Like many other buyers, he arrived one day in advance by taking the high-speed train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou. This is not his first time on a high-speed train. In fact, he has taken the train many times over the years, meeting his suppliers and visiting factories in China.
However, he is still amazed by the speed and less number of stops, which really enhances the passenger experience and travel efficiency. "I like it a lot. I wish we had a great train like that in the United States. That one is awesome," he said.
Meeting old friends and seeking new partners
In 2006, Steve attended the Canton Fair for the first time. Ever since then, he has been visiting the fair once a year or twice a year, in April and October. As of now, he has been a participant in nearly 28 phases of the fair.
As the president of NeuQuality International Products 90, he comes to China almost every year to source all kinds of products for American customers in the Mideast. He has more than 30 years in manufacturing with experience in various metals (castings, machining, and finishing), plastics, construction, printing, packaging, etc.
Every year, he came to the Canton fair to look for new products and seek potential partners to work with in the future. And this year is no exception.
"Canton Fair has the kind of products that I need for my customers. It has a lot of foundries, machining, welding, metal parts, and higher quality for OEM-type customers. Everything's here, and I will continue to try to expand our business in China," he said.
Apart from looking for new products, he will visit dozens of factories across China, including Tianjin, Taizhou, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Changzhou, Ningbo, Xiamen, and Dongguan. Through his connections with the Canton Fair, he gets to know that a factory in Dongguan has exactly the kind of product his company needs.
"I will pay a visit to the Dongguan factory on April 25 for the first time. If the products fit our needs, we will be ready to work with the owner and place the order," he added.
Through the fair, he has gained some new partners, and some even become friends. “Usually, I get one or two new partners in China through the fair every one or two years. The ones I have now are so good and such good friends that you don't leave them, because you can trust them.”
Convenient digital payment as Steve wishes
This year, the fair has facilitated digital payments for foreign visitors, adding more payment options for them. As stated in the guidebook of WeChat Pay, with overseas bank cards, the users can simply download the WeChat app, register an account, and add an overseas bank card in two steps.
As an old-timer to the fair, Steve used to need to have someone with him so that he can spend cash. He admitted that he had always wanted to get that fixed at the fair and try the digital payment.
“I want to spend money, and I could never do it before. And so I always had to have somebody with me. I'm excited to try it. If it works, I'm gonna be really happy,” he added.
During his short stay in Guangzhou, he will also enjoy some delicious Cantonese food in the evening with some old friends that he met at the Canton Fair.
