China’s Largest Trade Fair: Canton Fair
Hello, this is UNICHEST, an industrial design studio. Today, we’d like to share our experience at the Canton Fair, which we participated in during the second half of last year.
We had the opportunity to attend the Canton Fair as part of the “Market Development Team,” organized by the Korea Institute of Design Promotion. Although the recruitment period for the Market Development Team has already ended, we’ll include the announcement at the end of this post.
If you’re interested, please read it and consider applying during this year’s application period.
1. What is the Canton Fair?
The official name of the Canton Fair is the China Import and Export Fair. It is a large-scale international trade exhibition held every spring and autumn in Guangzhou, China.
This long-standing event, which began in 1957, is the largest trade fair in China, where products from various industries are exhibited and traded. As it attracts buyers from all over the world, the scale is enormous.
Last year, more than 100,000 buyers registered to attend. Meeting so many buyers provided us with various product design project opportunities, making it a valuable experience.
2. Canton Fair Schedule
(1) Offline Exhibition Period:
Phase 1 (October 15 – 19): Electronics and home appliances, industrial and manufacturing, vehicles and motorcycles, lighting and electrical products, hardware tools, etc.
Phase 2 (October 23 – 27): Household goods, gifts and decorations, building materials and furniture
Phase 3 (October 31 – November 4): Toys and baby products, fashion, home textiles, stationery, etc.
Although the period has already ended, similar dates may apply this year, so please keep that in mind.
(2) Online Exhibition Period:
September 16, 2024 ~ March 15, 2025 (6 months)
Unlike other trade fairs, the Canton Fair is held twice a year (Spring and Autumn) and is divided into three detailed programs to cover all product categories.
Phase 1 focuses on manufacturing, Phase 2 on general lifestyle, and Phase 3 on toys, stationery, and baby products. Each phase typically lasts about five days, and attending all phases would take approximately three weeks to a month. Unichest participated only in Phase 2, which focused on the General Lifestyle category.
3. Online and Offline Participation
(1) Canton Fair Online Registration Website
(Source : https://exhibitor.cantonfair.org.cn)
(2) Registration Guide Video
(Source : https://www.cantonfair.org.cn/zh-CN/customPages/help)
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canton Fair is now held both online and offline. For companies unable to attend in person, online participation may be of great interest. While we haven’t experienced the online format yet, it is said that virtual booths are set up just like in offline exhibitions.
Companies can promote their products through live broadcasts and communicate with buyers via chat and consultation buttons. Aside from the lack of on-site presence, the online experience seems quite similar to offline participation.
You can register for online participation through the link above. However, since login is required, the process might be challenging if you don’t speak Chinese. Fortunately, the Canton Fair provides guide videos for overseas buyers with English subtitles and English-language pages.
Additionally, the left-hand menu on the page includes sections like “我是参展商 (Exhibitor)” and “一站式开店参展指引 (Online Platform Participation Guide),” as well as “如何登录、选择套餐和管理账号 (Login Methods, Package Selection, and Account Management).” Below this, there is a section titled “我是采购商 (Buyer),” which may also be helpful.
4. What Can Design Companies Gain from the Canton Fair?
The Canton Fair is primarily a business platform where wholesalers, distributors, and importers from around the world discover new products and establish direct transactions with manufacturers. As such, you might wonder if design companies can benefit from participating.
At Unichest, we focus not on highlighting design as the main feature but on identifying business trends and exploring opportunities in overseas markets. We’ll share more about this in our follow-up review of the event.
Today, we briefly introduced the Canton Fair. We’ll continue to share updates on our preparation process, participation experiences, and more, so please stay tuned!