Global Sources Hong Kong Shows: A Guide for Consumer Product Brands

Short answer: The Global Sources Hong Kong Shows are supplier-led sourcing fairs at AsiaWorld-Expo, held in April and October. They are built for factories and exporters, many of them OEM and ODM manufacturers, who sell to importers, retailers and brands. The October 2026 shows ran from 11 to 14 October and from 18 to 21 October; April 2027 dates were not yet published as of 20 October 2026. For most consumer brands, the shows work best as a place to find manufacturers and components. Exhibiting makes sense only if you sell wholesale to importers and distributors.

Global Sources Hong Kong Shows at a glance

Global Sources organizes the shows; Gloture has no affiliation with Global Sources or any other organizer named here. Global Sources' own website limited our access when we checked on 20 October 2026, so some details below come from search previews of its pages and from its press releases. Confirm everything with the organizer before booking.

The phase line-up comes from a Global Sources article on the October shows (Global Sources, 2026). Phase names and categories can change by edition.

How the Global Sources model works

Global Sources also runs an online sourcing site, and its shows follow the same logic. Suppliers exhibit; buyers come to find them. The organizer describes the shows as a meeting place for "trusted global suppliers" and offers tailored business matching (Global Sources press release, November 2025).

The key labels are about suppliers, not brands (Global Sources supplier quality page):

• Verified Supplier: a supplier or exhibitor "whose business registration details have been verified by independent third parties" such as Dun & Bradstreet, Experian or TÜV SÜD.
• Verified Manufacturer: a Verified Supplier whose business scope, as licensed by the relevant government departments, allows it to manufacture goods.

Global Sources also says its site "includes some suppliers who have not been verified." Verification here means a registration check. It isn't a factory audit, a quality certification or a product test, so do your own due diligence before placing an order.

Past results, and how to read them

Global Sources reports visits and entries, not unique buyers. One buyer who attends on three days, or visits two phases, can be counted more than once. These are organizer-reported figures, not audited.

• October 2025 (three phases): about 5,000 suppliers, nearly 9,000 booths, an AI Pavilion of more than 1,200 booths, more than 340,000 products, suppliers from 19 countries and regions, and more than 120,000 buyer visits (Global Sources press release, November 2025).
• April 2026 (three phases): "over 130,000 visitor entries" from more than 180 countries and regions. The organizer reported double-digit growth in visitors from North America, Europe, Latin America, Japan, South Korea and ASEAN, said new buyers made up over half of attendance, and named buyer companies including Hama, Belkin and Li & Fung (Global Sources press release, May 2026).
• October 2026: results not yet published; Phase 2 was still running on 20 October 2026.

Don't compare these with HKTDC's "buyers" figures for the Hong Kong Electronics Fair. The two organizers count differently.

OEM, ODM and OBM: what the terms mean

You'll see these three abbreviations on almost every booth sign. Common industry definitions, as used by sourcing platforms such as the Alibaba.com Seller Blog and BBCIncorp, are:

Be careful with "OEM". It's used loosely. On a booth sign it usually means "we make products for other brands", and some factories that say OEM really offer ODM designs with your logo on them. Others use it for any custom order. Ask exactly who owns the design, the molds and the tooling, and who holds the intellectual property, before you sign anything.

When a brand benefits, and when a factory does

The shows are designed for the factory side of the table. That's the most important thing to understand before you book.

A brand benefits most as a buyer. If you're looking for a manufacturer for a new product, a second source, accessories, packaging or components, the shows put thousands of suppliers in one place. You can compare samples, prices and minimum order quantities in a few days.

A brand can benefit as an exhibitor if it sells wholesale. If you have your own brand (OBM) and want importers, distributors or retail buyers in other markets, a booth can work, provided you can quote export prices, minimum orders and lead times on the spot. Buyers walking the halls expect that.

A factory benefits most as an exhibitor. OEM and ODM suppliers get in front of overseas buyers who are actively sourcing. That's the audience the organizer markets to.

A brand is a weak fit as an exhibitor if its goal is consumer awareness, media coverage or crowdfunding backers. There are no consumers on the floor, and your branded booth sits among suppliers offering similar products for other people to label.

Costs

Global Sources doesn't publish booth prices. Booths are quoted by its sales team. Some third-party agents publish price lists in renminbi aimed at mainland Chinese suppliers, but those are agent quotes, not official prices, so don't base a budget on them.

Plan for the other cost categories too: stand design and build, freight and samples, staff travel, hotels, and lead follow-up. Floor space is typically only a fifth to a third of the total cost; see what it costs to exhibit.

How to exhibit or visit

• Exhibitors: booth booking goes through the Global Sources sales team. We found no public eligibility rules for exhibitors. Ask which phase and hall suit your category, what verification you'll need, and what business matching is included.
• Buyers: pre-register online. Global Sources says admission is for trade buyers aged 18 and over, with no retail or sample sales, and that the admission fee is waived for pre-registered buyers.
• Media: we couldn't find a public media registration page. Ask the organizer how press is accredited before planning any announcement.

Global Sources vs HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair

Both run electronics shows in Hong Kong in April and October, and in October 2026 their dates overlapped: Global Sources Phase 1 ran 11–14 October and HKTDC's Autumn Electronics Fair ran 13–16 October.

If you're a brand that wants to exhibit, HKTDC's Hall of Fame is the more natural home; see our Hong Kong Electronics Fair 2027 guide. If you're sourcing, many buyers plan visits to both in the same trip.

A note on the Canton Fair

The China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair, in Guangzhou is the other big sourcing fair in the region. Its 140th session was reported for 15–19 October, 23–27 October and 31 October – 4 November 2026 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Pazhou (China Ministry of Commerce, 2026, in Chinese). The 139th session in spring 2026 reported 314,000 overseas buyers from 220 countries and regions and more than 32,000 exhibitors (organizer release via AAP, May 2026).

The Canton Fair is overwhelmingly a fair for Chinese exporters. Overseas companies can exhibit only in its International Pavilion, the import section. We didn't verify International Pavilion prices for the current session. For a consumer brand, it's mainly a sourcing trip, not a launch venue.

How to Reach Japanese Media Around Global Sources Hong Kong Shows

A sourcing show isn't a media launch, and Japanese consumer media aren't its audience. The connection to Japan is indirect but real: the organizer reported double-digit growth in visitors from Japan in April 2026, so a Japanese importer or distributor you meet may want Japanese materials quickly.

• If you meet a Japanese distributor, prepare a Japanese one-page summary: product, specifications, suggested retail price, certifications and support. Distributors often want to know how the product will be introduced to Japanese media and retailers. See how to approach Japanese electronics retailers and sales partners.
• Announce the Japanese launch in Japan, not at the show. Japanese editors cover products readers can buy. Once a distributor, price and release date are fixed, send a Japanese release then, with the show as background.
• Use the one-hour time difference. Hong Kong is one hour behind Tokyo, so follow-up calls and releases during show week fit Japanese business hours.
• Pitch by beat. Find the Japanese sites that cover your category in the guide to Japanese gadget websites, and send review units from stock in Japan, not from Hong Kong.
• If you also exhibit at a brand-facing show, use that for the media push. See how to turn a trade show launch into Japanese media coverage.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

• Thousands of suppliers by category in one venue: about 5,000 in October 2025, by the organizer's count.
• Phases by category, so a buyer can plan a short, focused visit.
• Supplier verification labels give a first filter, and pre-registered buyers enter free.

Disadvantages

• Built for suppliers; brands get little consumer or media exposure.
• No public booth prices or exhibitor rules.
• Visit and entry figures can't be read as unique buyers.
• April 2027 dates weren't published as of October 2026, which makes early planning harder.

Who it suits

• Brands sourcing a manufacturer, components or accessories, as registered buyers.
• Brands with wholesale pricing and export capacity that want importers and distributors, as exhibitors.
• OEM and ODM factories selling to overseas buyers.

It suits brands less when the goal is awareness, press coverage or a crowdfunding launch.

Preparation timeline

Where Gloture fits

If a Hong Kong sourcing trip leads to a Japanese distributor or a Japanese launch, we prepare the Japanese release and media materials, pitch the outlets that cover your category and arrange review units in Japan. We don't source manufacturers or book booths, and we have no affiliation with Global Sources. Product PR in Japan starts from US$2,500. We don't guarantee coverage; editors decide. To see whether your product is ready for Japanese media, start a Japan PR Review.

Global Sources show checklist

Frequently asked questions

Does "Verified Supplier" mean Global Sources inspected the factory?

No. Global Sources says Verified Suppliers have had their business registration details checked by independent third parties, and Verified Manufacturers are licensed to manufacture. That is not a factory audit or product test, so arrange your own inspections and samples.

How much does a booth cost?

Global Sources doesn't publish booth prices; its sales team quotes them. Agent price lists found online are aimed at mainland Chinese suppliers and aren't official. Budget for build, freight, staff and travel on top of the space.

Should a consumer brand exhibit or just visit?

Most consumer brands get more from visiting as buyers, to find manufacturers and components. Exhibit only if you can sell wholesale to importers and distributors, with export pricing and minimum orders ready.