The Canton Fair is an enormous trade show that takes place in China every spring and fall. It is the largest trade fair in China and is an excellent place for sourcing and finding suppliers to make your products. Listen in as Fred and Jeremy interview a special guest who is an expert on sourcing. Together they discuss strategies for communicating with suppliers and other tips for having a successful Canton Fair experience.

In This Episode

• 01:00 Jeremy's Boston adventures
• 05:08 Tortuga updates
• 07:02 Fred's Canton Fair plans
• 09:02 Canton Fair: The Basics
• 12:55 Communication struggles
• 15:33 Canton Fair logistics - where to stay, how to get in, etc.
• 18:40 What is a trading company?
• 22:00 Meet "Tim", an experienced sourcer
• 23:03 Tim's specific Canton Fair goals
• 26:27 Do your research beforehand!
• 29:38 Strategies to use when talking to suppliers
• 32:14 Strategies to avoid
• 39:31 How to stay in touch with Canton Fair contacts
• 43:27 Evaluating factories on Alibaba
• 46:22 Placing an order with Alibaba factories
• 52:29 Word to the Wise

People On This Episode

• Jeremy Michael Cohen
• Fred Perrotta

Links from This Episode

• Northeast Mountaineering - Guides for mountain and ice climbing; also affordable lodging
• Tortuga Packable Daypack - Our newest product available for presale
• Power Trip 009 - How we design products and an interview with our industrial designer, Josh
• Canton Fair - Huge import/export fair in China
• Uber - App for finding private cars or taxis
• Alibaba - Online resource for finding factories in China

Word to the Wise

• Jeremy: Wild Tales by Damián Szifron - Nominated for best Foreign Language Film; collection of 6 short films about people who are extremely distressed and under a great deal of pressure
• Fred: Dan Deacon on Tiny Desk Concert - A giant NPR dance party that's sure to turn a gloomy day around

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