Conclusion first:The 140th Canton Fair will be held in Guangzhou in three phases from October 15 to November 4, 2026. It coincides with the 70th anniversary of its establishment and is the most important customer acquisition battle for China factories in the second half of the year. according to21st century economic reportIt is reported that more than 210,000 overseas buyers from 196 countries and regions have pre-registered this year, with professional buyers accounting for nearly 80%; among the 32,000 exhibitors, more than 11,000 have specialized and innovative products, and 64% of the exhibitors have integrated the industrial Internet and AI into the production and supply chain. Whether this exhibition can be effective depends on whether the three processes of pre-exhibition invitation, in-exhibition reception, and post-exhibition follow-up are solid.
Why this Canton Fair is worth taking seriously by factories
Needless to say, the weight of Canton Fair goes without saying: exhibitors account for 5% of the country's foreign trade companies and contribute 16% of the country's general trade exports. In the spring and autumn of each year, more than 300,000 buyers attend the conference. Looking at the macro perspective, General Administration of Customs of China data shows that in the first eight months of 2026, my country's import and export volume was 34.78 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 17.6%, of which private enterprises accounted for 56.9%(General Administration of Customs of China), in other words, the main force of export growth is factories and foreign trade companies like you. At the same time, it should be noted that 64% of exhibitors this year have used AI and industrial Internet into production and supply chains. The gap between peers in digital customer acquisition is rapidly widening. The era of relying on a table and chair to wait for customers to come to the door is over.
30 days before the exhibition: Invitation and preparation list
There is only one core goal in the pre-show stage: to let old customers and new clues know which booth you are at and what new products you can see before launching. The list of things you can do is as follows:
- Sort out the transactions and inquiry customers in the past two years, divide them into three categories according to key customers, potential customers, and wait-and-see customers, and send exhibition invitation letters and booth numbers one by one;
- Use email and WhatsApp or phone to make two rounds of invitations: in the first round, invitations will be sent 3 weeks in advance, and in the second round, the meeting date will be confirmed 1 week in advance and the interview time will be reserved;
- Prepare English product manuals, quotations (including FOB and CIF), sample boxes, and bring at least 2 new products to give customers a reason why they have to come;
- Training booth personnel: Each person has an 8-minute product explanation, response to common technical questions, and customer grading record form (business card + demand + intention ABC).
Reception during the exhibition: turning people into effective inquiries
Don't pursue lively conversation in the exhibition, but pursue complete records. Each visiting customer completes three things on the spot: clarifying the needs (product, quantity, target market), judging the identity (trader, brand party or peer factory), and agreeing on the next step (visiting the factory, returning the quotation or sending samples). Leave 30 minutes every day after closing the museum to sort out the customer rating table. Key customers will send a personalized follow-up email that night, writing down the details discussed while their memory is still hot. The next day, customers will wake up and see you and other exhibitors. Differences. Sit less and stop more at the booth and take the initiative to greet passing buyers. A targeted opening statement can often be exchanged for effective communication.
Follow-up after the exhibition: 7-day golden period play
There is a conversion window 7 days after the exhibition closes. It is recommended to differentiate it according to customer level:
- Level A customers (with clear purchasing intentions): Send a thank-you letter and quotation within 24 hours, and confirm the details by phone within 3 days;
- Class B customers (with undetermined demand): send selection data and similar cases within 3 days, and do secondary follow-up within 7 days;
- Class C customers (general inquiries): Put them on the monthly mailing list uniformly, continue to reach out to the content, and do not take up the main follow-up time.
Resumption is equally important: count the number of customers, quotation conversion rates, and customer unit prices in each category, and record this year's transaction gap and reasons for customer loss one by one, as the starting point for pre-exhibition preparations and product adjustment for the next exhibition.
The three major new changes this year should be used in advance
according toMinistry of Commerce press conference/Sina FinanceNews, this year has introduced the AI invitation push and buyer labeling system for the first time. The portraits of buyers are more accurate. Exhibitors should carefully fill in product labels and exhibit information so that the system can match you to the right person. In terms of accreditation, a total of 360 windows include the airport, high-speed rail station, passenger port, 60 hotels and 3 accreditation centers in exhibition halls to accept purchasers 'accreditation. When inviting customers, they can directly send accreditation guidelines to lower the threshold for the other party to attend the meeting. In addition, exhibitors 'vehicle licenses have been applied and paid online, and exhibition logistics no longer has to queue up to run windows, and the time cost has been significantly reduced.
Key actions and time points before, during and after the exhibition
| stage | key actions | time point |
|---|---|---|
| pre-show | Customer solicitation, sample and quotation preparation, booth staff training, product label filling | 30 days to 1 week before launch |
| developing | Customer grading records, follow-up of key customers that night, new product demonstrations and demand confirmation | Exchanges from October 15 to November 4 |
| post show | Differentiated follow-up, data review and gap sorting for A/B/C-level customers | Start within 7 days after the exhibition is closed |
3 issues that factory owners are most concerned about
This is the first time to participate in the exhibition, and the booth is in a bad location. Is there anyone else?
Location affects random flow of people, while more than half of the effect of mature exhibitors comes from pre-exhibition invitations. By thoroughly completing the two rounds of invitations and reserving the interview time, the location disadvantage can be greatly offset. First, find a way to fill the daily schedule of customers who are confirmed to attend.
The customer said to contact him later. Is it true or polite?
Look at the integrity of the record: If there are specific product models, quantity ranges, and delivery requirements, follow up according to level A; if there are only business cards and group photos, they will be downgraded to level C for content access. The judgment is based on the record, not the atmosphere of the scene.
Participate in all three exhibitions or only one?
You can only participate in the exhibition according to the product's exhibition period. The focus is to review daily and dynamically adjust sample display and speaking techniques within the same exhibition period. It is more cost-effective than blindly adding more exhibition periods, and the saved costs can be invested in follow-up after the exhibition.
Conclusion and action recommendations
Canton Fair is a systematic project: invitations before the exhibition determine the attendance rate, receptions during the exhibition determine the quality of clues, and follow-up after the exhibition determines the final transaction. Treat the period from now to the end of the exhibition as a battle and implement it one by one according to the list. The effect will naturally be better than in previous years. If you want to evaluate your factory's overseas plans, you can contact Qihang AI (telephone 180-0327-6609).
This article was written by Qihang Zhilian Trade Research Institute and released on September 29, 2026.
