Why should you spend more time in the trade fairs?

The trade fairs were born to gather all the factories, third-party companies and customers in one place. After the COVID hit the whole world, there was a disruption in these trade fairs, and it was hard to have this connection with the suppliers.

I think now it's important to reconnect and spend more time in the trade fairs,

I've been to so many fairs around Asia and the world (Canton fair, Shanghai fair, Shenzhen fair, Thaifex (Thailand), Anufood, ...) and here are the reasons why I like to spend time going around the trade fairs:

1- If you're looking for a specific product or range of products, there's a good chance you'll find them in the trade fairs related to the products you're looking for. For example, if you're looking for a bluetooth speaker, there's a good chance you'll find it at the Hong Kong electronic fair, or if you're looking for a specific RC car, there's a good chance you'll find it at the Hong Kong toys fair.

2- The trade fairs are a very good opportunity to reconnect with your current suppliers as most of them would attend the fairs. Indeed, I think it's very important to meet your suppliers on a regular basis, as your suppliers might have new sales to handle your business, it's always better to see the persons and check their hands.

3- The trade fairs are also very important if you don't have a specific idea of products you would like to develop or sell in your countries as you can walk around and find your next business ideas.

4- The trade fairs are also a good opportunity to find the last emerging tendencies on the market. For example, I went to the Shenzhen International Gift & Home product fair last month, and one of the big trend was the e-cigarettes, you could find at least 30 e-cigarettes factories located in one hall. Another big trend related to the COVID situation was the kids food box and thermos.

5- Lastly, even if you're not looking for anything specific, the trade fairs are a place where you can meet lots of suppliers and build your knowledge and contacts, that will help you in the future.