HONG KONG, April 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Global Sources (NASDAQ: GSOL) (http://www.globalsources.com) has announced the launch of its first Online Sourcing Fair.  China Sourcing Fair: Security Products was introduced this week in conjunction with its Hong Kong series of China Sourcing Fairs (http://www.chinasourcingfair.com). The company intends to launch numerous other online shows throughout the year.

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The new service uses online technology to bring together the company's traditional trade shows with online marketplaces, print and digital magazines. Each online show is built on the foundation of Global Sources' face-to-face shows, and includes product profiles of each exhibitor's featured products, multiple images of all of the booths, and video on companies, products and conference sessions.

President of Global Sources Exhibitions, Tommy Wong, said: "Our Online Sourcing Fairs are a brand new medium in our industry and, to the best of our knowledge, in the world. We have had a tremendous positive reaction from both buyers and suppliers and believe that this substantially changes the export trade show industry. This initiative also redefines our China Sourcing Fairs as a unique, next-generation trade show platform combining the face-to-face experience with rich media and online technology."

Wong continued: "The online shows will boost sourcing productivity for buyers by enabling them to engage with exhibitors before, during and after the physical show. Suppliers will benefit because we will be extending the life of their exhibition investment from a few days to several months. In addition, suppliers will reach more buyers and generate more sales leads -- which should translate into an improved return on investment."

Global Sources' chairman and CEO, Merle A. Hinrichs, said: "We view this launch as a breakthrough initiative that extends our position of providing the broadest and most integrated multi-channel export marketing platform -- which is now comprised of online marketplaces, print magazines, digital magazines, trade shows, Private Sourcing Events and Online Sourcing Fairs. This offering addresses buyers' needs at all stages of the buying process, and enables buyers to access our content and suppliers where, when and how they prefer."

About Global Sources

Global Sources is a leading business-to-business media company and a primary facilitator of trade with Greater China. The core business uses English-language media to facilitate trade from Greater China to the world. The other business segment utilizes Chinese-language media to enable companies to sell to, and within Greater China.

The company provides sourcing information to volume buyers and integrated marketing services to suppliers. It helps a community of over 1 million active buyers source more profitably from complex overseas supply markets. With the goal of providing the most effective ways possible to advertise, market and sell, Global Sources enables suppliers to sell to hard-to-reach buyers in over 240 countries.

The company offers the most extensive range of media and export marketing services in the industries it serves. It delivers information on over 5.5 million products and more than 262,000 suppliers annually through 14 online marketplaces, 13 monthly print and 18 digital magazines, over 80 sourcing research reports and 73 specialized trade shows a year across nine cities.

Verified suppliers receive more than 127 million sales leads annually from buyers through Global Sources Online (http://www.globalsources.com) alone.

Global Sources has been facilitating global trade for 40 years. Global Sources' network covers more than 60 cities worldwide. In mainland China, Global Sources has about 2,700 team members in more than 40 locations, and a community of over 2.8 million registered online users and magazine readers for its Chinese-language media.

SOURCE Global Sources