Enlybee is a London consultancy with its own operations team in Guangdong. We help UK businesses choose the right exhibition, plan the visit properly, and meet suppliers with an experienced colleague beside them.
Almost every first conversation we have starts with one of these.
It’s your first time going to China, or your first trade exhibition there.
You don’t have anybody on the ground when you land.
You need an interpreter, and you’ve no way of knowing who’s reliable.
You’re walking into supplier meetings without knowing what to ask.
There are dozens of shows a year and you don’t know which one is even yours.
You’ll come home with a bag of business cards and no way to judge them.
The discovery call isn’t with a salesperson. It’s a video call with the small project team who would look after your trip: at least two specialists, led by Jenny on the commercial side in London and Feng, who heads our operations team in Guangdong. You get to know the team first, then decide.
Your team on one Zoom call, led by Jenny in London and Feng in Guangdong. Bring whatever’s on your mind.
A written follow-up on your market in China — where the demand sits and how buyers there tend to work.
How to get the most out of your days on site: which phase, which halls, what to prepare.
Your market plan and exhibition plan are in your inbox. You know which halls, which days, and which suppliers are worth your time.
Feng’s team already know your shortlist. You’re met by people you’ve spoken to, not strangers.
Someone beside you who speaks the language, asks the questions you’d miss, and can tell a factory from a trading company.
Supplier notes written up in English, and a team still in Guangdong to follow up for you.
The alternative is doing all of this alone, in a second language, on a three-day clock.
Pick a morning slot that suits you from the live calendar.
£450 + VAT, paid when you book. Your slot is confirmed straight away.
An hour on Zoom with your project team, then your written plans follow by email.
Most China advice comes from one of two places. A UK consultant who holds the relationship but has never walked the halls. Or a local agent paid a percentage of your order — who therefore earns more the more you spend.
We sit in neither camp. You contract with a UK company, under English law, with a VAT invoice and one person accountable to you. The people doing the work on the ground live and work in Guangdong.
We have been working on the Chinese market, and writing about it, since 2021: from digital platforms and e-commerce to trade exhibitions and sourcing.
We charge a fee, not commission. What you pay us doesn’t change with what you decide to buy.
Most people know the Canton Fair. Far fewer know that the import expo in Shanghai, the supply-chain expo in Beijing and the AI conference each draw a completely different room. Choosing the wrong one is the most expensive mistake you can make before you have even left.
| Exhibition | City | Next edition | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Sources — Hong Kong Shows | Hong Kong | 11–14 & 18–21 Oct 2026 | Electronics, smart home, gifts, lifestyle |
| Canton Fair — Import & Export Fair | Guangzhou | 15 Oct – 4 Nov 2026Then spring 2027, mid-April (TBC) | Sourcing, manufacturing, almost everything |
| Guzhen Lighting Fair — China (Guzhen) International Lighting Fair | Zhongshan, Guangdong | 22–25 Oct 2026Then March 2027 (TBC) | Sourcing lighting, LED and smart lighting from China’s lighting capital |
| CIIE — International Import Expo | Shanghai | 5–10 Nov 2026 | Selling into China, not buying from it |
| WIC — World Internet Conference | Wuzhen | November 2026 (TBC) | Digital economy, policy, platforms |
| CHTF — China Hi-Tech Fair | Shenzhen | 26–28 Nov 2026 | Hardware, electronics, innovation |
| CICPE — Consumer Products Expo | Haikou, Hainan | April 2027 (TBC) | Selling into China — consumer brands, duty-free, retail buyers |
| CISCE — Supply Chain Expo | Beijing | Summer 2027 (TBC)Last held 22–26 Jun 2026 | Logistics, supply-chain partnerships |
| WAIC — World AI Conference | Shanghai | July 2027 (TBC)Last held 17–20 Jul 2026 | AI, robotics, deep tech, investors |
| CIFIT — Investment & Trade Fair | Xiamen | September 2027 (TBC)Just held 8–11 Sep 2026 | Two-way investment, JV partners |
| CIFTIS — Trade in Services Fair | Beijing | September 2027 (TBC)Just held 9–13 Sep 2026 | Services, education, finance, creative |
Listed by next edition. Dates checked 14 September 2026 against organiser announcements; “TBC” means the organiser has not yet confirmed the next dates.
Plan Spring 2027 now, not in the new year. UK passport holders can currently enter China visa-free for 30 days — but that arrangement is set to run only to 31 December 2026. Nothing has been announced beyond it. If you are going in April, assume you may need a business visa and an invitation letter again.
October is more crowded than it looks. Global Sources Hong Kong opens four days before Canton Fair Phase 1, and Yiwu opens two days before Canton Phase 2. Sequenced properly, one seventeen-day trip covers three shows. Sequenced badly they simply clash, which is why most buyers end up flying twice. Lighting buyers have a second choice to make: lighting sits in Canton Fair Phase 1 (15–19 October), while the Guzhen Lighting Fair in Zhongshan runs 22–25 October, spread across a main hall and eight sub-venues around the town, so it rewards a local guide.
The distinction that catches people out: the Canton Fair is where you buy from China. The CIIE in Shanghai is where you sell to it. Turning up at the wrong one costs a week and a flight.
We started with China’s digital platforms, followed brands into e-commerce and market entry, and now spend most of our time on trade exhibitions and sourcing. Every stage is still in our insights library.
Open to read. No email address required.
