Canton or not?

[John_V85]

We've been meaning to visit some of our suppliers in China for a while, but various things have gotten in the way.

With that we've been thinking of visiting the Canton Fair as a way of seeing a greater number of suppliers, perhaps getting some inspiration, and on the basis that most of our suppliers will likely be there it provides a single place of contact.

So the questions are:
(A) is Canton something still worth going to, outside of the possibility of providing a single forum for personally meeting some of our suppliers?
(B) is it relatively straightforward to get a visa (and any other formalities) required to attend, and are there people/services we can throw a bit of money at and they will help us with that?

Thanks

 

[Mark James]

@MOIC is your best bet, no doubt he will be along soon. He’s getting on a bit now but still has his finger on the pulse all things China.

 

[MOIC]

(A) is Canton something still worth going to, outside of the possibility of providing a single forum for personally meeting some of our suppliers?

Short answer, yes.

You'll be able to meet your current suppliers, but more importantly, see new products and New Kids on the Block.

(B) is it relatively straightforward to get a visa (and any other formalities) required to attend, and are there people/services we can throw a bit of money at and they will help us with that?

Ask any of your suppliers to send you an Invitation Letter, it's straight forward. I would suggest a Multiple Entry visa, as this will cover you for future visits.

You'll need to register for the fair, and this can be done online, at most 4/5* hotels in Guangzhou, or when you get to the fair complex itself.

I would advise booking appointments with your suppliers, as those that are 'good' will be very busy.

Suppliers you're doing a lot of business with (regular container orders throughout the year), will probably invite you for an evening meal. Don't refuse, it will improve your relationship with them.

Do your research before you go and study the phase(s) which will display the product categories you're looking to source.

You'll return to UK, tired, very tired, but happy you went.


Don't cram too many halls into one day, there are 17 halls of categories for each of the 3 phases.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

(A) is Canton something still worth going to, outside of the possibility of providing a single forum for personally meeting some of our suppliers?

Agree with MOIC - yes.

(B) is it relatively straightforward to get a visa (and any other formalities) required to attend, and are there people/services we can throw a bit of money at and they will help us with that?

Thanks

Our China office offers this service, we can help to arrange your complete trip including visa, hotel etc, daily transport to the fair, look after you in the evenings if you like, and one of our team can accompany you to the fair to help with discussions/translations. Feel free to send me a DM if you'd like more info

 

[Mister B]

Aside from the other informative replies, I would just add...

A) is Canton something still worth going to, outside of the possibility of providing a single forum for personally meeting some of our suppliers?

Absolutely. But I would try and tie it in with a trip to one of the factories that your supplier uses, so that you maximise the time and effort to go over there to really understand how they work. The factory will more than likely appreciate this too.

(B) is it relatively straightforward to get a visa (and any other formalities) required to attend, and are there people/services we can throw a bit of money at and they will help us with that?

I've been a few times and never enlisted the help from any of the agencies. Hotels are relatively easy to find, but be warned they do get booked up and the prices skyrocket when the show is on. As MOIC says, registration can be undertaken in the hotel but we always register before we leave the UK. Be sure though to book a hotel that runs a shuttle bus to and from the fair.

If you're planning on flying into UK and taking the train over the border to Guangzhou, make sure that you book tickets in advance as these get really booked up.

For the visa, we always used the services of China Visa Direct who simplify the process for you.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

Also - your visitor badge for the fair is yours for life, you can use it each time. SO;

1. Try and take a nice picture, not one that's hideous and taken whilst you were hungover and in need of a shave and haircut.
2. Don't throw it away after the fair.


Not that I did either of the above on my first visit. Nope sir. Not me...... ?

 

[japancool]

1. Try and take a nice picture, not one that's hideous and taken whilst you were hungover and in need of a shave and haircut.

What if that's what you normally look like though?

 

[John_V85]

Thank you for all the helpful (and humorous) replies.

@Mister B Do you mean these guys (https://www.chinesevisadirect.co.uk/) for Visa help?

 

[Mister B]

Thank you for all the helpful (and humorous) replies.

@Mister B Do you mean these guys (https://www.chinesevisadirect.co.uk/) for Visa help?

Correct. Each time that I've used them they've made it a stress free process.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

your visitor badge for the fair is yours for life,

I never knew that!

 

[AmazonGeek]

If you do go and visit one of your existing suppliers take a couple of small gifts - one for the factory boss and one for your contact. Something that will remind them of you (if you live in Manchester for example, something like an MUTD or City baseball cap is perfect.). Get a photo of you next to them wearing the gift - this will be valuable down the line.

Other tips...

- As posted above, don't refuse any hospitality - this is a big no-no in China.
- If you are given a business card study it before putting it away. It is considered rude not to do this in China
- Make sure you have breath mints when you meet people

Yiwu is also an amazing fair by the way. If you visit one stall per minute 24 hours per day it would take you the thick end of 2 months to see them all!

 

[MOIC]

- If you are given a business card study it before putting it away. It is considered rude not to do this in China

Accept the business card with 2 hands . . . . .and offer your business card with both hands too.

 

[japancool]

Curious. I didn't know that business card etiquette in China is exactly the same as in Japan.

 

[John_V85]

Visa (or lack thereof through Netherlands passport) sorted.

Do people tend to visit for all the days of the relevant part, or is a couple of days enough?

Also I presume one can register at the fair (or appointed hotels) at any particular point during the duration of the thing?

 

[MOIC]

Visa (or lack thereof through Netherlands passport) sorted.

Since COVID you need to apply for a ‘first time’ visa at the country of the passport you’ll be using.

Do people tend to visit for all the days of the relevant part, or is a couple of days enough?

It depends on the purpose of your visit. If it’s just to meet suppliers you know and nothing else, then you can limit the days you attend for just those meetings.

However if you want to see other products (which I would strongly advise) then allow sufficient time for this.

I would break the day into the following:

Morning: 1 hall only.
Break for lunch.
Afternoon: 1 hall only.

Try to leave the fair by 4.30-5pm latest, as at closing time (6pm), there’s a stampede.

Most 4*&5* hotels have a shuttle bus service to/from the fair. I would strongly suggest using it.

Avoid going on the last day of the fair, as exhibitors start packing their stand in the mornings.

Also I presume one can register at the fair (or appointed hotels) at any particular point during the duration of the thing?

Registering at the fair is possible, but the first day of each phase is busy with (generally) long queues, especially phase 1.

I would register at a hotel to save time, or online.

 

[John_V85]

Since COVID you need to apply for a ‘first time’ visa at the country of the passport you’ll be using.

@MOIC Please can you confirm what you mean by this? According to the information I have at hand, as a holder of a Dutch passport I can travel to China for periods of up to 15 days until the end of 2024 without a visa, including for tourism, business, etc. This is advertised as a specific post-COVID action, and the consulate websites Q&A specifically say that nothing formal is required - only that proof of why you're there, etc. would be useful.

China Offers Visa-Free Entry to 6 EU Countries + Malaysia

China has announced a visa-free entry policy for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia.

www.china-briefing.com

 

[MOIC]

Then you’re free to travel there, based on the link you sent.

If you do require a business visa, you need to do it in the country of your passport.

Prior to COVID you could apply for a visa at any Consulate or Embassy in most countries, as well as in Hong Kong, but they restricted that during COVID.

China changes like the wind to suit itself.

 

[anson_kingson]

We have been attended canton fairs as exhibitor for many years.You could find a agent in China,who can be on behalf of you for visiting and take some catalogues and useful info for for you

However, it is still necessary to visit the most reliable supplier. You can learn more about his latest development and financial situation and avoid trade risks.Of corse you could ask your agent in China to put his eyes on this.

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

Correct. Each time that I've used them they've made it a stress free process.

I've used them and would second this. Although they're a bit grumpy. Or maybe that's just my effect on them!

Lots of really good advice on here. I'd just add that it might be an idea to Google Guanxi. It's super important in Chinese business (I'm half Chinese).

And if you want any Chinese lessons, I know a lady in a little village in China who gives them online for £2.67 per hour! DM me and I'll send you a link.

 

[John_V85]

We're all set. I think. We're flying into Hong Kong next week (making use of some avios) and then making our way over to Guangzhou on the train where we'll base ourselves.

The only last-minute logistical thing I'm wondering about is the luggage - specifically on the trains. We'll be in China for around 10 days, so will have a fair bit to carry (along with what we pick up during our time there). However, I've just read about the apparent luggage allowances on the trains between Guangzhou and Hong Kong which don't seem to cover much more than a carry-on case. Certainly, not a normal checked case.

I've also read the limits aren't strictly enforced, but we're going to find ourselves in a pickle if the day we happen to travel they are, or if the apparent small luggage space at the end of the carriages is taken when we board.

Am I reading this wrong? How do people normally manage who are travelling to China from Hong Kong for more than a day or two?

 

[MOIC]

Unless it’s changed since the pandemic, you can take large luggage on the trains from HK to Guangzhou East.

There are 2 services from HK, one to Guangzhou East and the other to Guangzhou South (faster train).

 

[John_V85]

Unless it’s changed since the pandemic, you can take large luggage on the trains from HK to Guangzhou East.

There are 2 services from HK, one to Guangzhou East and the other to Guangzhou South (faster train).

We are going to Guangzhou East because it's closer to the hotel, but the train starts with "G". My Googling didn't seem to differentiate. Do you know of any authoritative source we might be able to refer to? Our ticket (purchased through trip.com) doesn't mention anything.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

We are going to Guangzhou East because it's closer to the hotel, but the train starts with "G". My Googling didn't seem to differentiate. Do you know of any authoritative source we might be able to refer to? Our ticket (purchased through trip.com) doesn't mention anything.

I just checked with our China team, they said you can take as large as you can carry generally! The official rule is maximum dimensions (l+w+h) of 200cm and weight 50kg,

My MD is there at the moment with our team, I'm actually quite jealous and I never thought I'd say that about visiting China! Our office is in Dongguan and to me it's one of the nicer areas I have spent time in in China and at least you'll have some good options for Western food (anywhere else in the world my mantra is to try the local cuisine - however in China been there, done that, never again wherever possible!! ).

Enjoy the fair!!

 

[John_V85]

I just checked with our China team, they said you can take as large as you can carry generally! The official rule is maximum dimensions (l+w+h) of 200cm and weight 50kg,

Thanks. I really appreciate you going to the trouble, and I don't want to question those who should be the experts, but isn't that for checked or consignment luggage (not 100% sure on the terms)? Everything I can find online appears to indicate that, officially at least, for the high-speed trains (C, D and G) its max.130cm or 51in (length+width+height) and 20KG. And, also that the high-speed trains don't have checked luggage cars.

If it was the UK, EU or US I'd just "wing it" and see what happens (and we may well do that anyway), but I feel my ability to "wing it" in Hong Kong/China is much more limited.

 

[MOIC]

There are other options to get from HK to GZ. Private taxi from the airport direct to your hotel in GZ. You’ll need to go through immigration, with your luggage, at the Shenzhen border.

More expensive, but more convenient.

 

[John_V85]

There are other options to get from HK to GZ. Private taxi from the airport direct to your hotel in GZ. You’ll need to go through immigration, with your luggage, at the Shenzhen border.

More expensive, but more convenient.

Is there any particular provider of private taxis that you would recommend, so I can see how the costs/convenience compares?

 

[MOIC]

Is there any particular provider of private taxis that you would recommend, so I can see how the costs/convenience compares?

How many people in your party?

 

[John_V85]

How many people in your party?

2

 

[MOIC]

Please send me a DM to discuss your options further, or contact me by email in the link in my signature.

 

[Mister B]

As an aside, do you have plans for your time in HK?

The reason why I ask is that if you fly into GZ, (connecting in HK so not staying in HK,) you can get some cracking deals on business class flights from Cathay. Far, far cheaper than flying into HK and transiting by train.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

Apologies I was working away the back end of last week so didn't see this - assume you are all set now with MOIC's help but let me know if I can help any further.