Business & Trade
Business visits and professional exchange
The Greater Bay Area offers New Zealand visitors a chance to see how technology, manufacturing, international trade and professional services work alongside one another. A visit can combine an industry exhibition, a university discussion, time with local businesses and an NZGBA gathering.
What do you want to find out?
Business and market visits can help you understand how a product reaches its customer. A food exporter might want to meet distributors and see competing products in shops; an importer might want to compare samples and discuss production. Decide that first, then approach the people who can answer your questions.
Industry visits can focus on a product, its components or the way it is made. Tell a prospective host what you want to see and why, so they can suggest the right people and arrange access.
Educational delegations and professional exchange can bring MBA students, educators, researchers and practitioners into a focused discussion about entrepreneurship, technology or international business. Approach the relevant institution separately for research collaboration.
Where should you go?
- Technology and product development: Shenzhen and Dongguan
For product development and technology businesses, start with Nanshan. For manufacturing, look at Bao'an and the relevant Dongguan towns. Check the product clusters below before choosing appointments.
- Furniture, interiors and appliances: Foshan and Zhongshan
Longjiang has furniture production, Lecong has showrooms, and Guzhen has lighting markets and fairs. Choose according to whether you need to compare finished ranges, discuss production or meet lighting suppliers.
- Trade, exhibitions and research: Guangzhou
Use Pazhou for the Canton Fair; for a company visit, identify the district associated with your product rather than assuming a fair venue is close to the factory.
- International services and cross-border business: Hong Kong and Macao
Use Hong Kong for international professional services and trade exhibitions; compare Macao for hospitality, conventions and Portuguese-speaking-market connections. Plan entry and business arrangements separately from the Mainland.
Use the GBA Products & Industries Guide for product descriptions and local sources, and the city guides for the wider setting, arrival routes and local context.
Visiting a factory or supplier
Confirm who and where you are visiting
Decide whether you want to discuss a product, review samples or understand a production process. Confirm the legal company name, host, meeting time and people taking part. Ask whether you are visiting a factory, showroom or office, and save the full address in Chinese with your arrival contact.
Prepare with your host
Send the product references, drawings or specifications you want to discuss, and agree which samples to bring. Confirm what you can see, the working language and any interpreting arrangements. Ask the host about access and personal protective equipment (PPE), and agree what may be photographed or shared.
Leave with a clear next step
Match each product or sample reference to the company and person you met. Record the agreed specification, open questions and any quotation, sample or document promised. Before leaving, agree who will do what, by when and through which channel; use those same references in your follow-up.
Which fair, which month, which audience?
The fairs below offer different products and audiences. Dates were checked on 19 October 2026; follow the organiser's calendar for later trips.
- Guangzhou: Canton Fair. Its autumn 2026 phases run 15-19 October, 23-27 October and 31 October-4 November. The broad product range suits importers comparing several categories; match your products to a phase using the official buyer guide and NZGBA's Canton Fair guide.
- Guangzhou: CIFF. The China International Furniture Fair runs 18-21 March 2027 for home furniture and 28-31 March for office, commercial furniture, equipment and materials. Furniture retailers, interior designers and manufacturers need different parts of the programme.
- Shenzhen: China Hi-Tech Fair. The official CHTF site lists 26-28 November 2026 at Shenzhen World in Bao'an. Its exhibition areas include AI, robotics, semiconductors and energy storage, giving technology businesses and research groups a more focused starting point than a general consumer-goods fair.
- Hong Kong: electronics and related trade events. The HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair was held on 13-16 October 2026 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. For a later electronics trip, use the organiser's next published edition and exhibitor list.
- Macao: trade and investment. The Macao International Trade & Investment Fair runs 21-24 October 2026, with the first day reserved for trade visitors. Its exhibitor list and business programme are a starting point for organisations exploring Macao's trade and investment connections.
Use the organiser's current dates, venue and admission information before booking travel. To meet other Kiwis during your trip, browse NZGBA's event listings for gatherings and participation details.
Universities, associations and professional networks
HKUST (Guangzhou)'s knowledge-transfer work connects research with industry and entrepreneurship. An education group exploring commercialisation or innovation can investigate the university's research interests and approach its Office of Knowledge Transfer with a proposed discussion topic and group profile.
The Shenzhen Cross-Border E-Commerce Association is a sector-specific starting point for understanding online retail and the businesses supporting it. Its activities may be relevant to New Zealand brands, importers, eCommerce sellers and service providers. NZGBA's own discussion with the association is described below.
For an organisational delegation, CCPIT's International Relations department describes its role in receiving overseas business visitors and liaising with trade organisations. Its national and local organisation links can help identify the appropriate trade-promotion contact for a proposed exchange.
AustCham South China's events offer another programme to investigate for regional business discussions and professional networking. Check each event's city, audience, price and registration conditions with its organiser. For established Kiwi networks, see Mates; for official support to develop a New Zealand export business, use the NZTE and trade-services guide.
Contact each organisation directly about its programme and participation arrangements.
Recent NZGBA exchanges
University of Auckland MBA visit, Shenzhen
On 19 August 2026, NZGBA's founder spoke with visiting University of Auckland MBA students in Shenzhen about entrepreneurship, the GBA and New Zealand connections in southern China.
Shenzhen Cross-Border E-Commerce Association discussion
On 15 July 2026, NZGBA met with the Shenzhen Cross-Border E-Commerce Association to discuss eCommerce, New Zealand-GBA business connections and possible future exchanges.
Make the travel and meetings work together
Choose the correct exhibition venue. The Canton Fair Complex is in Guangzhou's Pazhou area. Shenzhen's Futian Convention and Exhibition Centre and Shenzhen World in Bao'an are separate venues. A hotel convenient for one can be poorly placed for the other. Check the event's own venue before deciding where to stay.
Group nearby visits together. Hong Kong high-speed rail connects West Kowloon with destinations including Futian, Shenzhen North and Guangzhou South. Those stations serve different parts of their cities; the train journey is only one part of the trip. Allow for border formalities and the final local transfer. Use the Hong Kong-Shenzhen transport guide and New Zealand arrival guide to choose your route.
Allow for language. Agree whether the discussion will be in English, Mandarin or another language. For technical or professional topics, an interpreter needs the relevant subject vocabulary; send a short topic outline beforehand and allow time for interpretation. Agree who arranges and pays for it.
For an itinerary crossing Mainland China, Hong Kong or Macao, use the relevant entry and arrival guidance.
Discuss a possible visit with NZGBA
If you would like a local New Zealand perspective during a business or education visit, tell NZGBA who is coming, what you want to discuss, and your cities and dates. Include the group size, working language and any gaps in your itinerary. For an eCommerce discussion, tell us what you sell, which channels you use and what you want to learn.
Hosts, costs and participation arrangements must be agreed before a proposed activity is confirmed.