It’s Canton Fair Time! Tips and Advice

The Canton Fair will be taking place from October 15 to November 4 and many readers of this blog will likely be making their way down to Guangzhou. For those who are, and those are considering it in the future, here are some of my tips:

• Registering before the fair saves time but you can register at the fair (especially important for those who are in a mad panic because they never received their invitation)
• Make sure you attend the right phase of the fair. You don't want to turn up for the Automotive phase while looking for a furniture supplier.
• Take everything a supplier says with a grain of salt. Every supplier will say they sell to Walmart, have a 30 day lead time, and is a factory (not a trading company). Treat everything said with some skepticism.
• Setup a secondary email account. If you are generous handing out business cards, your email will be put on ten thousand different Chinese email lists. Some of these emails are actually quite useful but you probably don't want your inbox flooded with them.
• Guangzhou has no shortage of accommodation up to Western standards. You might not get the best deal if you book your hotel room later rather than sooner and the best Western Hotels might be booked, but there will be something decent available even if you book the last minute.
• Remember, you need a visa for China! A Chinese Visa is straight forward to get (any major city with a sizable Chinese population normally has a consulate you can apply through).