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First Timers Guide To The Canton Fair
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- čas přidán 5. 08. 2024
- First Timers at Phase 1 of the 123rd Canton Fair and the Soluxe Hotel Guangzhou, China. We cover all of the items that we learned before and along the way. From badge registration at the Soluxe Hotel to the creation of business cards to what to wear at the fair. We also cover the preparations beginning with the invitation letter and acquiring your china business visa and all of the communication items you should consider before leaving for China!
Website address for Soluxe Hotel in the video is not correct, the correct website address is listed below:
www.soluxehotelgz.com
Quick Links"
0:00 - Intro
0:42 - Arriving at the Soluxe Hotel and room information
2:09 - Welcome, Hotel selection, fair invitation, buyers badge registration
8:52 - Business Cards
11:12 - Day 1 at the Canton Fair (General information)
17:27 - Dining options at the Soluxe Hotel
19:43 - Day 2 at the Canton Fair (Bus Transportation, Security)
23:39 - What to wear to the Canton Fair
29:15 - Day 3 at the Canton Fair (Catalogs and Supplier Organization)
32:18 - Soluxe Hotel - Executive Lounge
34:17 - Day 4 at the Canton Fair (Communications, VPN, Wifi, Cellular)
36:25 - Day 4 at the Canton Fair (Money, ATM's, etc.)
37:33 - Walking distance from the Soluxe Hotel (Tianhe Park, etc.)
43:07 - A look around the Soluxe Hotel (Amenities)
45:52 - Checking out (Taxi Cost, Airport info, etc.)
Video Equipment:
Camera - Sony A7RIII
Lens - Sony FE 24‑105mm f/4 G OSS Lens SEL24105G
Gimble - Feiyutech A2000
Post Production - Adobe Premier/AfterEffects
Music - Epidemic Sound
Copyright 2018 - INSIDEJOB
This is an excellent high quality video! It felt like i followed you guys through. Great job would love to see more!
Hi Dia, Thank you for the nice comments! We will definitely be producing more in the near future.
This video gave me alot of knowledge to prepare myself for the fair. This will be my first year going & I cant wait! Thanks for the video.
This was such an informative and detailed guide and I love that you included the timestamps in the description box. Thank you so much. All the best for your business :)
Thank you so much for stopping by the channel!
Excelent video! Very helpful and excelent quality. Congrats!
Thanks Inside Job for a job well done. It's great to see this from a first timers point of view. We are heading there in April (for the first time) and the information you have provided has been very helpful! I'll look forward to watching more in the future.
Louise, Thanks for the kind comments and stopping by the channel. We wish you all the success at the fair and hope that some of the information helps you to be better prepared. We will be missing the fair in April but will be over in Guanzhou for 2 weeks in early May meeting with manufactures so we will have more content soon! Safe Travels - INSIDEJOB
This is one of the most Informative and best made video I’ve seen on this subject thank you so much for this
Annabel, Thank You and best of luck in your business!
This is an excellent high quality video. Highly impressed the way you have explained. May god bless you.
Nizam, Thank you for the kind comment and for taking the time to stop by the channel!
Thanks very informative ... Planning to go for next years canton fair
Bravo... This was very well put together, to say the least. Please create more content!! 🙏
I love the detailed description! Congrats you rock it!
Thank you for stopping by our channel. You rock!
good job guys it was a pleasure to see your video !! so much informative!!!!
Flores Group, Thank you for stopping by the channel and comments like yours have given us the motivation to produce more content which we are working on.
This is really informative and great quality video!
Thank you for sharing such a good content!
Thanks for stopping by the channel!
Very useful informations and great videos. Thank you very much.
Great video guys, I am in Scotland (UK) I am planning a visit in the future and this video has answered a lot of the questions I had about travelling to china for a fair. Thank you very much
Martin, Thank you for taking the time to stop by the channel and that's great that we answered some of your questions. If you have any other questions that we can help with let us know. We hope to be back at the 125th fair this spring!
thanks for taking the time to help everyone out really appreciated guys
Sam, Thank you for the kind comment. We just returned from China and have a video about manufacturing in china that is coming out soon.
Good job on the video. In the process of planing to go this year! Thanks for the info.
Thank You, JD! We will be missing it this session but will be over in May working with suppliers, so best of luck in your endeavors! INSIDEJOB
Do you know the Yiwu market?
Every day is an exhibition.
czcams.com/video/Px7z-n3PVZI/video.html
Thank you guys so much for this video, if it wasn't for this video me and my partner wouldn't of known what to expect and we would of came unprepared. Watching this made everything so easy for us, from getting our buyers badge, getting to and from the Fair and l must say this is the best Hotel l have stayed in. We really enjoyed the whole experience.
It was really nice to have meet you aswell, from your friends in New Zealand. 😊
Haiyz, We were just going back through the comments and for some reason missed seeing yours and now it is 6 months later, so sorry. We really enjoyed meeting you guys and hope that your business is thriving! Thanks again and we might bump into you again when we are there!
This is good & great program.
OMG! Your video makes me homesick, I got a little teary-eyed when I saw the small shops and restaurants around the Soluxe Hotel. I was born in Guangzhou and lived in the neighbourhood only 200 metres away from the hotel. Thank you for this very well-made video. Can't wait to watch more quality video about my hometown while being an expat in Australia.
Prateek, Not an advert! We never have received one dollar in compensation for any of the video in fact it cost us money to make. Everything you see we paid for in full. Thanks for stopping by the channel!
Thanks for the information , it worth looking at ...
Very informative and well executed. The quality is outstanding and you deserve far more subscribers. Hopefully, I'll be there in October this year so this video helped. Subscribed.
Hi Thisbigvoice, Thank you for watching and your positive comments. The Canton Fair is worth the trip even if for the culture of China!
Hi, let me know if you need any help while in Guangzhou, I've been living here since 2005.
how was it bro, i'm planing to go for may, do you think it's valuable to go there and to see around ,what can i get there for good
Do you know the Yiwu market?
Every day is an exhibition.
czcams.com/video/Px7z-n3PVZI/video.html
CongratCongratulations on a very informative, well documented and professional video
Joeula
Thank you so much!
Well done guys!!! Great job!!
Thanks A G! We have some additional content coming soon.
Thanks for this video.I am going there at October & definitely it will be helpful for me! Lots of love from Bangladesh.
Md. Emam, Thanks for stopping by and good luck at the fair!
Do you know the Yiwu market?
Every day is an exhibition.
czcams.com/video/Px7z-n3PVZI/video.html
Thank you so much for this video it was very informative, I feel ready to take on the 124th I'm also considering changing my hotel booking.. From Trinidad and Tobago.
Thanks Cavall for watching and we might see you there! Safe travels!
Thank you so much for this video.
We are going canton fair first time this October.
Abhishek, Thank you for watching and we might just happen to bump into you at the fair!
Abhishek Naik bro I also going first time. From which city you are ??
@@guptaashish180 Are you attending the #Canton #Fair this April? Let's meet and discuss
#sourcing needs in China. For more information about who we are and what we do please visit us at www.victuregroup.com or write me on sales04@victuregroup.com
Very informative
i been Canton Fair Show few times and again going next year on April, and it doesn't need to have a invitation latter or business cards as long as you have Visa and Passport that is the main important things.
thank's guys for the content very informative planning to visit in october
Thanks Fred, Best of luck it will be an adventure you wont soon forget! INSIDEJOB
Very informative kind of information for a first timer to China
Peter, thanks for stopping by and for the nice comment!
Excellent I will be heading there in 6 weeks looking forward to it I guess I will go to the fair in October lovely to see what I will come across when I travel there, Many thanks for the video well done
Bob, Thanks for stopping by the channel and the nice comment!
Amazing video! Never seen anything like this. Thanks :)
Flixer, Thanks for stopping by the channel and thank you for the comment!
Very informative Video
I really appreciate you making this video, it is SUPER usefull ,thanks a lot. ;)
Thanks Angel for the comment and stopping by the channel!
Superb !! Very informative. # we watched in Newzealand #
Thank you for the nice comment!
Thank you so much
RANDOM ADY - Thank You for coming by the channel. We were like everyone else here about a year ago and watched every video we could find. We had hoped that our video and point of view would at the very least show a couple of things that we learned along that way that might help someone on their journey!
Hi! I am going there in October, u guys have done a superb job, great vlog informative and quite helpful for first timer,though I am waiting for my invitation letter after doing a registration on canton fair website. Thanks and best wishes from India.
Sagar, Thanks for stopping by the channel and for the comments! We ran into the same problem waiting for the invitation letter. We submitted several months early and never heard from them and I contacted another person that was going with us and they had not received their invitation either. Just from past experience nothing happens until about 5-6 weeks before the fair and if you have asked for the notice electronically once it does it happens quite quickly. We did have to expedite our Visa application due to the delay in the invitation letter. Good luck at the fair and wishing you success!
Are you attending the #Canton #Fair this April? Let's meet and discuss
#sourcing needs in China. For more information about who we are and what we do please visit us at www.victuregroup.com or write me on sales04@victuregroup.com
Welcome to my hometown city! The "highway" you mentioned under the footbridge is Huangpu Avenue, it's not technically a "Highway", haha. And the market you mentioned when you crossed the bridge is located in Yuancun(it's a village but in the city!). Anyway, hope you enjoyed the days staying in Guangzhou!
Hi Zhuojian Tan, Thanks for the info, we learn something new everyday. We will be back for two weeks in early May and are looking forward to the trip! Thanks for stopping by the channel and the comment! INSIDEJOB
Hi zhuojin tan can i chat with you
Such a well made video.
Thank for the nice comment.
@@insidejob82 Not thinking of doing any more?
well and good. thanks
Thanks for stopping by the channel!
I will go this thursday. See u
Great Video
Thank you so much for watching!
Excellent video. Yours is one of the first trade fair videos I watched and was VERY encouraged about the language issue and cleanliness. I am considering going to the Canton Trade Fair. I am in the hair industry. Did you see any human hair products such as wigs and extensions? Also hair color and styling products. Thank you.
I am a Chinese lighting supplier. I have to say it’s really a wonderful video.
Gary, Thanks for stopping by the channel and the nice comments. The lighting area of the show was the most active and fun! We really enjoyed Guangzhou and will be returning for the spring session and would like to stop by your to see your company during the fair. What lighting supplier are you with?
very detailed video!
Thanks for stopping by the channel and the nice comment!
Great Video. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the nice comment - It's people like you that keep us wanting to do more vidoes!
A must see report for all first timers to Canton Fair. Great Work.
Thank you very much for the comments! This was our first CZcams video and we hope to have more content in the near future.
Awesome video guys, great quality and content is really helpful.. I seen other videos but your video is the one that stands out!! By the way, just curious, are you guys online sellers? Which platform? 😊
Hi Donna, Wow, we are humbled by your comments. This was really our first shot a a youtube video and we originally thought we would get a couple of hundred views. We are working on additional videos related to the online selling category but we have been so busy with our business it is taking longer than we thought. In response to your question, Yes, we are online sellers on Amazon, ebay and Shopify. We have slowly moved away from private label and are creating our own products but it has been even more work than we had originally thought. All of this has given us the creative outlet outside of our full time jobs and has been an interesting ride.
Useful👌🏻👌🏻 really gud
Tnks
Thank you for stopping by the channel!
Wow.... very good
Clederson, Thank you for the comment and for stopping by the channel!
Thank you so much for the amazing video, A must see report for all first timers to Canton Fair. Great Work.
Thanks for stopping by the channel Nick! We really appreciate the nice comments.
Hi thanks for all your efforts for making this video. I have a question..do we have to have a business card ? I don't have a business yet bt thinking to go to canton fair and have a look and get some ideas.
Thank you for the useful information :)
Thank You for the kind comments!
Did you guys apply for a business visa when you went to the Canton Fair?
We did apply for a China Business Visa. That being said, I know plenty of people that attended the Canton Fair with a tourist visa or one acquired in Hong Kong. While I am no expert on visa's, the people that we talked to in advance as well as the people at VisaHQ said that it not so much the Canton Fair as when you intend to visa a factory or do business while in China. Our thought was for the small amount of difference in cost that if we are serious enough about going to the Canton Fair that we would also be going back to work with vendors and tour factories as well. If you are using a visa service, that would be the people I would direct the questions to as they know far more than we do. Our thought was since they were good for 10 years, why would we pay for a tourist visa then go back and have to get a business visa. Hope this helps Rod and good luck!
That makes perfect sense. Thank you for the advice.
Hey Rod, We stayed at the Soluxe Hotel - soluxehotelgz.com - located about 10 minutes by bus directly north of the Pazhou Complex (Canton Fair). The Soluxe is an excellent hotel however you have about 30 hotels to choose from that offer transportation and buyers badging for the firstimer. I am going to put the hotel list for the 123rd Canton Fair below that provide badging and transportation. Rod, I am going to assume that most of this is valid for the 124th but just double check with the hotel before booking. Back to the Soluxe, if you choose to stay at the Soluxe there are two room views the Garden and River view. The River View is by far the best choice as you can see the Pearl River, Canton Tower, Downtown High Rises and the Canton Fair Complex right outside your window. The Garden View is also nice but nothing compared to the River View, so if you are able to book that for the right price that is what I would do. Also, quite a few websites will offer to bundle the breakfast into the room cost and the Soluxe is no different and I recommend doing this as it will be a better price than billing to your room.. The breakfast buffet at the Soluxe is absolutely amazing and it really worked well with the timing of the bus in the morning. The evening buffet is excellent but a little bit expensive but there are other options in the area.
Hotels (Offering Badging and Transportation)
1 Garden Hotel Guangzhou
2 Dong Fang Hotel
3 Baiyun Hotel
4 Jianguo Hotel Guangzhou
5 Chateau Star River Hotel
6 Grand International Hotel
7 Foshan Hotel
8 The Royal Mediterranean Hotel
9 The Westin Guangzhou
10 Shangri-La Hotel Guangzhou
11 Phoenix Hotel Guangzhou
12 Regal Palace Hotel
13 The Westin Pazhou
14 Soluxe Hotel Guangzhou
15 Crowne Plaza Guangzhou City Centre
16 Guangzhou Marriott Hotel Tianhe
17 Asia International Hotel
18 Four Points by Sheraton Dongpu-Guangzhou
19 Pullman Baiyun Airport Hotel
20 Sofitel Foshan Hotel
21 Hotel Landmark Canton
22 Star Hotel
23 Rosedale Hotel Guangzhou
24 Panyu Hotel
25 China Mayors Plaza
26 Guangdong Victory Hotel
27 Guangzhou Ocean Hotel
28 Ramada Plaza Guangzhou
29 Ramada Pearl Hotel Guangzhou
30 Holiday Inn Guangzhou Shifu
Thanxxxxxxxx Awesome ppl am from Texas planning to go this year any idea or share here?????? Have a Blessed day kisses 😘
Great video. Thanks so much for all the great details. I am having trouble with the site and getting an invitation letter. I was wondering if you experienced the same thing and what did you do about it?
Hi SAMGenious, Thanks for stopping by the channel! We experienced the same thing as you are going through, the website is not user friendly and it extremely hard to navigate. It's frustrating but you eventually get it done! We noticed that even though you get everything completed you tend to wait and wait and nothing happens. We re submitted three times thinking that we did something wrong and ultimately called the help line and they told us that they don't start looking at the items until closer to the show. Its difficult because you want to plan your trip early and get better prices on airlines and hotels and they don't process the documents until its down to the wire.
Just my opinion, but if we were you I would go ahead and get everything done assuming you have the invitation letter. Its a formality, I don't think anyone is being refused to go to China and buy product unless you are flagged by the Chinese government as a criminal or otherwise you'll get the invitation. I recommend using a reputable Visa service, we have used VisaHQ for all of our travel, they can turn around the Visa in a matter of days so you will have all of your documents you need.
Also, StartupBros did a nice video on getting the invitation letter and navigating the website that I am posting the link to below:
czcams.com/video/cOWrPAF0mv8/video.html
Safe Travels,
INSIDEJOB
Hi great video and very informative, and awesome video quality and camera skills, but just wondering what camera you used and what stabilizer gimbal you used, and what software you used to edit the video to get it to such a high standard
ian, Thanks for your positive comments about the video. We included this information in the description portion of the video, but I will post it again below.
Video Equipment:
Camera - Sony A7RIII
Lens - Sony FE 24‑105mm f/4 G OSS Lens SEL24105G
Gimble - Feiyutech A2000
Post Production - Adobe Premier/AfterEffects
Music - Epidemic Sound
Was on the Canon platform for years and now after moving to Sony I wouldn't do anything else, its just plain awesome. INSIDEJOB
Good video and excellent video quality. What camera was used if i may ask?
Hi dec83, Thanks for stopping by the channel! I have included the information to your question below:
Camera - Sony A7RIII
Lens - Sony FE 24‑105mm f/4 G OSS Lens SEL24105G
Gimble - Feiyutech A2000
Tripod: Sirui N-1205X with Monfrotto video head
Variable ND Filter: PolarPro
Microphone: Sennheiser ME 64 with K6 powering module
Post Production - Adobe Premier/AfterEffects
Music - Epidemic Sound / Various Others
Good Luck, INSIDEJOB
nice tnx sir
Agribusiness BD, Thanks for stopping by the channel! INSIDEJOB
Hi, thank for the informative vid! I will be visiting the upcoming spring fair this year. Do you recommend making use of an interpreter at the fair.. I have also experienced the suppliers just saying yes to everything and I am thinking that although this might obviously be a sales tactic, it might also be as a result of the language barrier?
WorkmailMC, Thanks for checking out the video! Alright, to interpret or not to interpret, that’s the question. First, having an interpreter at any business dealing in China will always be the “best case scenario”, if it’s your interpreter! Is having an interpreter at the fair the best use of your money? Well that's the real question. It really comes down to your level of experience and what you want to accomplish while at the fair. If you are targeting specific suppliers that you have researched and intend on meeting with them at both the fair and at the factory, then having an interpreter at both of those would be beneficial. If you are trying to assess quality of products and find a manufacture, then it might not be necessary. We don't recommend negotiating while at the fair, so you are really trying to find a partner/manufacture that you think is a good fit for your brand.
Saying Yes in China is saving FACE or equated to "avoiding embarrassment" and I just interpret the word as "I'm listening" or "carry on" as we are talking. You will get yes working with an interpreter so don't expect that to change. We have just learned to phrase our questions differently to not expect a western, yes or no, answer. So, for example we would say, "Could you tell me the specific options available for this part of your product?" rather than, "Do you have different options for this part?" or "Can this part be changed?" We will then always follow up with another question that is more specific to make sure that they understood our first question.
Couple of recommendations: 1) If you are going to hire an interpreter, hire someone that only does business interpretation from your language to Cantonese and Mandarin. If you are focusing on the areas in Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, etc., quite a few people in the factory will be speaking Cantonese even though simplified Chinese, "Mandarin" is the language of mainland China. Don't hire a sourcing agent acting as an interpreter, you will regret it later. 2)If you are going to a factory to look at products in their showroom and go over options always bring an interpreter as the language barrier will get worse once you are outside of the Canton Fair.
Sounds like you have quite a bit of experience working with vendors, so more than likely you’re a "First Timer" to the fair, but this isn't your first Rodeo! You know better than anyone what you are trying to accomplish at the fair and the more focused you are at a specific item or manufacture I would lean towards an interpreter and plan to do a factory visit.
Have a great trip! INSIDEJOB
Hi there! This is outstanding, Massive THANK YOU for the quality and information you are sharing in this video. Very informative for first time going to Canton Fair. Thank You)))
Thank you Tahitian Dream, we enjoyed putting it together and are happy that people are gaining some insight from our video. We are so happy that you took the time to stop by watch and take the time to comment!
Hi guys! Great video, I want to ask your opinion about whether drop-shipping companies would benefit from attending this fair?
Hi Jimmy, Sorry for the delayed response. I don't know the size of your company or volume of orders but I would say that typically the fair would be for people that want to make large orders (Containers) of specific products or people that are looking for a manufacture for a product. Their are trading companies that handle multiple products from multiple supplies that also attend the fair as well and that might be an option for you. Couple of things that might help you make a decision: 1) If you don't intend to purchase container load quantity then the fair might not be worth you money or effort.
and
2) You have tons of different products that you are selling from different manufactures as it will be very expensive consolidating container load quantities unless you have very small items and intend to have them go by air.
Its a difficult question to answer not knowing your business but I hope that this helps a little.
Love it. I'm really very interested about Canton fair. I'm thinking to visit 124rd canton fair. I'm first time visiting to China. I think I learned something from this video.
The video was amazing. Thank you for making this kind of amazing video. I may also help to people who wants to visit canton fair.
I'm From Bangladesh.
Please camera to Visit Bangladesh. 🇧🇩
Thank you for the kind comments! If you are serious about your import business than the Canton Fair is a great place to start.
❤ Thank you..
I'm thinking to visit this October.
Very nice video. Very informative. Just loved it.
Variety, Thanks for stopping by the channel and the kind comments! Took a moment and checked out your channel as well, very nice videos!
@@insidejob82 Thank you. Going first time to a new busy place and making such deep informative video is tough. You have made great effort to try covering all the major topics. If i will go to Canton Fair some day, I will surely watch ur video and plan accordingly ! Very nice. The video footage and the treatment is also very good. No doubt you are using an expensive Sony camera (Im also a Sony Fan) and very nice gimbal (Loved those smooth shots). Keep going and Best Luck for your channel. :) Will surely Share this wonderful video :)
Hi! Amazing video! I’m very interested in going this October but I’m curious if there is an age limit to enter the fair. I am a very serious buyer and obviously spending quite a bit getting to China so I wanted to verify if there was some type of age limit, if they do is it very strict or are they lenient?
Hello CryptoMasta, I am not aware of any age limit to get into the fair or for getting a buyers badge. Now that being said, depending on how old you are it may actually be harder to register at a hotel and having a manufacture take you seriously than getting the badge itself. We say many people in their early 20's walking on the trade floor and doing deals with manufactures so go for it!
Goodness... was that fog or smog in the background at 11:37? Regardless, AWESOME video, and I will be there in 2022 :D
you can't access many foreign website in china such as facebook without the VPN ,
Well done. This video's great.
Debora, This is our first and only CZcams video at this point but we hope to bring more content to all of you. Thank you for the kind comments!
Thanks so much for the valuable information do you have to set up a business to attend the canton fair??
Paula Bev no I don’t think so
Rob and Brina are correct you do not need to set up a business to attend the fair. However, our stance is that if are considering attending the fair the next step would be that you would probably purchase something from a manufacture in China. We are not experts on Visa's but we have posed this question to people we trust in China and they all recommend that you have a business Visa if you are doing business of any kind in China. Thanks for stopping by the channel!
Thanks so much for great video. I am going to be there in April, 2019 for the first time. Besides, I also want to know as if any things are different between this fair in April and October. I am so grateful. 🙏
Hello Hong,
Thanks for watching and taking the time to stop by our channel! Your question has been raised several times since posting the video so in the interest of time I am going to re-post below reply to an earlier poster about this exact question. We will be attending in April as well so we just might bump into you.
From an Earlier Reply:
Let me start with your first question about the spring and autumn phases and the difference between the two. They are basically the same as far as the manufacturers and the show itself but in my opinion very different from the point of view of a seller. Try not to think of attending the fair as a trip to find seasonal items, although they will be there, or like shopping at a store and walking out with the items immediately. Think about attending the fair to qualify manufactures that have the products that are similar to what you are looking for and see if they area able to manufacture to the quality standards that you expect and that you feel comfortable working with them. In my opinion, from the retailer/buyer point of view the time that you go makes a huge difference and here's why. The autumn season is in late October through early November in Q4, when most of the biggest sale dates of the year, Cyber Monday, Black Friday, Christmas, etc area right around the corner. If you did find a product you liked, I wouldn't plan on having something in your pipeline until February-March of the following year. You ultimately miss out on the best time of the year with your product launch. It's also hard to deal with the manufactures right after the Autumn show as they are busy trying to keep up with the last minute orders for existing customer that didn't judge inventory correctly and some, not all, get backlogged. You think, no big deal right? You put in that order right after the new year and things start moving, wrong. In China, what you will find out is that shortly after the new year, around the first part of February, China manufacturing pretty much shuts down for an entire month for their Chinese New Year. Some factories will remain closed until the end of March in some instances. The other problem is that a lot of the factory workers come from small communities and when they leave for the holiday they ultimately decide not to return to work for the company. This leaves and untrained workforce for a couple of months in the Spring for some manufactures. Products produced during this time reveal defects as opposed to products products outside of Q1. Now, this isn't every manufacture but I am speaking in broad terms. Another thing to consider is that most of the new products are announced at the spring session in anticipation that you will be interested and they can get you to buy them and put them into the market for Q4, it just makes business sense for them.
Now onto the Trade Assistant question. I think this question is subjective depending on your experience level and how comfortable you are with this type of business in general. If you woke up one day and decided you are jumping in with both feet and have no idea of what you are doing then I can see where a group tour from a reputable company with good reviews may be the most effective way for you to get started. If you have sourced products in the past and are comfortable with taking with vendors through email and over the phone or have purchased products through Alibaba then coming to the fair will be the same thing just at a much faster pace. Don't buy into all the hype of the selling programs that make you think it is so complicated and you need to follow some predefined program or process, It's a trade show...... You know yourself better than anyone, so ask yourself some questions. 1) Can I put together reservations for an international trip, research a hotel, be able to locate the products I am interested in, find transportation, restaurants, etc. or am I more comfortable if someone else puts it together for me so that I can concentrate on just sourcing. 2) If I need someone to walk with me around the show and put me in front of vendors and help me figure everything out, is this really the right business for me? 3) What happens once I have arrived back home and the tour is over then what? 4) Do I believe that a trade assistant will be able to give me enough information in a class early on that will ultimately help me to avoid the pitfalls or am I more realistic, that until I actually attempt them that more than likely I will have to figure it out for myself. Ultimately, you will have to make the call on what you are comfortable with doing. However, I will say that more than likely the first time to the fair will be just an introduction with the second trip being far more productive in term of sourcing.
Think of the Canton Fair like dating, the first date you are just trying to figure everything out and if you are interested in moving forward. The second date you have a pretty good idea of what you are getting into and more comfortable taking it to the next step. Don't plan on doing any deals at the fair, its not what it is about. You really are trying to find a partner/manufacture that you can build a personal relationship with in a short about of time , nothing more, nothing less. All of the real work happens when you arrive back home! Good luck and we might just bump into you at the fair!
INSIDE JOB Thanks so much for your details. I am so grateful with that. 🙏. I feel like you understand what I want and need. 😘 .
Hello Hong, are you an online seller? I'm planning to be there this April as well..
we are planning to get there in April also!!
Are you attending the #Canton #Fair this April? Let's meet and discuss
#sourcing needs in China. For more information about who we are and what we do please visit us at www.victuregroup.com or write me on sales04@victuregroup.com
you guys should make more videos on business or on china!
Tanvir, Thanks so much for your support! We are heading to China in May to meet with manufactures for a couple of weesk and will be putting together a video of the trip. I hope to show in detail what its like to meet with manufactures in China.. We have so much content if we could ever find the time to get it all edited and uploaded to youtube. More to come in the near future! Thanks, INSIDEJOB
Good sharing. Thank you.
Andrew, Thanks for stopping by the channel!
Actually people don't use cash in China any more, they use Alipay and WeChat Pay on their smartphone. But I guess for foreigners, it is cash or Credit Cards.
Thanks for the video, I really enjoyed your video and I have attended Canton fair for more than 3 years as a manufacturer in Phase 3, however, I'd like to point out that some info is not accurate, such as Amazon access, there is no issue accessing Amazon from mainland China. Also, if you use a foreign-SIM card in your phone, there is no issue accessing Facebook, Instagram by using your cellular data, because the data will be directed to your home country instead of China's phone network. So there are options, but they are just expensive. Sometimes carriers will have international plans for traveling abroad, you pay a fixed amount of money (in Canada, I am with Telus, I pay $12/day), and you can roam like home. Additionally, you mentioned shops, taxi, restaurants only takes cash, but that's not the case. The reality is that no one uses cash anymore in mainland China, they use Alipay, Wechat pay or other smartphone payment. Thanks again for the video!
I agree with most of your comments however the video is titled, "First timers guide to the Canton Fair". For most people it it already scary enough as it was for us that adding additional items like trying to get money into Wechat is over the top. We are in China regularly and still use cash a lot of the time and have never had a problem. But all of the items that you mention are good points, thanks for sharing with the channel.
Could you please help me to get the visa invitation in canton fair. It's really complicated.
Umair, Thanks for stopping by the channel! StartupBros did a great video on the exact question you are asking so I am posting the link below. After watching please let us know if we can answer any specific questions you may have.
czcams.com/video/cOWrPAF0mv8/video.html
Is thr Anyone can help me ....I’m looking for safety products,safety coverall shoes ....so which date I have to visit canton fair this October
JUPITER LAND, This is a tough question as they are spread across two phases do the industrial nature of Phase 1 and the clothing items in Phase 3. I would recommending to www.e-cantonfair.com and search for your specific products that you are interested in and note the Phase and booth number of the manufactures within the description of the listing This will be much more accurate for you as I don't know the exact products you are looking for this will help to narrow it down as to which Phase is best. I am also listing the 124 Canton Fair Dates below for your reference.
Phase 1 - October 15-19, 2018
Phase 2 - October 20-27, 2018
Phase 3 - October 31-November 4th, 2018
More specific information of what is in each of the phases at the link below:
www.cantonfair.org.cn/html/cantonfair/en/common/2012-09/8471.shtml#1
Thanks for the question and for stopping by the channel. Wishing you success in your endeavors!
The video is very informative. Thanks a lot :-) I have a question. The fair consists of 3 phases, but You went only to the 1st phase (or to one of them). Is it because You had special interest in one of the phases? or is it because there is no point of attending all 3 phases? Is it worth attending all 3 phases just if I am interested in everything, because I will be attending it for the first time.
Thank You :-) Hope my questions are to the point
Kamashat, Thank you for stopping by the channel! I apologize for the delay its 4th quarter Christmastime here and we have been very busy. Alright, on to your questions. Why did we go to phase 1, well I have an engineering background and am in the Information Technology field as my career. So, the decision was made solely because I thought I would know more about those items than the other phases. Ultimately, you will need to source products that you have a passion for and understand how they work. The days of picking up a product at the Canton fair and throwing them on an online platform and making a ton of money are pretty much over. The people that are successful understand that they are going there to select a partner/manufacture that can make a good quality product. But the ones that you are going to be interested in are the ones that when you see the product, you look at it and say, "I would do this to it, or I would change this feature". These are the people that are making it in this space in the current environment. In order to do this you have to target products that you understand enough or are interested in to take the time to use it and figure out improvements to the product.
Now that being said, Phase 1 is a lot of complicated products with motors, electronics and large items like air conditioners, etc. It's a great show, but the electronics portion requires so much velocity that a small or beginner is going to lose in this space. What do I mean, the products will be obsolete the day you being selling them so you will need to know exactly what you are doing from manufacturing, shipping, distribution, marketing, etc. or you won't make it. The larger items from Phase 1, industrial, chemicals, large appliances, etc. They are all to big to big and heavy to work in any sort of traditional online platform that you would more than likely have to warehouse and distribute and support the product yourself. This is usually not a first timer type of product. There are other niches like lighting, tools, small appliances, etc that have great opportunities that fit more of the "first timer" type of products. I can't speak to the other phases as we haven't been t them yet however we will be going to another phase in the spring of 2019.
Would I recommend doing all three phases the first time? No! If you talk to most people that have attended the fair multiple times they will tell you that don't have high expectations on the first go around. You have a lot of things on your mind, how do I get there, how do I negotiate, what questions do I ask, etc. that you will return with lots of knowledge and most importantly you will have distributed your cards to manufactures. Now the real work begins, limiting down the products and manufactures that you brought home catalogs. Talking to manufactures and getting samples of products that you think can be improved and then making a decision to move forward which is the biggest hurdle. Save your money and attend one phase the first time, regroup do your first order and take the time to learn the entire process and engage with your partner. When you return the second and third time you will be far more effective than doing all three the first time. Of course, others experiences my differ but it just my opinion.
Hope this helps and sorry for the late reply!
INSIDE JOB
great video! 1 .question: as soon as you have established a supplier, how does one go about with purchasing their orders. can they make that transaction in person?
Hi Nelson, Thanks for stopping by the channel! Now as for your question, its a difficult one as the relationships with each supplier are built on trust over time. Each supplier has a different way of doing business and each buyer has a comfort feeling with how they will conduct business. Some people don't research the risks and just do a T/T payment or "wiring money" over to their manufacture while others use PayPal and other services to provide some level of protection. As far as going directly to the manufacture and purchasing in person, I would think so. Although I wouldn't pay for anything in advance to a supplier as it is very high risk to the buyer, with no recourse if things go wrong. This is the preferred method by scammers and fraudsters, for obvious reasons. Their is also the Deposit/Balance scenario which is probably the most common arrangement in North America as well as in China, The buyer pays a portion of the purchase order, the manufacture produces the products and goods and then you pay the balance of the purchase order upon shipment. Personally, we would like to be there to inspect the goods or utilizing a third party. If everything was completed to our satisfaction then the final payment is made. A third option, is that the manufacture will offer you credit. This falls in line with your question because you used the word "established", This is somewhat common with larger, more established manufactures. Once you have a working relationship with a supplier and you trust that the items are being produced correctly with limited defects over time and that they trust you and you trust them they may offer your credit. Typically this is only offered to buyers with consitant purchases over time, have a great reputation and have a good credit history with the manufacture.
A couple of ways to pay a manufacture, we already mentioned the T/T Transfer or wire transfer, which we would not use. Also this is confused a lot with SWIFT that is just the system used. A couple of additional ways are Letters of Credit, Escrow, PayPal and Funds transfer through services such as Western Union. All of these methods have varying risk so consult a banker, accountant or CPA for additional information.
The registration form (kinda blue colored) seems big and complex, how is that?
Holi, Thanks for stopping by the channel. The registration form looks complex but it isn't. Most of the information on the top of the form is related to your personal information, address, country, etc. The rest of the form is the fair asking questions for their own marketing about what items you are interested in, what phase, etc. It takes a couple of minutes to fill out or you can do it online at the canton fair website.
invitation.cantonfair.org.cn/
Can you buy products / samples from the fair itself? or is that not possible?
Hi Weir Couture, Thanks for stopping by the channel! As far as the samples and products the answer is Yes and No. Some of the vendors have come prepared to sell samples for a discount, but most of these suppliers are holding that inventory for the people that are serious about their products and have met with a sales rep. In our case, as it was early enough in the fair we asked that a sample be sent to our hotel. Within 24 hours we were able to pick up the packaged from the hotel front desk. For suppliers that you don't know that you are serious about doing business with but want a sample then the last day of the fair is your best chance. Since the last day of the fair most of the vendors start closing at 11am if you are there early and ask the vendor for a sample some, not all, will give you a sample.
Just keep in mind that you are going to be getting a lot of catalogs from the factories that are not available online and these are the tools that will help you make decisions about the company and products when you get back home. In most cases the heavy paper catalogs will be heavier to ship than the samples so just plan for the amount of additional weight that you will be taking back that you didn't come with. Thanks, INSIDEJOB
I've a question about cash. Supposedly, some parts of China don't take credit cards. In terms of spending money, should I change my dollars once I arrive in China? I've the wechat app but I don't think foreigners can use the app to pay for stuff like the chinese.
This is a frustrating one if you are from the USA as we still have a hybrid cash/credit society. Virtually everyone we saw in China was paying with WeChat or Wēixìn which is the version that they use. You are correct that the WeChat app that we have access to in the USA is very limited to the actual Wēixìn app in China and they are not one in the same. You have to be a citizen of China in order to get the Wēixìn application or use any of its advanced features, like paying through the app, so that is completely out. Back to the cash issue.... We converted about $250.00 US to Rmb(Yuan) before we left Phoenix, Arizona. Of course anytime you travel internationally you start to worry if you have the right documents, cash, etc. So when we arrived in Seattle to board Hainan Air we though we really should get some more Rmb. Well, after finding the exchange boot they didn't have any available at the Seattle airport. No Problem.... We were heading to Beijing, so we thought we would get some from an ATM there. After going through immigration, get our bags and then checking back in we headed off in the secured area to find an ATM. Of the three we found, none of the ATM's would accept our debit card or credit cards from two major US banks such as Chase. Of course a little fighting ensued that I should have gotten more before we left and it was all my fault. You can't even buy a simple water bottle anywhere with a US credit card, debit or dollars. We had a six hour layover in Beijing so I asked someone through Google translate at a concierge desk and they told me to go outside of the secured area and there would be some ATM's in the terminal which I ultimately found.
Here is the deal... ATM's are available at most hotels in China and at the fair complex. You will get a better exchange rate at an ATM in China than in the USA, assuming that you don't have foreign exchange fees, but make sure you have researched and have a list of legitimate banks in China before you go. There is a lot of counterfeit money at ATM's and China in general so don't just use any ATM machine you see as it may not be legitimate. Get enough cash in advance to get you to your hotel or through the first day of the fair. You will need it for everything during your travel, food, snacks, cab fare, etc (About 300 Rmb from the airport to most hotels near the fair). You can get the money for the rest of your stay in China and save a little money due to the exchange rate. Also, check in with your credit or debit card company and let them know you are travelling so that your card does not get declined due to fraud and make sure that if you have a card that doesn't incur international fees that you use that one. One final thing, If you intend on using a credit card Discover cards are really the only option as they are accepted at all UnionPay locations, which is everywhere in China that a credit cards are accepted. Sounds a little weird but if its your first time to China, you will experience as we did things out of the ordinary, but enjoy it!!! The culture and the fair is an amazing experience! Any other questions you may have let me know and good luck!
INSIDE JOB thank you
thank you!
In your experience are there many industrial good suppliers? Like for packaging purposes. Thanks!
Denisse, Thank for coming to our channel! The area you are speaking of is not really our niche and we just quickly browsed the industrial area during Phase 1. I did see while walking through the industrial area quite a few machines making paper cups, bags, etc. You might want to check a few other channels as I don't want to give you information that isn't correct.
@@insidejob82 Thanks for the quick reply. I really appreciate!
Thank you so much for the amazing video. When did you visit the fair, April or Oct? Is there any difference between April and Oct fairs? I mean do they have the same number of suppliers? And which one is better from both? Please guide.
Hello Indian Dreamer, Thanks for stropping by the channel!! We attended the fair in April of 2018 for the 123rd Canton Fair. Your second question about the differences and which one is better, in my opinion, I covered in a pretty long response to the exact same question from Dating, Relationships and Romance below. Check that out and if you have any other questions please let us know.
Thank you!
nice video..my boyfriend have big business in guangzhou china, nice place, he stay there 20 years and february next year we getting married in HK😃
Wie, We really have enjoyed the time we have spent in Guangzhou and congratulations on your engagement and wedding in HK!
INSIDE JOB thank you😃
Is there any website where you can buy the whole inclusive package ?
Mrlbarry, It's really hard to comment as I don't know where you live. In past years their were quite a few group trips originating from the USA. As the industry has matured we saw far fewer people from the USA at the fair. I would check around with the Startup Bros or Jungle Scout groups and see if they have anything already put together. Best of luck. INSIDEJOB
May i ask ? How to get the badge if i student study in china ?
Hi Ahmed707, Not knowing what country you are from it will be a little harder to answer your question however the only restrictions that are listed are that you must have the following for a buyer badge:
1) Personal Overseas Valid Documents (Passport or other documentation)
- Valid personal overseas documents include: Overseas passport, H.K./Macao Home-return Permit, Taiwan Compatriot
Travel Certificate, Valid Chinese passports as Overseas Chinese or with above-one-year overseas work visa.
2) Recent Passport Photo with the size of 5cmx4cm
3) Business Card (Nothing fancy - you can print yourself)
4) Registration Form (First buyer card is free with registration form)
5) (Optional) If you show up without an invitation you will be charged a 100RMB service fee for the first buyer card.
As a note, the appointed hotels that we mention in the video are only for buyers from foreign countries so I do not know how that would impact your specific situation as a student.
For more specific questions regarding your specific situation please contact the CFCC - Canton Fair Call Center
Inside Mainline China - 4000-888-999 Outside Chinese Mainland - 86-20-28-888-999
Thanks for watching and I hope this information helps. - INSIDE JOB
Thank you for the information.. really good to know what's going on there specially the first time... have some questions??? The trip to the cantons fair was worth it?? Or you can get the same deals from USA chinesse fairs or using Alibaba? And if is worth it, are you guys going back?? How many days is actually enough to get a good view of suppliers there?? The trip is Good for a small business?? Or Definitely only worth it for a big companies already trying to buy for big bulks???I want to go next year but first I'm trying to get as much information as possible before I take the desition to go and start my own business. Thank you very much for sharing the video. GBY.
Hi Marion, Thanks for stopping by the channel and the comments! Was the trip to the fair worth it? Yes! Like we discuss in the video most of the people attending the fair for the first time have this hope that they are going to fly over to China, attend a fair, stumble on a great product idea, meet a manufacture and come home order and become rich on Amazon, eBay, etc. The Chinese value relationships more than anything and meeting them in person and building a relationship is the main part of attending the fair. In the USA things are more cut and dried with business relationships and that is something that is vastly different working with the Chinese. On a personal level, we just couldn't see ourselves purchasing a large order with a manufacture sight unseen and not knowing how the whole process works so we just needed to do it to make ourselves more comfortable. Your questions about pricing at the fairs and Alibaba? Again, think relationship! You will always get better deals if you are able to meet with your manufacture in person. Why? Just think of the number of people contacting these manufactures everyday over the internet. Some with $10 dollars in their pocket and other that have more capital. If you make a trip to the fair to meet them, they know before you even begin discussing that if you traveled all the way to China you are more than likely a serious buyer. The kind of buyer that they are looking to deal with. So I am not saying that you cant get great deals on Alibaba but I can guarantee a majority of the time you are going to be able to negotiate better deals with companies if you gave them a business card while at a fair in China. Are we going back? Absolutely, but the next trip we are going to focus more time on going out to the manufactures that we have been communicating with than spending time at the fair. Also, with the new tariffs applied to imports in the USA, at this point we also are sending for quotes from US manufactures as prices are moving closer to equilibrium. How many days at the fair? Well, if its your first time to China and to the Canton fair don't be disappointed if you come back with nothing more than a good experience. Most of the experienced people we met at the fair said that the real work happens on subsequent trips as the first trip you are just taking it all in and its a lot to take in. Is the Canton Fair good for small business? Well, we believe that the fair is good for anyone that is an entrepreneur and just want that edge that you won't have working with a manufacture over Alibaba. That being said, as I mentioned earlier a manufacture that you meet with at the fair already thinks your a bigger player just by attending so if you ask them for a tiny order then all of that is lost. I'm not going to say that smaller buyers wouldn't benefit from the fair but when running a business you have to way the cost of the trip with the savings on the individual items and if you don't purchase that many than paying a higher price through Alibaba for a smaller quantity may make business sense until your volume increases. As far as your business? The most important thing is to just get started! You will learn more from doing and your mistakes than anything else and with all of the great information on the web, youtube and other material you will find yourself at every step looking for more information on how to accomplish something. Best of luck with your business!
Definitely perfect information from you guys.. And yes I'm doing my homework investigating everything I can from the web before next year fair comes in April.. actually I'm going to Mexico city this year for a Chinesse business fair and start to get in contact with companies there.. and I will follow your advice... built a good personal and work relationship with them... completely agree with it... once again thank you for sharing this information... your experience and your thoughts... its always a plus guys... hope
You have all the luck in the world in your business... 👍
Hi r u in phoenix arizona?
About the buyer's badge being valid for 10 years: does that mean I can obtain with it a 5 or 10-year multiple entry business visa to mainland China?
Hi Debora,
Thanks for the question! First, my comments here and in the video are from a prospective of a US Citizen going to the fair in China so keep that in mind. Second, I am not an expert on Visa's in any way and would recommend contacting the Chinese consulate in your country or a Visa service with more specific questions.
Alright now that that is out of the way here is what I know.
1) The buyers badge is a separate from getting a Visa to mainland China. All badges issued after 2008 should still
be valid assuming they have not been revoked for some reason by the fair itself. If you already have a buyers
badge but the validity period has expired or you have just lost it, you can re-apply for one at the Overseas Buyers
Registration Office for a 200RMB service fee. The fair for the most part will issue a buyers badge to any person
in person at the fair office with the following requirements:
- You will need to present your Overseas Passport
- You will need to present a business card.
- You will need to present an Identification photo(5cmX4cm) or have it taken at the fair for a cost
50RMB if taken by the fair.
2) The application to the fair and subsequent invitation letter gives a US Citizen, and potentially other
countries, the ABILITY to apply for a 10 year Chinese business visa and gets you registered for a free
entry badge to the Fair. (New applicants without the invitation letter the fair will charge you 100 RMB
for the badge.)
- In accordance with a 2014 China-U.S. visa arrangement, U.S. citizens may be eligible for 10-
year multiple entry visa.
- The remaining validity of the U.S. passport must be over 12 months. US passport holders with
1 year or less remaining on their passport will be issued a China visa with less than 1 year
validity.
- Once a 10 year visa has been issued, the validity of the visa does not expire if the holder
renews his/her passport. The visa holder can travel carrying the old passport with valid
Chinese visa along with the new passport.
For more specific questions concerning the fair please contact the Canton Fair Offices:
website at www.cantonfair.org.cn
Canton Fair Call Center, China Foreign Trade Centre
Add: No.382 , Yuejiang Zhong Road, Guangzhou, 510335, China
Service Tel: 4000-888-999 (The Chinese Mainland)
86-20-28-888-999 (Outside the Chinese Mainland)
Fax: 86-20-28-395-166
E-mail: info@cantonfair.org.cn
If you have your invitation letter and need questions answered regarding a Visa, or to apply for one, for entry into China please contact your local Embassy or Consulate General of PRC in your country. The Official Invitation
must list the Buyer's Name, Nationality, etc.
Hope this helps!
We use WechPay pay or AliPay everyday. most of time, I go out home without cash. Welcome to china.
Andy, Is WechatPay available to people in the USA without a China bank account? Give the channel more information regarding these payment products.
@@insidejob82 INSIDE ,It's available with a USA credit card. Are you gonna use wechatpay for payment?
The UK is way behind
What happened to the napkin at 18:13 - 18:15? :o
INOCHIZZLE, It was a mistake but we left it in and thought that no one would notice. I guess we were wrong! It's called magic reverse! INSIDEJOB
How much was the hotel room per night ?
Hi Annabel, The prices vary depending on when you purchase them but they are higher during the fair. This is due to higher occupancy in hotels near the Pazhou complex as well as the added benefits provided by the hotel, such as transportation and badging, etc. You can also contact the hotel for questions at +86 20 38018888 or via their website at www.soluxehotelgz.com.
Is the bus provided for free?
Hi Andreas, A majority of the hotels near the Canton Fair complex run buses during the fair for guest of the hotel at no additional charge. I can say for sure that at the Soluxe this is for sure the case but you will find many of the hotels offer this as well. Lot A which is in the video had no less that several hundred buses from hotels that were bringing guests to the fair daily so check with your hotel as they more than likely will offer this. We did talk to a couple of people that chose to stay at a slightly cheaper place and took a cab to the fair which sounds like an easy proposition in theory. However, they told us that the lines to be dropped off ate up a bunch of time and waiting for a cab at the end of the day sometimes took up to 45 minutes. You are going to be very tired at the end of the day and the last thing you are going to want to do is stand in line waiting for a cab. This is one of the reasons that we choose to cover more about the hotel as some of the people we talked to said they had no intention of returning to the fair as it was a bad experience and most of them discussed transportation, badging, food options, etc None of which actually had anything to do with the fair itself. So anyone considering attending make sure that you check out the hotel you are considering, read reviews, call them and ask questions about badging, if it is your first time, food options as well as transportation to the fair. Consider calling the hotel and see if when they answer the phone if they are able to put you through to someone who speaks your language. It will be invaluable when you get there, as a good hotel with employees that can speak your language can solve a lot of simple issues for you. Also, you will find that most of the younger generation in China now speak english so that is usually who we talked to when we had questions. Good questions and safe travels!
Is Canton Fair open all year ?
The Canton Fair is held at the Pazhou Complex in Gungzhou, China which host a variety of conventions throughout the year. The Canton Fair is only twice a year in the Spring and Fall. Visit www.cantonfair.org.cn for more information. Thanks for watching!
Music too loud for me
सर् जी मैं भी 2019 के फेयर के जाना चाहता हूं।मुझे गाइड करे मैं कैसे जाऊँ।मैं इंडिया से हूं।
Faheem Bhai canton fair attend Kar aaye Kaya kuch mughe bhi knowledge de
Faheem, Couldn't read your comment, but thank you for stopping by!
I know there are 3 Phases, yet with 2 Canton Fairs run per year, is there a different, do you find more sessional products or are they basically the same? Also, I was looking at a website www.cantonfair2018.com that talks about having a Trade Assistant. Is this worthwhile?
Also, with the trade war between the US and China, is this making prices better or worse...?
Hello DR&R,
Thanks for watching and taking the time to ask such great questions! Let me start with your first question about the spring and autumn phases and the difference between the two. They are basically the same as far as the manufacturers and the show itself but in my opinion very different from the point of view of a seller. Try not to think of attending the fair as a trip to find seasonal items, although they will be there, or like shopping at a store and walking out with the items immediately. Think about attending the fair to qualify manufactures that have the products that are similar to what you are looking for and see if they area able to manufacture to the quality standards that you expect and that you feel comfortable working with them. In my opinion, from the retailer/buyer point of view the time that you go makes a huge difference and here's why. The autumn season is in late October through early November in Q4, when most of the biggest sale dates of the year, Cyber Monday, Black Friday, Christmas, etc area right around the corner. If you did find a product you liked, I wouldn't plan on having something in your pipeline until February-March of the following year. You ultimately miss out on the best time of the year with your product launch. It's also hard to deal with the manufactures right after the Autumn show as they are busy trying to keep up with the last minute orders for existing customer that didn't judge inventory correctly and some, not all, get backlogged. You think, no big deal right? You put in that order right after the new year and things start moving, wrong. In China, what you will find out is that shortly after the new year, around the first part of February, China manufacturing pretty much shuts down for an entire month for their Chinese New Year. Some factories will remain closed until the end of March in some instances. The other problem is that a lot of the factory workers come from small communities and when they leave for the holiday they ultimately decide not to return to work for the company. This leaves and untrained workforce for a couple of months in the Spring for some manufactures. Products produced during this time reveal defects as opposed to products products outside of Q1. Now, this isn't every manufacture but I am speaking in broad terms. Another thing to consider is that most of the new products are announced at the spring session in anticipation that you will be interested and they can get you to buy them and put them into the market for Q4, it just makes business sense for them.
Now onto the Trade Assistant question. I think this question is subjective depending on your experience level and how comfortable you are with this type of business in general. If you woke up one day and decided you are jumping in with both feet and have no idea of what you are doing then I can see where a group tour from a reputable company with good reviews may be the most effective way for you to get started. If you have sourced products in the past and are comfortable with taking with vendors through email and over the phone or have purchased products through Alibaba then coming to the fair will be the same thing just at a much faster pace. Don't buy into all the hype of the selling programs that make you think it is so complicated and you need to follow some predefined program or process, It's a trade show...... You know yourself better than anyone, so ask yourself some questions. 1) Can I put together reservations for an international trip, research a hotel, be able to locate the products I am interested in, find transportation, restaurants, etc. or am I more comfortable if someone else puts it together for me so that I can concentrate on just sourcing. 2) If I need someone to walk with me around the show and put me in front of vendors and help me figure everything out, is this really the right business for me? 3) What happens once I have arrived back home and the tour is over then what? 4) Do I believe that a trade assistant will be able to give me enough information in a class early on that will ultimately help me to avoid the pitfalls or am I more realistic, that until I actually attempt them that more than likely I will have to figure it out for myself. Ultimately, you will have to make the call on what you are comfortable with doing. However, I will say that more than likely the first time to the fair will be just an introduction with the second trip being far more productive in term of sourcing.
Think of the Canton Fair like dating, the first date you are just trying to figure everything out and if you are interested in moving forward. The second date you have a pretty good idea of what you are getting into and more comfortable taking it to the next step. Don't plan on doing any deals at the fair, its not what it is about. You really are trying to find a partner/manufacture that you can build a personal relationship with in a short about of time , nothing more, nothing less. All of the real work happens when you arrive back home! Good luck and we might just bump into you at the fair!
Sorry, I missed your question on the trade war between the US and China about pricing. I think the imposed tariffs are so recent that for us to comment on a broad level while we are still trying to asses ourselves would be inappropriate in this forum. I was interviewed while in Guangzhou on Chinese national radio on this very topic and all I said was that any uncertainty will ultimately drive prices higher for consumers and cause overseas buyers to order smaller quantities do the changing landscape. That being said, things are always going to be in flux and ever changing and people are not going to stop buying the products they need or want because of those changes. Don't let the details stop you from building a successful business. Focus on the goal and just go do it!
Thanks for the detailed feedback
Great video for first timers! Well done.
I've been living in Guangzhou and attending the Canton Fair since 2005.
If you need in-depth information, don't hesitate to contact me.
Cheers,
Gael To, Thanks for stopping by the channel and WOW, thanks for the nice comment from someone who actually lives in Guangzhou!
@@insidejob82 There are two recent articles about the Canton Fair on our blog here: www.asiaction.com/blog/ feel free to check it out :)
@@insidejob82 Regarding the business card, I don't think you need any Chinese version if you're an international buyer. That could actually create confusion with Chinese sales (they might think you're working for a Chinese buying office).
Good Points, Thanks Gael To
I'm starting to take more interest in the hotel than the Canton fair. Agenda changed
Slynomics, Thanks for stopping by the channel.
@@insidejob82 hi, thanks for such an informative video. And also for the thank you message. Not many do that :)
@@insidejob82 hi I was wondering if you have an email where I could ask you a question or two reg the fair?
slynomics, We have been travelling the last three weeks so I didn't have time to get back to you. You can send us an email at anytime to: info@insidejobvideos.com
Your video was informative, however, you did not even show one stall. Too much footage you both have hogged onto.
Thank you for stopping by the channel and your suggestions for a updated video.
but food is not Halal
Ziaul, If you know of some restaurants or hotels that have Halal let us know.
Muslims can eat fish or veg