Canton Fair before and now – how to trade in the age of pandemic?

If all roads lead to Rome, then all trading routes lead to Guangzhou. It is the city which from 1957 hosts China Import and Export Fair, widely known as Canton Fair. This is the longest running trading event in history characterised by its holistic approach to exhibitions with enormous attendance every single year. Over 260 000 exhibitors from 227 countries took part in the last edition of Canton Fair allowing entrepreneurs from all over the world to connect will local and international producers. Not only it provides an importunity to make profit but it also facilitates economic growth and development worldwide. It is the source of innovation in medicine, production and high tech allowing us to get closer to a more sustainable and efficient future.

Canton Fair takes place twice a year – in spring and autumn – and it is split into three phases which focus on different types of goods:

Phase 1: building and industrial products; electronics.

Phase 2: household items as well as consumer goods

Phase 3: clothing, food and medicine

After choosing the right phase, a new journey begins. Travelling to Guangzhou was never an easy adventure for many Western entrepreneurs. It started with organising business visas, flights, accommodations, translators and… much more. Of course, you could have just contacted an organisation which prepared everything for you, but you should not have been surprised with a large price tag attached to that bundle. Experiencing Canton Fair was definitely a huge investment. However, it was worth doing so. It was a unique event where you could find suppliers from many different locations at your fingertips. It was definitely much more efficient than going to each single factory and test the quality of their samples. It is the place where for many a dream came true. Suppliers could expand into foreign markets and entrepreneurs start their trade empires.

So what about now? Well, it is not that easy anymore. Organising a trip to Guangzhou is cumbersome and sometimes almost impossible nowadays. Nonetheless, entrepreneurs were not left alone and were offered a temporary alternative – Online Canton Fair. Although it might not seem as a perfect solution, it still provides many opportunities. Importers and exporters can benefit from VR Exhibition Halls, interactive livestreams and online chat services. Additionally, comprehensive guides and help centres are available to visitors if they need any assistance in their trading experience. On top of that, you get also an access to Business Card Management, Negotiation Centres as well as variety of other new features which will make your Canton Fair “online adventure” much more efficient.

Will Online Canton Fairs substitute the original format? Probably not, but for now is the best alternative in those difficult times. So let’s try to get most of it and prepare for the 2021 Autumn Edition of Canton Fair!