How to book exhibitor meetings before a fair
Send each exhibitor a focused meeting request stating the product, the decision you want to make and who should attend. Agree the agenda, local meeting time, stand location and a contact for changes, then obtain an explicit acceptance. Cambridge China Bridge can help coordinate these arrangements through its staff in China.
Give the appointment a buying purpose
Decide what the meeting should resolve: whether the factory can make your design, which existing model merits sampling, or what information is missing before a quotation. State your intended market, product use and purchasing stage. Ask the exhibitor to confirm that the relevant products will be on display.
Keep fair selection separate from appointment planning; see whether the Canton Fair is worth attending. Send a concise product brief with the request, using the factory quotation email guide for detailed quotation preparation.
Request people who can answer your questions
Ask for the sales contact responsible for your market and someone who understands the product's materials, manufacturing or engineering. Describe the questions each person will need to answer rather than asking vaguely for a manager. For custom work, request someone who can discuss drawings, tooling and proposed changes.
Get their names and roles confirmed. Ask whether the technical person will attend at the stand or join remotely, and agree the working language and any interpreting arrangements. If the necessary person cannot attend, arrange a separate technical discussion rather than treating a sales introduction as a technical review.
Agree an agenda and useful preparation
Put the buying purpose at the top of the agenda. Follow it with the sample or demonstration to review, the technical questions, commercial questions and the next action you hope to agree. Separate questions that need an answer at the meeting from documents the exhibitor can send afterwards.
Ask the exhibitor to prepare the relevant models, material options, drawings or existing test reports where these matter to your decision. Confirm what will actually be available. Share enough information to make the discussion useful, while keeping sensitive design details out of a general introductory message.
Confirm the stand and the booking
Request the fair name, relevant session or phase, meeting date, local start and finish time, venue, hall and full stand reference. Confirm the exhibitor name shown on the stand, especially if your contact represents a factory exhibiting under another name. Check the location against the organiser's current floor plan and leave room for walking between halls.
Ask the exhibitor to reply accepting the appointment and confirming the attendees, agenda and location. Save the acceptance with your calendar entry. Agree an on-site contact, communication channel and how either party will notify the other of delays or changes. Reconfirm before travelling and check the stand details again before the meeting.
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Use a request the exhibitor can answer
Adapt this message: “We are a UK buyer sourcing [product] for [use and market]. We would like to meet to decide [specific outcome]. Could your sales contact and a technical colleague attend? We propose [date and local start and finish time]. Please prepare [models or documents] and confirm the attendees, agenda, hall, stand and on-site contact.”
Treat a suggested slot as provisional until the exhibitor accepts it. If there is no reply, follow up through an established company contact and keep the visit flexible. After the meeting, record agreed actions and unanswered points using the supplier questions and exceptions guide.
Frequently asked questions
What should I put in an exhibitor meeting request?
State the product, intended market, meeting purpose, requested attendees, proposed local time and agenda. Ask for the hall, stand and an explicit acceptance.
Should I ask for an engineer at a trade fair meeting?
Ask for a technical colleague when your decision depends on materials, drawings, manufacturing or performance. Explain the questions and confirm who will attend.
How do I know my exhibitor appointment is confirmed?
Obtain a reply accepting the date and local time, with the location and attendees confirmed. A message you sent or an unanswered calendar invitation is still provisional.
What if the exhibitor changes stand or cannot attend?
Use the agreed on-site contact to confirm the new location or arrange another meeting. If a replacement lacks the necessary knowledge, book a separate technical discussion.