Canton Fair: Confidence and Consistency, Keys to Success

GUANGZHOU, China, April 14 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Repeat buyers at the 107th Canton Fair, China's largest, most comprehensive trade fair, may find themselves as much in awe as their first time around. Things have gotten so big since the event's modern inauguration over fifty years ago that some anticipate it to rival the World Expo in Shanghai. After some analysis, it hasn't been hard to see why.

For most years in recent memory, the Canton Fair has seen attendance of nearly 200,000 merchants from more than 200 countries and regions around the world. After all, the Fair has regularly provided them with the ease and convenience of being able to manage their international retail and wholesale business needs simultaneously, in one spot. Even in the aftermath of the global economic crisis, participants didn't seem daunted; indeed, the organizer has been continuously tweaking plans to accommodate buyers' ever-growing demands.

With the aim of facilitating the objectives of buyers and exhibitors, the fair has been divided into three phases, each arranged according to product type, which is logical when you consider the reasons for people's attendance. Among many elements that consistently convince the commercially savvy to return, ultimately it's the sheer variety of products on display that brings them back. Over two-thirds of interviewed buyers said the same when polled. Unsurprisingly, they also noted the excellent service, number of new products, number of participating merchants and immense exhibition area as clinchers.

What's particularly remarkable about the Canton Fair are not these ubiquitous tangibles. While the visible incentives on offer are decidedly appealing, the turmoil of the international economy could easily make them seem null and void and detract from participant enthusiasm. This isn't the case, though, as most buyers seem as confident as ever. Over 60 percent of buyers claim that not only do they plan to purchase as much as in the past, but it's likely that in the future they'll return home with even more. If that doesn't spell confidence for you, consider this: upwards of 90 percent of 2009's participants will be back in 2010. Good work, Mr. Canton Fair: not bad for an old guy.

SOURCE China Foreign Trade Centre (CFTC)