China Sourcing Fairs
IntroductionThe China Sourcing Fairs is organized by Global Sources, a business-to-business trade media company that connects exporters from Asia and buyers from all parts of the world.
Many buyers want to meet suppliers face-to-face before committing to buying a new product in bulk. The trade blog memotrek.com explains:
“In-depth assessment and due diligence can only be achieved after having gained first-hand experience of the strengths and weaknesses of each of the suppliers by being able to look back upon business relationships with a rich order history.”
Under the umbrella label of "China Sourcing Fairs" are distinct and separate fairs held throughout the year. These specialized fairs are Baby & Children's Products, Fashion Accessories, Electronics & Components, Gifts & Home Products, Hardware & Building Materials and Underwear & Swimwear.
The China Sourcing Fairs are usually held at:
AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong
Dubai Int'l Convention & Exhibition Centre, UAE
Bombay Exhibition Centre, India
Shanghai New Int'l Expo Centre, China
Participation
Fair entrance at Hong Kong's Asia-World Expo exhibition center.
Each specialized fair attracts at least 50,000 attendees and exhibitors occupying more than 1,000 booths.[citation needed] Many exhibitors hail from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Asia's other major supply markets. Occasionally there are suppliers from other regions as well.
The fairs organize additional events and services. Some of these include keynote speeches and forums by industry experts, conferences on better sourcing tips, private discussion areas and free transport to hotels or airports. Exhibitors sometimes organize on-site visits to their factories in mainland China, direct from the fair grounds.
Participants’ feedback
Response to the fairs has seen improvements through the years. One of the most popular fairs, China Sourcing Fair: Electronics & Components, was sold out for the October 2008 exhibition six weeks before the actual event.
In post-show reports exhibitors have praised the China Sourcing Fairs as focused and effective, matching them with buyers from Europe, South America, Israel and Russia.