Outdoor area falls short for trade show exhibitors

On the first day of the Canton Fair's second phase, a sales representative surnamed Wu stood in a daze beside coils of electrical wiring left on the ground next to the company's stand, while rain pelted down on stone decorations being displayed by the outdoor home decoration manufacturer from Xiamen, Fujian province. That day, Wu didn't sell anything or talk to many customers.

"We pay 40,000 yuan for this exhibition space, but there is no electricity, no landline and no internet. It's raining now, but the organisers don't even help put up a canopy.

"We simply cannot do business here," said Wu, who declined to give her full name for fear of being blacklisted.

Several stands away Rita Yang, who had a stack of brochures introducing her Jacuzzi company from Foshan, Guangdong province, came to the fair with high expectations.

"You'd think there would be a lot of people since this is the first time [to show outdoor spa equipment], but look around, you only see a few people," said Yang. "I am not sure if the organisers have done their job to promote this properly."

This year's Canton Fair, officially known as the 115th China Import and Export Fair, was organised by the China Foreign Trade Centre, and sponsored by the Commerce Ministry and the Guangdong provincial government.

As in past years, the fair runs in three phases that last for five days each. The second phase which opened on April 23 featured consumer goods, gifts and home decorations.