if you are going to attend the Canton fair exhibition , i advice you to first check out their official E-commerce platform , you can find many Chinese suppliers , which will attend the fair or which already have attended last fair.
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Canton fair autumn 2015 in Guangzhou, China
1. Canton Fair Autumn 2015 in
Guangzhou: A Complete Guide
Posted on August 10, 2015
by Fredrik Grönkvist
in Strategy & Processes
The Canton Fair, held annually, is China’s largest Trade Show. Hosted
in Guangdong province’s capital city, Guangzhou (formerly known as
Canton), it’s a major even for buyers of all sizes. In this guide, we help
you decide when to attend, and explain what you can do to get the most
out of your time at Canton Fair Autumn 2015.
Products and Trade Show Phases
The Canton Fair is held twice per year and is divided into three different
phases. Each phase last for 4 to 5 days, and covers set industries.
Below follows and overview of the Canton Fair Autumn 2015 phases,
and the respective products of each phase:
Phase 1 (Oct. 15-19, 2015)
Electronics & Household Electrical Appliances
Lighting Equipment
Vehicles & Spare Parts
Machinery
2. Hardware & Tools
Building Materials
Chemical Products
Phase 2 (Oct 23-27, 2015)
Consumer Goods
Home Decorations
Gifts
Phase 3 (Oct. 31- Nov. 4, 2015)
Office Supplies
Cases & Bags,
Recreation Products
Food
Textiles & Garments
Shoes
Medicines
Medical Devices
Health Products
How to Get to the Canton Fair
Guangzhou is a mega city of more than 14 million people. That being
said, it’s far from being an international metropolis, and direct flights can
be hard to come by. However, neighboring Hong Kong is one of Asia’s
primary airline hubs, and the most convenient flight destination when
traveling to Guangzhou, in Mainland China. From the Hong Kong
International Airport, you can jump on a train and head straight for
3. Guangzhou, which is only 120 km away. The journey takes roughly 2
hours and will set you back about US$70.
While in Guangzhou you can get wherever you want by taxi. Be aware
that none of taxi drivers understand even basic English. Unless you’re
fluent in Mandarin Chinese I suggest that you print out a note with the
address of your hotel and the Canton Fair – in Chinese Characters.
Visa Requirements
While most nationalities don’t need a visa for entering Hong Kong, you
are required to apply for a visa prior entering Mainland China (Japanese
and Singaporean citizens are visa exempt). As of today, there is no visa
on arrival scheme available, although test schemes are carried out in
other parts of China. In case of emergency it’s possible to apply for a
Mainland China Visa while in Hong Kong, but this better be avoided
since you’re probably better off spending more time at the Canton Fair.
According to the current visa regulations in Mainland China, Canton Fair
visitors shall apply for an M-Visa. Such a visa can be obtained as
following:
a.) Application without invitation letter (not available in all countries, and
requires more documents)
b.) Application with invitation letter issued by a supplier attending the
Canton Fair
c.) Application with invitation letter issued by the Canton Fair (read more
below)
Invitation Letter
The easiest way to obtain an M-visa is by making an online application
for a Canton Fair Invitation Letter. The Invitation Letter can be used to
apply for the appropriate visa. Different procedures apply for new and
regular visitors.
Registration at the Trade Fair Venue
4. Before you can walk inside you’ll need to register. This is a simple
procedure and you’re required to submit information such as the
following:
Name
Company name
Nationality
Passport number
Foreigners are required to keep their passport with them according to
Chinese regulations. While this is rarely enforced I strongly advise you to
keep it on you at all time, especially as it may be required for registration.
How to Successfully Attend the Canton Fair in
4 Steps
Attending a trade show as large as the Canton Fair can be
overwhelming. You’ll find hundreds of suppliers showcasing products in
the same industry, all competing for your attention. However, suppliers
are not created equal and you’re here because you want to find one
that’s reliable in terms of quality and regulatory compliance. Without the
right preparations, you’ll likely find yourself wasting your time with the
wrong suppliers, picking up leads that will kill even more of your time
once back in the office. To help you avoid such a situation, that I wrote a
4 step guide on how to successfully attend the Canton Fair:
1. Don’t Waste Time on Suppliers that Are Unable to
Ensure Compliance with Standards and Regulations in
Your Market
Only a minority of China’s manufacturers are able to ensure compliance
with overseas (i.e., European Union and US) 、. Many buyers make the
disastrous assumption that the suppliers ‘should’ be aware of the
regulations that apply in their markets. That would indeed be ideal, but
5. the reality is far from it. Suppliers that can ensure compliance with
overseas regulations are, as said, a minority, and they tend to advertise
their capabilities at the trade fair. As you don’t want to waste time with
suppliers that are unable to manufacture goods that can be sold in your
market, you need to follow this procedure before investing your time at a
fair booth:
1. Confirm applicable safety standards and regulations for your
product, in your market (i.e., R&TTE, CPSIA and REACH)
2. Request compliance documents from the supplier on site (i.e. test
reports, declaration of conformity and technical files)
3. Ask for buyer references in your market
Suppliers refusing to share compliance documents shall not be excused.
In the end, words are cheap and you are held legally responsible if
compliance issues arise down the road.
2. List all Technical Specifications, Quality and
Functional Requirements
‘Good quality’ can only be determined in technical terms. The Canton
Fair is an ideal setting for gathering information and feedback on
suppliers ability to match your product specifications. However, don’t
expect the Chinese sales reps to be proactive. They expect you to ask
the right questions, and thus you must list all specifications and request
feedback on each one. Nothing is to be taken for granted, so make sure
you list everything in your specification, especially when buying OEM
products:
Design
Dimensions
Tolerances
Colors
6. Material Specifications
Components
Product Packaging
Functions
The approach is slightly different when buying ODM (Original Design
Manufacturing), or private label, products. However, the same principles
still apply.
3. Get Reference Prices
You may ask for a unit price quote during your first meeting. However,
rather than something that is final. This is especially true when it comes
to OEM products. The supplier’s engineers must make time consuming
cost calculations, in order to quote an accurate price. While a reference
price can be produced ‘on site’ in most cases, a final figure requires up
to date quotes from materials and components subcontractors, along
with internal calculations.
4. Follow up
By the time you sit on the plane back home you should have at least a
few decent supplier options. It is, however, only the start of the process.
The next step is to put them to test, and see if they can deliver on their
promises. Preferably, according to the following checklist:
1. Re-establish contact with each suppliers by requesting the
following:
– Compliance documents (yes, even if provided at the trade fair)
– Additional feedback on product specifications and quality
requirements
7. 2. Request accurate unit price quotes
– Should be more accurate than prices calculated while at the
trade show
3. Order product samples / prototypes
– There is only one way to properly put a supplier to the test.
Select at least two or three suppliers to produce samples before
making a final selection.
Link〉
http://www.e-cantonfair.com/?utm_source=Linkedin&utm_medium=SNS&utm_term=IKASNS
&utm_content=E-cantonfair&utm_campaign=LINKIKA2015