Canton Fair for the first time: how to plan, move and buy without wasting days

What the Canton Fair is, and how it is organised

The Canton Fair is China's best-known import and export trade fair, held in Guangzhou. It is run in more than one session a year, and each session is usually split into phases, with each phase focusing on different product families such as electronics and appliances, consumer goods and gifts, or textiles and food. The exact calendar, phase names and hall allocation change from season to season, so treat any list you find in a blog post, including this one, as a starting point and confirm everything on the organiser's official channels.

For a first-time buyer the practical consequence is simple: you do not attend the Canton Fair, you attend one phase of it. Picking the wrong phase is the most expensive mistake because the booths you wanted may simply not be there that week.

Before you go: registration and paperwork

Overseas buyers normally register online in advance and receive a confirmation that is exchanged for a badge at the venue. Requirements for documents, buyer status and any invitation steps are set by the organiser and can change, so read the current instructions rather than relying on what a friend did last year. Save the confirmation on your phone and keep a printed copy as backup.

• Passport valid for the whole trip, plus a photocopy kept separately from the original.
• Your registration confirmation and any badge reference number.
• Business cards, plus a one-page company profile in English and, if you have it, in Chinese.
• Hotel booking confirmation and your return ticket, which airlines and immigration officers may ask to see.

Choosing a phase and building a booth shortlist

Start from your product list, not from the fair. Write down the three to five product types you actually plan to import, then check which phase carries them on the official exhibitor and category pages. If your range crosses two phases, choose the one with the higher-value items and plan a separate trip or an online follow-up for the rest.

Getting there and moving around the complex

The fair is held at a very large exhibition complex in the Pazhou area of Guangzhou. Most first-timers underestimate the walking: halls are far apart, aisles are long, and a full day of meetings can easily mean many kilometres on foot. Wear comfortable shoes, plan to be in the hall before the crowd peaks, and choose a hotel by how easy it is to reach the venue by metro or a short ride, not only by nightly rate.

• Metro and ride-hailing both work for the trip; check the current route in a maps app before you leave the hotel each morning.
• Save the hotel name and address in Chinese on your phone so a driver can read it; screenshot it in case the data connection drops.
• Expect security checks and queues at entrances at peak times; leave a buffer before any fixed appointment.
• Note a landmark or hall number as a meeting point with colleagues, because hall-to-hall distances make casual regrouping hard.

A day at the fair, step by step

1. 1Arrive early and collect your badgeDo this on the first day so later mornings are free for meetings. Keep the badge visible and secure.
2. 2Walk your shortlist in hall orderGroup booths by hall to cut walking. Visit top priorities first while your energy and the exhibitors' attention are highest.
3. 3Capture each supplier the same wayPhotograph the booth sign and the product with its model number, take their card, and write notes on the same day.
4. 4Ask for a quotation, not a decisionCollect written quotes with terms and compare them in the evening. Avoid signing anything at the booth on day one.
5. 5Review every eveningCut the list, mark who gets a second visit, and back up photos and notes to cloud storage.

Talking to exhibitors: what to ask and what to record

Exhibitors at a large fair may be factories, trading companies or agents. Neither type is automatically good or bad, but you should know which one you are dealing with because it affects pricing, customisation and after-sales responsibility. Ask plainly and write the answer down.

• Are you the manufacturer, and can I see where the product is made?
• What is the minimum order for this model and for mixed models, and how does it change with quantity?
• Which certifications and test reports exist, and can I get copies I can check with my own importer or broker?
• What are the sample terms, lead time and payment terms, and what trade term does the quote assume?
• Who handles defects, returns and replacement parts after shipment?

Money and payments on the ground

Your daily spending in Guangzhou is separate from supplier payments. For daily costs such as meals, rides and small purchases, China relies heavily on mobile wallets, and cards are accepted in some hotels and larger venues but not everywhere. Set up a wallet route and test it before the trip; see our guide to using cards with Alipay and WeChat Pay for how foreign cards are usually linked. Carry some cash as a backup, and check your bank's overseas card and ATM terms for fees and limits.

Supplier payments are a different matter entirely. Deposits and balances are usually made by bank transfer, and the rules on amounts, documents and the receiving account's name should be agreed in writing. Check that the beneficiary name matches the company on the quotation, be wary of last-minute changes to bank details, and talk to your bank about their transfer rules and fees before committing.

Staying connected in Guangzhou

At a trade fair your phone is a working tool: maps, translation, messaging with suppliers, e-tickets, photo backups and banking OTP codes. Foreign apps are often blocked on local Chinese networks, and exhibition halls can be crowded with weak signal at peak times. Some roaming eSIM plans route traffic abroad so foreign apps often open, but that depends on the plan and nobody can guarantee it. Read the plan's description, install and check it before departure, and keep a second option such as offline maps and screenshots.

• Keep your Thai SIM active for SMS and bank OTP while a data-only eSIM handles internet; check that your phone supports eSIM first.
• Download offline maps for Guangzhou and save your hotel and venue addresses in Chinese.
• Test your main messaging, translation and cloud apps on arrival, not at the first booth.
• Carry a small power bank, since a day of photos, maps and scanning drains a battery quickly.

For background reading, see our notes on connection options and apps in China and on using an eSIM without a VPN, and compare plan descriptions carefully.

Common first-timer mistakes

• Choosing a phase by date convenience instead of by product match.
• Trying to see everything and ending with a pile of cards but no comparable quotes.
• Taking verbal promises as terms; anything not written in a quote or contract should be treated as undecided.
• Ordering large volumes before testing samples or checking the supplier's background.
• Booking a hotel far from the venue to save a little and losing hours in transit every day.
• Relying on a single app or network for maps, payments and messaging with no offline fallback.

Safety, health and what to do if something goes wrong

Keep passport copies, insurance details and your own contact list in more than one place. If you are unwell, ask your hotel to help you reach a clinic and contact your insurer, who can tell you what they cover. For emergencies in China the long-standing national numbers are 110 for police, 119 for fire and 120 for ambulance; confirm before you travel. Never send embassy or consulate matters through a supplier. Contact the Thai diplomatic mission through its official channels if you lose your passport.

China eSIM प्लान देखें