year or National Day.
B. By Bus
The bus stations are far from the Canton fair. I suggest you take the train. It’s the quickest and easiest way. The following is for reference only:
Shenzhen Bus Station: Luohu Coach Station; Futian Coach Station; Shenzhen Huanggang Border; Nanshan Bus Station
Guangzhou Bus Station：LiuhuaCoach Station (Next to Guangzhou Train Station)；Guangzhou Province Coach Station (Next to Guangzhou Train Station)；Tianhe Coach Terminal Station (Next to subway station)
How to Find a Hotel for the Canton Fair
If you are coming to China to attend one of the many trade fairs including the Canton fair in Guangzhou, you should book the hotel in advance. Hotel prices in Guangzhou are likely to rise sharply during the twice-yearly Canton fair. October and April/May every year. Before making a booking you should consider the following.
1. Check if the hotel has English-speaking concierge service
2. The rush hour will take up a lot of time, so make a budget to live around the exhibition to save time, or stay in a hotel that is a little far away.
3. Many hotels offer free shuttle buses to and from the Canton fair. Check to see if your hotel has such an arrangement because it will save you time to take a taxi.
4. On the last day of your visit, you want to be able to leave your luggage at the hotel, go to the fair, and have enough time to go to the airport.
It’s important to save money on the Canton fair, but don’t save what you deserve – convenience, convenience, good service, city guides, etc. Staying in a hotel near the Canton fair or Pazhou area is also a smart choice because it is very convenient you don’t need to spend so much time in traffic. Please note that hotels near Pazhou are very expensive. If you are not very busy, you can take the 30-minute subway to Pazhou after you choose a cheaper and better hotel with booking.com
Important Things That You Should Prepare For Attending Canton Fair
You are going to attend the Canton fair. Maybe you are new, this is your first time, maybe you have had several times, you will say that you are an old hand. Based on my experience of attending exhibitions many times, I have also listed some matters that need to be prepared in advance.
A. Download WeChat App.
This app is a convenient way to communicate with suppliers in China. Chinese people basically use WeChat to send messages, make phone calls, or buy things.
B.If You Need A Translator?
If you know a little Chinese, I don’t think it’s a big problem. You can express yourself through WeChat or gestures. But in order to have a smoother conversation with the vendor, you can consider whether you need a translator. There are many part-time translators outside the Canton fair, you can look for them, or you don’t need to look for, because many suppliers also have English salesman.
C. Bring A Bay With You
Yes, you should bring a comfortable bag to put your brochures, catalog and business CARDS in. Many people were milling about the fair with a small carry-on suitcase. This is easier than carrying a heavy bag on your shoulders or back.
D. Bring Your Business Card
Yes, you need to bring your business card but be warned – unless you like getting spam and being harassed by Chinese vendors, I suggest you use other contact information on your business card. Make special greeting CARDS for the Canton fair and create a new Gmail account for potential vendors to contact you. Write this new Gmail address on your Canton fair business card.
E. How many days should I spend at the fair
Depends! Even if you spend five full days at the fair, you won’t be able to see the whole thing. There’s so much to see! What I’m trying to say is that it’s best to stay there for three days.
The first day, you will feel shocked and awestruck and try to navigate around the building. The next day, you’re likely to spend more time looking for products and asking vendor questions. On the third day, you may return to what you saw the day before. You may have more vendor issues or want to take a look at different parts of the show.
Conclusion
The Canton fair is your platform for one-to-one communication with suppliers. It’s the right platform to avoid the hassle of finding the right suppliers through Alibaba. Hopefully, with this article, you will receive more information and be able to help you in the upcoming Canton fair 2019. Or you need a China guide, you can consider us, we are the China agent and willing to be your china guide, to help you sourcing suppliers, accompany you to the Canton fair, arrange everything, and act as your interpreter.