Product Sourcing in Gotham City – Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair 2024

All work and no play makes travel abroad rather dull.

Between Phase 2 and 3 of Canton Fair, I had intended to visit the Reed Gift Fair in Shenzhen and the Gifts and Premium Fair in Hong Kong. On arrival by bullet train in Shenzhen from Guangzhou however, I was met with a deluge of rain, that made travel around the city impossible. Instead, I headed earlier to Hong Kong, yes to visit the exhibition, but also for a few days of well-deserved R & R. At Canton Fair you are covering at least 15 kms per day, so the body had earned a breather.

Train travel in China

The train trip from Guangzhou, via Shenzhen to Hong Kong was a comfortable one. China’s bullet train network, known as the high-speed rail (HSR) system, is the largest and most advanced in the world. Spanning over 42,000 kilometers (26,000 miles) as of 2023, it connects more than 500 cities across the country, including major urban hubs like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. The network handles over 2 billion passengers annually, revolutionizing travel with trains that reach speeds of 350 km/h (217 mph) on its busiest routes. With ongoing expansion plans, the HSR system is a vital part of China’s transportation infrastructure, covering more ground than any other high-speed network globally and significantly reducing travel times across vast distances.

Authentic Chinese Food

Chinese cuisine is incredibly diverse, reflecting the vast geographic, cultural, and culinary traditions across the country. Major regional styles include Cantonese with its mild, fresh flavors, Sichuan known for its bold and spicy dishes featuring chili and peppercorns, Shandong emphasizing salty and savory flavors, and Jiangsu, which focuses on sweetness and intricate presentation. Each region offers its own specialties, but one dish that transcends regions and is popular throughout China is the hotpot.

Chinese hotpot is a communal dining experience where diners cook various ingredients like thinly sliced meats, vegetables, tofu, and seafood in a simmering pot of broth right at the table. There are typically different broth flavors available, ranging from mild and herbal to intensely spicy, especially in Sichuan-style hotpot, which features numbing peppercorns and chili oil. Hotpot allows for a customizable and social eating experience, making it a favourite for gatherings and celebrations.

The HK Trade Show

The Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair, held at the sprawling Hong Kong Exhibition Centre was a secondary consideration. With more than 4,300 exhibitors from over 30 countries, the fair was an impressive showcase of a wide array of gifts, premiums, and lifestyle products. Attracting over 50,000 visitors from around the world, the event provided a bustling platform for international business.

The Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair, hosted at the iconic Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, is set against the skyline of what some fondly call “Gotham City” due to the towering buildings and the city’s dramatic atmosphere. The venue was vast, but despite the size of the exhibition, I found fewer unique or innovative products compared to what I had encountered at the Canton Fair earlier in the year. Many of the items felt somewhat generic or overpriced, which didn’t align with our goals of sourcing affordable yet distinctive products for our customers.

Despite the scale, however, the experience felt different from my time at the Canton Fair — the product selection was more limited, and the prices were noticeably higher, making it less attractive for sourcing products. Unlike at the Canton Fair, I left the Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair empty-handed. No products were sourced during the trip, which was disappointing from a business perspective. The fair just didn’t offer the value I was hoping for, especially when comparing prices and selection to the more expansive Canton Fair in Guangzhou.

I made the most of the trip by enjoying the city itself. Hong Kong, with its fast pace, towering skyscrapers, and vibrant culture, truly lives up to its “Gotham City” nickname. I took the opportunity to relax and explore the city, balancing the intensity of the fair with some much-needed downtime. Although the fair didn’t result in any new products, the experience was still valuable, and the city never fails to impress.