As the Chinese are eager to prove to the world their ability in a range of industrial, manufacturing, technological, and service industries, the fair also provides space for "Special Exhibition Sections" to encourage both domestic exports and foreign imports of high quality items. Originally, the fair was attended by people located primarily within the East Asia region, and in particular those countries with whom China maintained close relationships. But as the fair became established and China's second generation leadership embarked on their reform policies, a wider range of foreign businesses were compelled to attend.
Recently, the Canton fair has consistently seen in excess of 80,000 business people in attendance. In recent years, each session of the Fair has been visited by more than 80, 000 foreign business people. With that, the amount of effort, planning and organisation that goes into the Canton Fair has become an industry in itself, with the development of world class conference facilities and catering now rivalling the very best, not to mention the exhibitions themselves. In order to visit the Canton Fair, you need to first get an Official Invitation.
Welcome to Canton Fair 2013.
There are several ways to get an invitation, the easiest perhaps is if you already do business with a Chinese manufacturer, they can arrange it for you. If not, then the Buyer E-Service Tool (BEST) through the official website is an easy way to apply online, or ask at the Economic and Commercial department of the Chinese Embassy in London.