Due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, many events, such as conferences or festivals, have been canceled or postponed. The situation is no different with trade shows. Nevertheless, the organizers are looking for ways to make some of them happen, even if not in a stationary form. As a result, the Canton Fair in 2020 will take place online. It is China’s biggest and most important trade show and has been held continuously since 1957.
Canton Fair 2020
The 127th edition of the Canton Fair was supposed to take place in spring and traditionally be divided into 3 phases (each with exhibitors from different industries). Due to the pandemic, the event must have been postponed. Later the organizers announced that the most significant Chinese trade show would take place online instead of the traditional form. The online version of the event will not be divided into phases.
The online edition of the Canton Fair will take place from June 15 to June 24, 2020.
For obvious reasons, online fairs require the introduction of slightly different solutions than in the case of their traditional form. Fortunately, the organizers have been digitalizing the trade fair for some time. They introduced several e-solutions, such as i-Travel, enabling comprehensive travel organization (booking hotels, flights, car rental) through the fair’s official website.
How to participate in the online Canton Fair?
First, you must register on the official website of the Canton Fair. This will allow you to be up to date with all news related to the event. When the trade show begins, the participants will get access to live coverage of the opening ceremony, industry meetings as well as the presentation of new products as part of the i-Preview service. You can subscribe to live reports you are interested in, and you will receive notifications of upcoming events.
Like in the traditional form of the trade fair in Guangzhou, participants will be able to meet suppliers divided into 50 sections in 16 product categories. Finding the manufacturer you are interested in will be supported by an intelligent matching system: i-Matching, based on a comparison of your requirements with the offers of exhibitors. Of course, you can search for products yourself by text search or participating in live introductions of selected exhibitors.
When you find a supplier, you will contact him directly via chat or submit an offer inquiry with the option of video chat. Fair organizers declare that the site will be able to provide 5 million online meetings in one moment in real-time.
What is important is access to the fair will be simplified to a minimum within i-Service. When using the official website of the fair on a smartphone or computer, you will be able to link your WeChat account. This way, you will get access to various types of applications and customer service centers at any time. Another feature is the possibility of sending e-invitations to your friends via the website. This will let participants obtain many benefits, such as a wider range of offered services or various types of gifts.
Canton Fair 2021
If everything gets back to normal, then next year, the trade show will be held every year in the form of two editions: spring and autumn. Traditionally, the Canton Fair is divided into three phases, always taking place on the same dates.
Canton Fair spring session 2021
- phase I April 15-19
- phase II April 23-27
- phase III May 1-5.
Canton Fair autumn session 2021
- phase I October 15-19
- phase II October 23-27
- phase III October 31 – November 4.
Undoubtedly, the Online Canton Fair 2020 will be a very interesting experience for importers from around the world. It will let many beginners make contact with Chinese suppliers without the need to travel to China. Any positive feedback can make this form of trade show stay with us for longer. However, even if you meet suppliers at such a recognized event as the Canton Fair, we always recommend verifying Chinese partners.