Canton Fair facilitates supply and procurement, promotes online and offline exhibitions
The ongoing 135th Canton Fair launches the Trade Bridge activities to precisely connect supply and procurement, help exhibitors expand foreign trade channels, and improve the procurement efficiency of buyers.
Based on various aspects such as product functions, product images, factory requirements, trade methods, minimum order quantities, export markets, product certifications, packaging and previous collaborations of suppliers, they recommend suitable suppliers to buyers and arrange one-on-one trade connections between the two parties.
With the changes in the trade environment, the Trade Bridge has developed three forms: face-to-face, screen-to-screen, and face-to-screen. Face-to-face form gathers suppliers and buyers who have intention for further in-depth negotiations in offline exhibitions. Screen-to-screen arranges suppliers and buyers for one-on-one online negotiations through the fair’s online platform.
It is a format that played a significant role in stabilizing trade during the COVID-19 pandemic. The face-to-screen format used at this session of Canton Fair allows buyers to directly connect one-on-one with on-site exhibitors through online means. This new method caters to buyers who cannot attend in person, allowing them to connect directly online with on-site exhibitors, understand better about exhibiting companies and their products and conduct trade negotiations directly.
To further enhance the effectiveness of face-to-screen format, the Trade Bridge service team made various preparations.
They connected with global buyers through multiple channels, invited them to participate in activities, inquired about their procurement details and then recommended matching exhibitors and their products based on the buyers’ intentions.
After the buyers confirmed the exhibitors they wanted to connect with, they also had to confirm with the exhibitors whether the current Canton Fair would exhibit the products required by the buyers.
They organized connections following the standard of one buyer connecting with three exhibitors and confirmed the time for connection with each exhibitor. One hour before the connection, they reminded both parties to attend and assisted in testing their communication tools and networks through phone calls, WhatsApp, WeChat, and other means to ensure everything was in order.
Up to now, the Trade Bridge has organized multiple face-to-screen connection activities successfully since the beginning of the Canton Fair.
Buyers from Argentina, Pakistan, the Philippines, Nigeria, Indonesia, Serbia, Kenya, and other places have reached intended order valued at millions of dollars.
An Argentinian buyer highly praised this service. Before the Canton Fair, he had repeatedly posted procurement intentions on the Canton Fair’s online platform and tried to contact Sichuan Daxiyang Import and Export, but didn’t make it.
Through the Trade Bridge’s face-to-screen connection activity, he completed the initial trade negotiation with the company within 24 hours.
A Filipino buyer also posted procurement requirements on the Canton Fair’s online platform. The Trade Bridge service team communicated with him via WhatsApp using the contact information he provided. They learned that he originally intended to attend the current Canton Fair in person, but due to some reasons, he could only come to China in May.
The electronic consumer products he wanted to purchase were exhibited in the first phase, so they suggested him to participate in the face-to-screen activity. On the second day of the first phase, the service team arranged online meetings with two suitable exhibitors based on his list of requirements.
The buyer was very satisfied with the service and sent some other names of companies he was interested in, hoping the team could continue to help connect with them during or after the Canton Fair.
Exhibitors also expressed satisfaction with the newly launched face-to-screen activity at this Canton Fair, considering it an efficient measure to improve the experience of exhibitors and participants. For example, a representative surnamed Zou from Shenzhen CET connected with a Nigerian buyer who couldn’t participate in the offline exhibition due to temporary work changes through the Trade Bridge’s face-to-screen activity several days ago.
The two parties conducted an online meeting to discuss the purchase of mobile phones and other electronic consumer goods. During the meeting, Zou showcased the products at the booth, introduced product details and piqued the buyer’s interest in the products. The buyer expressed that he would visit the company’s production factory in the future to further advance the trade cooperation.
