Please refer to the following links for all of the Chinese Trade Fairs in Hong Kong and in Mainland China for 2008.
Trade Fair Calendars
Hong Kong: http://tradeshowcalendar.globalsources.com/TRADE-SHOW/Country/HK/Hong-Kong.HTM
Mainland China: http://tradeshowcalendar.globalsources.com/TRADE-SHOW/Country/CN/China.HTM
Since I do not know what kind of products you want to import, you will need to select the appropriate Trade Fair yourself using the above links to the Trade Show Calendar.
Four Important Canton Trade Fairs
There are four must attend Trade Fairs regardless of the other Trade Fairs you want to visit.
Canton [Guangzhou] Spring Fair Phase I April 15-20 of each year
Canton [Guangzhou] Spring Fair Phase II April 25-30 of each year
Canton [Guangzhou] Autumn Fair Phase I October 15-20 of each year
Canton [Guangzhou] Autumn Fair Phase II October 25-30 of each year
Guangzhou has two different Exhibition Centers:
- The Linhua Complex right in the center of the city
- The Pazhou Complex a fantastic new building outside the of the city center
Here is a link to the Canton Fair Online: http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/index.asp
Follow the link to determine which Phase and which complex you need to attend for your product types.
Hong Kong Trade Fairs
The other important Trade Fairs are the Hong Kong Trade Fairs. Depending on your products, it may be possible to combine several Hong Kong Trade Fair visits and visit the Canton Fair afterwards.
The most important Trade Fairs in Hong Kong are:
Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair in January of each year
Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter in January of each year
Asia’s Fashion Jewelry & Accessories Fair in March of each year
HK Watch, Clock, Optical Parts, and Accessories Fair in March of each year
China Sourcing Fair Electronics & Components, April 12-15 of each year
Hong Kong Electronics Fair Spring Edition, April 14-17 of each year
Hong Kong House Ware Fair in April of each year
China Sourcing Fair Gifts & Home Products in April of each year
Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair in April of each year
Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring/Summer in July of each year
China Sourcing Fair Electronics & Components October 12-15 of each year
Hong Kong Electronics Fair Autumn Edition, October 13-16 of each year
China Sourcing Fair Gifts & Home Products, October of each year
There are also two exhibition centers in Hong Kong.
- Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre located in Wan Chai
- Asia World-Expo located close to the Hong Kong airport facilities
Both venues have easy access by public transportation and since Asia World-Expo is outside the city, it can be conveniently reached by the super fast Airport Express Train.
If you want to know the location of each Trade Fair in Hong Kong, please refer to the following link:
Hong Kong: http://tradeshowcalendar.globalsources.com/TRADE-SHOW/Country/HK/Hong-Kong.HTM
It should be obvious that you can only combine visits to different Trade Fairs in Hong Kong and Mainland China if they happen to take place in April or October.
Many buyers take advantage by combining their product specific Hong Kong based Trade Fair in April with the corresponding Trade Fair in Canton. In that way, you can gather the maximum amount of information and only need one intercontinental flight to achieve it.
Other Chinese Trade Fairs
I mentioned before that there are additional Trade Fairs in other parts of China that may well be worth you visiting.
For instance, there is the China International Consumer Goods Fair in Ningbo that is South of Shanghai. This Trade Fair is arranged for June of each year.
Besides that, there are other Trade Fairs in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing. Since there are too many to list, you can contact the Trade Fair Organizers for further details. Please refer to the following link:
Mainland China: http://tradeshowcalendar.globalsources.com/TRADE-SHOW/Country/CN/China.HTM
I have visited some of theses and found the Trade Fairs in Ningbo and Shanghai quite interesting but it depends very much on the kind of products you are looking for.
It is always helpful to ask your suppliers or the companies you want to meet in China whether any of them will be attending any of these fairs or what else have they heard them. If the local companies do not attend, do you really want tot waste your hard earned money to go there?
Another way is to get a list of current Trade Fair exhibitors or a list of last year’s participants and find out if they are manufacturing the products you are looking for.
Your primary task is to find out which vendors you will be able to meet when you get there. This is the most important question because if you end up at the wrong Trade Fair, it does not matter how well prepared you are. Going to the wrong Trade Fair in China will cost you thousands of dollars and many days of wasted time.
It is better to thoroughly do your homework to avoid the trip from becoming a disaster. If you cannot find the information you are looking for, ask someone that is currently in China to investigate.
You can register online for most of the Trade Fairs by using the links provided. You should definitely go for it because in the end it saves you time and money when many suppliers gather in one place.
After your company registers, you will automatically receive your visitor’s pass for the Hong Kong Trade Fairs by mail. The Canton Fair will send an e-invitation entitling you to free entry. However, once you get there you need to register either at your hotel or at the entrance of the Guangzhou exhibition centers by presenting your e-invitation and a photo identification, to receive your entry pass.