In addition to the Internet, the most direct and effective way to find foreign trade customers is to participate in trade fairs. You can visit or participate in the exhibition. The purpose of visiting is to feel the market and understand the market changes in the industry, which does not cost much. Participating in the exhibition is to rent a booth at a trade fair that lasts for several days, display products, and negotiate with customers on the spot. Participating in the exhibition has practical effects, but the cost is not small. The booth fee of the trade fair, travel and accommodation of personnel, etc., range from 20,000 to 30,000 to more than 100,000 yuan depending on the scale and grade of the trade fair. It is a bit expensive, but it is the successful way for most companies to enter the international market and conduct independent foreign trade. Here are two types of trade fairs.
The first is the leader of foreign trade fairs-China Export Commodities Fair (the next session will be renamed China Import and Export Commodities Fair). Because it is held in Guangzhou, it is also called the Canton Fair, which is held in mid-to-late April and mid-to-late October every year. The Canton Fair has a long history, a large scale, and a large number of merchants. It is the “Wulin Conference” of China’s foreign trade. Domestically, the cost of participating in the exhibition is the highest. It costs 70,000 to 80,000 yuan to participate in a 6-day exhibition. At the same time, there are many opportunities for transactions. It is common for foreign businessmen to place orders on the spot, so that enterprises can earn back the exhibition costs.
It is difficult to get a ticket to the Canton Fair. The booths are allocated by the foreign trade and economic departments of each province and city. It is basically impossible for small enterprises to participate in the Canton Fair through formal channels. The only channel is to “buy” from the companies that have obtained the booths. This purchase behavior is illegal. Once found out, they will be cleared out immediately and all the money will be lost. Moreover, the sale and purchase of booths is mostly mediated by various “exhibition service companies”. Because of violations, they are not protected by law and are quite risky. However, in fact, every year a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises are able to enter the Canton Fair through this “gray channel”. You can “buy” a booth, which costs about 80,000 to 100,000 yuan, or you can buy “1/2” or even “1/3” – anyway, it is a booth of about 3 meters by 3 meters, and several companies share the cost. Many small enterprises were initially introduced by friends in the same industry, and two or three enterprises shared a booth. This is relatively safer and saves costs. It should be noted that because the Canton Fair is too large, the venues and exhibition areas are allocated according to the industry, and the passenger flow of different venues varies greatly. The “booth price” of popular venues is high, but the effect is very good. If you get two or three more orders, the cost may be earned back; the cost of unpopular venues may be low, but there are not many customers patronizing, and if you can’t make a deal, the money will be wasted. Therefore, in principle, since you have made up your mind to participate in the exhibition, it is worth spending more money to get a good booth. In terms of booth selection and exhibition precautions, it is necessary to learn more about the situation in advance and go to foreign trade professional forums, such as Alibaba Practice Forum and Fob Practice Forum, to learn and communicate with peers.
Other professional exhibitions have lower costs and lower thresholds. For example, the well-known B2B website Global Sources xxxx organizes several trade fairs every year. The cost of a booth is only more than 20,000 yuan. There are not many restrictions on exhibitors, and the service is relatively safe and reliable. Of course, in terms of passenger flow and transaction opportunities, it is still not comparable to the Canton Fair.
In addition, the East China Export Commodities Fair held in Shanghai, the Small Commodities Fair held in Yiwu, etc., are also well-known comprehensive foreign trade fairs.
As for exhibitions held abroad, foreign trade and economic cooperation departments in various places will also organize exhibitions every year. Whether to participate depends on the company’s own development goals and plans.
In short, when it comes to exhibitions, participation is necessary. Which one to participate in depends on the industry and company conditions. Communicate more with foreign trade peers and pay attention to the successful exhibition experiences of other manufacturers in the same industry.