I suggest that you arrange with your key suppliers to have additional meetings outside the busy and noisy Trade Fair environment. If you have enough time, it would be perfect to go to the supplier’s factory to have the meeting there or meet them at your hotel after fair hours.
Extra Meeting Time
Chinese suppliers are very service orientated and usually do not mind if the meeting lasts well into the evening as long as there is a possibility of additional business opportunities for them. They keep in mind that you have come a long way to meet them.
The extra meeting outside the Trade Fair grounds will also give the suppliers a better opportunity to provide you with details about their latest developments. Since copyright infringements are so common in China, manufacturers often do not want to display their latest models at Trade Fair booths. This is good insider information because many if not most Trade Fair visitors are not aware of this. They think they are seeing the latest developments on display, which frequently is not the case.
Remember that I told you to find out what’s new in the pipeline and meeting your suppliers outside the Trade Fair is the perfect way to accomplish this.
Reasonable Accommodations
Now you can also understand that there are limits to how much you can save on your accommodations. Theoretically, you could stay in one of the very cheap guest houses in Hong Kong (in China no way!!) but imagine if your supplier meets you there and the impression he will have about your financial situation.
That is out of question and if you make an appointment with any of your suppliers, make sure not to lose face by staying in a substandard hotel. If you are forced into this situation, try booking extra meetings at their factory.