China Sourcing Fairs
The China Sourcing Fairs is a trade fair organized by the B2B trade media company Global Sources (NASDAQ-GS: GSOL). At such events, suppliers and buyers come together to network and pen deals from April to December each year.
Introduction
The China Sourcing Fairs is a vital business function for Global Sources or any middleman for buyers and suppliers, as explained by the trade blog memotrek.com:
“In-depth assessment and due diligence can only be achieved after having gained first-hand experience of the strengths and weaknesses of each of the suppliers by being able to look back upon business relationships with a rich order history.” [1]
Under this umbrella there are distinct fairs held as separate events throughout the year. Currently these specialized fairs are Baby & Children's Products, Fashion Accessories, Electronics & Components, Gifts & Home Products, Hardware & Building Materials and Underwear & Swimwear.
The China Sourcing Fairs are usually held at:
- AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong
- Dubai Int'l Convention & Exhibition Centre, UAE
- Bombay Exhibition Centre, India
- Shanghai New Int'l Expo Centre, China
Participation
Each specialized fair attracts at least 50,000 attendees and exhibitors occupying more than 1,000 booths. Many exhibitors hail from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Asia's other major supply markets. Occasionally there are suppliers from other regions as well.
Buyers come from all over world, and range from top global retailers to e-bay power sellers. One important factor that attracts them is that many suppliers here only exhibit exclusively at this show.
Often there are additional events and services available to buyers at these fairs for convenience and value-added services. Some of these include keynote speeches and forums by industry experts, conferences on better sourcing tips, private discussion areas and free transport to hotels or airports. Exhibitors sometimes organize on-site visits to their factories in mainland China, direct from the fair grounds.
Participants’ feedback
Response to the fairs has been robust and getting better by the year. One of the most popular fairs, China Sourcing Fair: Electronics & Components, was sold out for the October 2008 exhibition six weeks before the actual event. [2]
In post-show reports exhibitors have praised the China Sourcing Fairs as focused and effective, matching them with buyers from Europe, South America, Israel and Russia. [3]
Product lines covered
Here are the specific product lines covered by the individual Sourcing Fairs:
Baby & Children's Products
- Arts & crafts
- Glassware & tableware
- Ceramic & porcelain
- Garden & outdoor
- Bathroom supplies
- Home décor
- Home textiles
- Kitchen & household
- Basketware
- Sports & leisure
- Gifts & premiums
- Gift boxes
- Photo frames
- Stationery & paper
- Christmas & seasonal
Fashion Accessories
- Causal & fashion bags
- Evening bags
- Fashion jewelry
- Fashion belts
- Hats & caps
- Ties, scarves & shawls
- Hair accessories
- Casual & fashion footwear
- Umbrellas
- Gloves & mittens
- Sunglasses
- Travel bags & luggage
Electronics & Components
- Computers & networking products
- Consumer electronics
- Digital entertainment
- Electronic components
- GPS
- Healthcare & personal care electronics
- In-car electronics
- Interconnection technology
- Opto-electronics
- Power supplies
- Security products
- Telecom & wireless products
- Mobile phones
- VoIP & WiFi products
Gifts & Home Products
- Arts & crafts
- Glassware & tableware
- Ceramic & porcelain
- Garden & outdoor
- Bathroom supplies
- Home décor
- Home textiles
- Kitchen & household
- Basketware
- Sports & leisure
- Gifts & premiums
- Gift boxes
- Photo frames
- Stationery & paper
- Christmas & seasonal
Hardware & Building Materials
- Building materials
- General hardware
- Flooring, ceiling, roofing materials
- Wall cladding & coverings, windows & doors
- Bathroom and kitchen supplies • Plumbing, heating and cooling supplies
- Tools and accessories
- Industrial safety and law enforcement equipment
- Lawn and garden accessories
- Lighting and electrical fixtures and fittings
Underwear & Swimwear
- Underwear
- Swimwear, beachwear & accessories
- Sleepwear
- Fabrics, lace & trimmings
- Embroidery / sewing / lace machines
References
Important links
- Fair schedule for 2009, to illustrate how the different fairs are spread out from April to December each year