Top 10
Tips for Visiting the Canton Fair
If you haven't been to a trade fair then I highly recommend that you visit this mammoth trade fair. It is a wonderful place to go to source manufacturers for your textiles and designs and also network with textile printers, clothing manufactures and home decor experts. It is also a great opportunity to see the quality of the products in person and compare with other exhibitors. There is everything from textile printers through to shoe and accessory manufacturers. Any surface you can think of to apply your designs to is there and so much more. It is truly a feast for the eyes and it opens your mind to the multitude of products that you may not have thought about.
I have been fortunate enough to visit the Canton Fair and from my experience have decided to create my Top 10 Tips for Visiting the Canton Fair.
Just to give you a little perspective...
It is a bustling trade fair with more than 25,000 exhibitors and around 200,000 buyers. It is one of the largest trade fairs in the world and is held in Guangzhou, China twice a year, generally in April and October. As I have mentioned it is a great place to go to see the potential for your artwork, whether that be textile printing, clothing ranges or home decor surface design. Your mind will be in awe of the possibilities.
My daughter, Sonya and myself have been lucky enough to attend the Canton Fair. We were on the hunt for textile printers and manufacturers for our range of repeat prints. Take a look at the video as we introduce you to this amazing fair.
As you can see it is amazing, exciting, a little bit overwhelming and action packed. Be prepared to walk for miles. So to help you out I have created a list of things to consider when going to the Canton Fair or any trade fair.
Here are my Top 10 Tips for visiting the Canton Fair.
# 1 Book Early
The longer you leave it to book your flights, hotels and airport transfers the more expensive these get. Hotels close to the fair are a lot more expensive than those further away. Most of the hotels have shuttle buses to and from the fair. I also recommend that you pre-register prior to attending.
I also recommend that you try and arrive at the fair early in the morning. The morning tends to be the quieter time with less people so you have more of an opportunity to speak with the exhibitors that you are interested in.
#2 Have a Plan
The Canton Fair is divided into 3 phases, split over a series of 2 weeks. My advice is to know what phase you want to go and also know what products you are interested in and start in that section but be prepared to find new product ideas.
You can get more information on the different phases at Cantons website: www.cantonfair.org.cn
You can also download a map of the venue and look through the list of exhibitors to work out a shortlist and a strategy for visiting them.
A little tip is to spend the first day scoping out the place and collecting catalogues from exhibitors. Go back to your accommodation that evening and look through the catalogues and from there decide which exhibitors you'd like to revisit. Trust me it is so easy to get side tracked in this place. You need to have a plan of attack....even if you do sway of course slightly.
#3 Bring Plenty of Business Cards
The exhibitors will not give you a catalogue without you giving them your business card. In China they call them name cards. Observing this etiquette, you shouldn't give your cards out to every supplier otherwise you will end up being bombarded with emails and unwanted catalogues.
You will also receive plenty of business cards and it can be hard to keep a record of what every vendor specialises in. What I like to do is either write on the business card or in a small notepad key products and information of each vendor to help jog my memory later.
#4 Set Up a WeChat Account
WeChat is one of the best ways to communicate with the manufacturers. So make sure you have an account set up and on your business card prior to the fair.
#5 Bring your Carry-on Suitcase
I recommend you bring along your wheeled carry-on suitcase to the fair to stash your collection of catalogues because you are going to collect a lot and trust me they get heavy.
#6 Organize Factory Visits
If you can and the factories are close, take the opportunity to visit the factories on your shortlist. Some exhibitors don't bring all their products to the fair because they are afraid that their competitors will copy. Factory visits are a great way to see a working factory and how the products are manufactured.
#7 Don't Start With Price
Their pricing is already very good so don't start your conversation with price. Just ask prices to get a rough idea of pricing. Leave negotiating price until after the fair and they have a better understanding of your business and what it is you actually want. There is a lot going on at the trade fair so it is best to request a quote once the fair is over. Obviously the more you order the lower the price but spend time building a rapport with the company at the trade fair.
#8 Know Which Questions to Ask
The most important question to ask is what their MOQ's (minimum order quantity) are. You might have to visit a few vendors until you find one that is willing to manufacture your quantities.
Also ask about:
- How long have they been in business?
- Their largest clients and their biggest markets (children's wear, accessories textile printing etc).
- What countries do they sell to?
- Ask about their factories; How many staff do they have? What other products do they produce? Will they do custom designs and prints?
- Lead time.
Write down your questions and keeps these handy.
#9 Charge Your Phone
Some (not all) of the exhibitors allow you to take photos of their stalls and their products. So it would be terrible to find your phone is flat halfway through the day. Take as many photos as you can. I even take a picture of the business card with some of their products to help jog my memory once I return to the hotel.
#10 Wear Comfortable Clothing & Footwear
Last but definitely not least, wear comfortable clothing and extra comfy shoes as you are going to be doing A LOT of walking over the next few days.
Until you step foot into the pavilion you will not understand the magnitude of this trade fair but from my experience if you come stocked with business cards, are prepared to walk for miles and know what you are looking for the Canton Fair will open the door to so many possibilities in your business.
Tracy xx
