We have visited 2 big fairs during the semester in Guangzhou.

Canton Fair

The Fair is the largest trade fair in China and it's definitely one of the best happenings in Guangzhou. That's also why it's hard to find decently priced hotels in the April or October around Guangzhou. There were over 20000 exhibitors during three weeks, which were divided into three parts: electronics, home appliances and clothing. We went there on the second week. We bought tickets from the ticket office building outside the complex, only 100RMB each. It is easier to get in when you have your own business, just give your business card and you'll get a ticket with your photo in it. Take as many cards as possible; the Chinese way to communicate in these events is to exchange business cards.

There were huge sections of furniture, toys, packaging materials and Christmas decorations; reaching from toilet brushes to human-sized talking Santas. There were whole areas of deparments dedicated for clothing hangers, etc. As designers we concentrated on the subjects closest to our interests, like furniture or toys. Among the huge amount of stuff, it was pleasant to find original Chinese design, both traditional and contemporary.

We also found out that there was a seminar schedule for domestic and international speakers. There was an organization, called PDC gallery, which held events to bring Chinese and international designers together. We got to speak to event organizers and got some useful contacts for future.

Auto Guangzhou - 10th International automobile exhibition

All the imported car makers are racing to take over China's expanding street network. There are cars for everyone: Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maseratis for the rich people, but most importantly Audis, BMWs and Lexuses for the enormously growing middle-class. In China, there are hundreds of millions of people entering the time of owning two pairs of rubber shoes! The potential is unimaginatively huge, and the only place to show up here in Southern China is The Canton Fair Complex, the only place where it is possible to fit hundreds and hundreds of cars and tens of thousands of visitors under one roof. There's 1,125,000 m² of exhibition space, take that minimalists!

Yet again, we experienced the volume and the massiveness of China. There were so many cars and exhibitors that one day wasn't enough to see them all. Even for car lovers like us, the visual information was vast. When crowds built up, so did the volume: Each carmaker trying to compete with louder and louder music and other special effects. Lots of beautiful Chinese girls posing next to almost every car, except on the Mini department: there were poster-shining British boy-band-looking young guys.

Maybe the most surprising thing was the waiting lines for the brochures of car details. Chinese makes are doing better and better and demand for them is increasing. That's also why all the "traditional" makers want to have their cut on the China's market. For now, the longest line was in the Citroen department!