These are the China business events in 2021 to watch out for, in a wide range of industries from seafood to beauty to tech. These 12 events and exhibitions are in greater China, you can find the website links in each description.
Canton Fair 2021, China Import and Export Fair
Source: Business Insider, Canton Fair
Dates:
Spring:
- Phase 1: 15-19 April 2021
- Phase 2: 23-27 April 2021
- Phase 3: 1-5 May 2021
Autumn:
- Phase 1: 15-19 October 2021
- Phase 2: 23-27 October 2021
- Phase 3: 31 October – 4 November 2021
Place: Guangzhou
China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) is the largest trade fair with the highest business turnover in China. More than 25,000 exhibitors visit this China business event twice a year. Canton Fair founded in the spring of 1957 in Guangzhou. It is a comprehensive international fair with a long history, level, scale and range of products. The Canton Fair has 48 trading groups, with thousands of foreign trade companies, manufacturing enterprises, scientific research institutes, and private enterprises.
Data Source: Canton Fair, Canton Fair business turnover
The Canton Fair has flexible and diverse trading methods. In addition to the traditional sample transactions, there is also online trade fairs. It also carries out various forms of economic and technological cooperation and exchanges, as well as business activities such as commodity inspection, insurance, transportation, advertising, and consulting.
Phase 1 focuses on electronics, vehicles, construction, industrial and chemical materials. Companies producing high-tech products also participate in this phase, which is the largest of all three phases.Phase 2 includes China’s dominant industries such as ceramics, consumer goods, home decorations, furniture, toys, and cosmetics. This phase has the largest number of foreign participants.
Phase 3 is about light industries: clothing, footwear, bags, sporting goods. This also includes food, medicine, hospital devices, and fashion.
China International Cross-border E-commerce Supply Chain Fair
Source: RegencyExpo, China International Cross-border E-commerce Supply Chain Fair 2019
Dates:
- 7-9 April 2021
- 1-3 September 2021
Place: Shenzhen, Guangzhou
The International Cross-border E-commerce Trade Fair has two sessions, one is in Guangzhou Poly World Trade Expo Center and the second one is in Shenzhen Futian Convention and Exhibition Center. There are more than 1,000 exhibitors and around 100,000 professional visitors. There will be three themed exhibition areas: China’s cross-border e-commerce import and export brand and manufacturer area, cross-border platform exhibition area, and cross-border service provider exhibition area. Such giants as Wish, Shopee, Tophatter, eBay, AliExpress, xShoppy, Shopline will participate. Besides, hundreds of cross-border e-commerce sources and foreign trade factories will bring new products together. Besides, there also will be a live broadcast room for manufacturers to open up an online marketing.
Guangzhou International Tourism Fair
Source: GITF, Guangzhou International Tourism Fair 2019
Dates: 25-27 February 2021
Place: Guangzhou
The Guangzhou International Tourism Fair website
The Guangzhou International Tourism Fair (GITF) is the largest international tourism exhibition started in 1993. During these 27 years of development, it has become an international professional exhibition that has attracted attention from the Chinese tourism industry. It covers outbound tourism, inbound tourism, and conference and award tourism.
In 2019, a total of 1,042 companies from 55 countries and regions participated in the exhibition, with an exhibition area of more than 36,000 square meters. There were 39,766 professional visitors, 819 specially invited buyers, and 76 buyer groups. The exhibition uses the online PSA pre-matching system for high-quality invited buyers and professional visitors to match business. The exhibition received high praise from media and exhibitors. The 2021 Guangzhou International Tourism Exhibition will continue to bring authoritative travel information, professional events and high-quality exhibition services.
China business events in 2021 for the technology industry
China Glass 2021 – The 31st China International Glass Industrial Technical Exhibition
Source: Shandong Care Machinery Technology, China Glass 2019
Dates: 6-9 May 2021
Place: Shanghai
The Chinese Ceramic Society sponsors the Shanghai Glass Industry Technology Exhibition since 1986. It has become an internationally renowned professional exhibition. It is the most commercially valuable exhibition and trade negotiation platform in China’s glass industry. It is also the world’s second largest glass exhibition.
As a mainstream exhibition in the international glass industry, many people come to visit, purchase, and negotiate trade. The current manufacturing environment in the glass industry is a complex situation which includes many factors. On the one hand, the growth rate of investment in fixed assets is declining. On the other hand, supporting the implementation of new urbanization plans is constantly unleashing new needs in glass. This fair includes energy saving technologies for glass production, energy saving glass products, glass-processing technologies and raw materials.
AWE 2021 – Appliance & Electronics World Expo 2021
Source: AWE, Appliance & Electronics World Expo 2019
Dates: 11-14 March 2021
Place: Shanghai
As the largest international home appliance and consumer electronics exhibition in Asia and the top three in the world, AWE brings together the world’s top product experience scenarios. That is a platform for trade negotiation and technical and strategic communication in the electronics industry in China. In 2020, due to the impact of the coronavirus epidemic, the organization committee cancelled AWE. 2021 is the first year of the “14th Five-Year Plan” and the starting point of AWE’s new decade. As a China business event for the display of industry innovation achievements AWE opens more inclusive technological exhibition ecology.
F&B and hospitality industry business events in China in 2021
Food & Hospitality China 2021
Data Source: FHC 2021, Food and Hospitality China business events in 2021
Dates: 9 – 11 November 2021
Place: Shanghai
After more than 20 years of development, Food & Hospitality China (FHC) has become a major China business event for the catering and hospitality market in China. FHC is an important platform for multinational companies to enter the Chinese catering market. In 2019, the exhibition saw 133,751 visitors, an increase of 13% year-on-year, and 3,500 companies. The exhibition not only showcased the high-quality food brought by exhibitors from all over the world, but also hosted high-level forums and conferences. More importantly, itcreates a business match for suppliers and buyers. The exhibition includes food area (snack food, imported food, nutritious and healthy food, etc); agriculture and fresh ingredients (hot pot ingredients, honey agricultural products and fruits and vegetables, etc); alcoholic and coffee drinks; catering supply chain and cold chain; packaging and equipment
Looking forward to 2021, FHC will continue to expand the scale of the exhibition, reaching an unprecedented 200,000 square meters.
Shanghai Chinese Food Exhibition SIAL China 2021
Source: SIAL CHINA, SIAL exhibition 2019
Dates: 18-20 May 2021
Place: Shanghai
Shanghai Chinese Food Exhibition SIAL started in France in 2000. It is a professional China business event for the food and beverage industry to negotiate cooperation, trend insights, and exchange experience. SIAL China aims to open up import and export trade business in China for F&B companies. After continuous development, it has become a professional international import and export exhibition with wide recognition and high participation. In addition to the exhibition, SIAL China also actively carries out high-quality activities such as forums and culinary art demonstrations. In 2019, the proportion of Chinese and foreign exhibitors reached 51% and 49% respectively. Among international exhibitors were mainly companies from South Korea, Russia, Brazil, Austria, Argentina, the United States, Turkey, Spain, Poland and Germany.
2021 International Exhibition of Food & Drink, Hotel, Restaurant & Food Service Equipment, Supplies & Services
Source: Canton Fair, HOFEX exhibition Hong-Kong
Dates: 18-21 May 2021
Place: Hong Kong
The Hong Kong International Catering and Hotel Equipment Exhibition HOFEX is an international food & beverage, hotel, restaurant and equipment event. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center holds this exhibition every two years and it lasts for 4 days.
The exhibition is the largest in Asia and the most authoritative in the industry. Many years of exhibition history have allowed it to accumulate a large number of professional exhibitors. It includes two big sections: ingredients and beverages (canned food and processed food, dairy products, food ingredients, frozen food, healthy food, meat, poultry, seafood, fast food, wine, spirits and beer) and hotel supplies (catering and catering equipment, baking equipment and raw materials, hotel supplies, hotel entertainment and living facilities). This China business event has a high rate of overseas participants, what makes it a good platform for cooperation and healthy competition.
Data Source: QUFAIR, HOFEX 2019 exhibitors
The 10th China Smart Catering Innovation Summit
Source: Montnets, The 8th China Smart Catering Innovation Summit
Dates: 23 April 2021
Place: Shanghai
With the improvement of the epidemic prevention and control measures, the industry has accelerated the resumption of work and business. Some companies have insights into opportunities and new methods such as big data and artificial intelligence for catering Industry.
During the Tenth China Smart Catering Innovation Summit participants will discuss hot topics in the catering industry and the latest development trends of smart catering. It is a platform for companies in the industry to conduct brand promotion and a channel for information and technology exchange. With the rapid growth of China’s smart catering, 4,300 catering brands, more than 340 catering experts, 320 industry leaders and 200 investment institutions have participated in the summit in 2019.
The “Smart Innovation Award” award ceremony will commend enterprises and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the entire catering industry from 2020 to 2021. This awards ceremony has set up 5 awards for the catering industry, with a total of 85 winners. The specific award setting and solicitation process are as follows:
Awards:
- 2021 Smart Catering Personality Award (5 winners)
- 2021 Smart Catering Innovation Solution Award (10 winners)
- 2021 Best Catering Supplier Award (20 winners)
- 2021 Outstanding Catering Brand Award (30 winners)
- 2021 Catering Brand Emerging Award (20 winners)
China International Fishery and Seafood Expo
Source: Canton Fair, China International Fishery and Seafood Expo
Dates: 24-16 September 2021
Place: Guangzhou
Guangzhou International Fisheries Exhibition FISHEX dedicated to building a platform for international fishery and aquatic product industry trade negotiations. It is the best platform for global fishery high-end product companies, processing companies, and traders to enter the Chinese seafood market. Guangzhou Fishery Expo integrates procurement transactions, product display, and technical forums.
As the most specialized exhibition of aquaculture in China, FISHEX adheres to the exhibition tenet of “specialization, internationalization, and marketization”, and is committed to building a platform for the international aquaculture industry. Release of international advanced technology, promotion of global companies, and the strengthening of cooperation between domestic and foreign companies are the key goals of FISHEX.
China business events 2021: beauty and fashion industry
China Beauty Expo
Source: China Beauty Expo, China beauty expo 2019
Dates: 12-14 May 2021
Place: Shanghai
The 28th China Beauty Expo gathers global beauty products buyers and industry professionals to create a friendly, win-win industry ecosystem. The exhibition attracts domestic and foreign wholesale agents, owners of beauty salons, and manufacturers to participate in trade negotiations. Participants can gain access to the latest trends and information of the domestic and foreign beauty industry, and grasp the future development trend of cosmetic market in China.
Exhibition scope includes professional beauty (beauty salon skin care products, body products, weight loss products, technology and equipment), medical beauty (plastic materials, plastic equipment, plastic surgery technology), hairdressing products, daily chemical products, etc. The exhibition’s rules require participants to have a business license. Foreign cosmetic brands need to have commodity inspection certificate and sanitary certificate to join the fair.
China International Fashion Fair
Source: Jingle Office, China International Fashion Fair
Dates: 10-12 March 2021
Place: Shanghai
On March 10 – 12th, 2021 China International Clothing & Accessories Fair (CHIC) will take place in Shanghai. Founded in 1993, CHIC has always been on the top of the fashion wave. It has the largest influence in Asia specializing in brand apparel fair, and always have been committed to building a rich diversity through creativity. Over the years, more and more diversified brand companies, high-quality manufacturing companies, clothing- related industries participate in CHIC. In 2021, CHIC Shanghai Fashion Show will connect everyone closely with more matching channel resources, more pragmatic on-site activities, presenting all Chinese clothing industry’s views on the new era of Chinese fashion.
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