Global Sources' China Sourcing Fairs fall series open today

HONG KONG, October 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Sources' (NASDAQ: GSOL) fall 2012 consumer goods shows opened today at Hong Kong's AsiaWorld-Expo featuring a wealth of innovative, high quality and environment-friendly products. The shows run until Oct. 22.

Featuring over 1,900 booths from exhibitors from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, South Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam, the co-located shows are China Sourcing Fairs: Gifts & Premiums, Home Products, Christmas & Seasonal Products, Baby & Children's Products, Solar & Energy Saving Products, Medical & Health Products, and India Sourcing Fair: Home Products.

"Tens of thousands of buyers make the Fairs a regular stop on their trade show schedule as they recognize the sourcing efficiency gained by meeting quality suppliers with quality products, many of whom do not exhibit at other shows in the region," said Tommy Wong, President of Global Sources Exhibitions.

The theme for this season's shows is eco-friendly products and designs for better living and a new feature, Future Living Gallery, will showcase quality and innovative products that are produced by suppliers who demonstrate awareness of environmental and social issues.

According to a buyer survey conducted by Global Sources in April this year, 82 percent of buyers sourced green products, 74 percent are willing to pay a premium for green products and 50 percent of surveyed buyers took suppliers' social responsibilities into consideration while sourcing.

"As global consumers become more environmentally and socially aware, more and more buyers are now requiring manufacturers to conform to environmental and social standards. These suppliers will be exhibiting high quality and environmentally friendly products at our shows," explained Wong.

Value-added services to enhance buyer and supplier efficiency

To help buyers and exhibitors meet and do business more effectively, Global Sources is organizing a series of special on-site activities at the Fairs. These include:

• Free conference programs to help international buyers conduct more efficient trade in Asia. The programs provide a comprehensive source of information on China's supply chain market and feature a broad range of hot topics from China sourcing strategies to emerging market trends.
• Private Sourcing Events to help suppliers meet one-on-one with top international buyers. Fourteen sourcing teams from Amazon.com, Direct Sourcing Group, Falabella, First Act, Lightinthebox, OfficeMax and Restaurant Services, Inc. are scheduled to attend, with a combined annual sales of more than US$90 billion.
• Color Trends Area features color forecasts for various products, including home products and gifts and premiums in Hall 5.
• Online Sourcing Fairs boost buyers sourcing productivity by enabling them to view products and engage with exhibitors before, during and after the physical shows, or even if they cannot visit the physical shows. Suppliers' exhibition investment will be extended from a few days to several months. In addition, suppliers will reach more buyers and develop more business opportunities -- which should translate into an improved return on investment.
• Global Sources Show Guide magazines. Thirteen enhanced sourcing magazines that incorporate the Fair show guides -- featuring the exhibitor list and floor map -- and a CD-ROM that contains a copy of all Global Sources' eMagazines, are being distributed to buyers on-site. This one-of-a-kind initiative puts in buyers' hands information on hundreds of additional verified suppliers and their products, boosting the productivity of their show visit.

"Sourcing fairs like this one are just one aspect of the services we provide. Global Sources maintains the industry's broadest and most integrated multi-channel sourcing platform, allowing buyers to find and meet suppliers using our online marketplace, print and digital magazines, face-to-face and online shows, and private sourcing events," concluded Spenser Au, CEO of Global Sources.

Opening times for the Hong Kong China Sourcing Fairs are:

• October 19-21 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• October 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Buyers can find more information, including details about free transport to the venue and back, at the China Sourcing Fairs website: http://www.chinasourcingfair.com.

About Global Sources

Global Sources is a leading business-to-business media company and a primary facilitator of trade with Greater China.

The core business facilitates trade between Asia and the world using English-language media such as online marketplaces (http://www.globalsources.com), print and digital magazines, sourcing research reports, private sourcing events, trade shows, and online sourcing fairs.

Over 1.18 million international buyers, including 90 of the world's top 100 retailers, use these services to obtain product and company information to help them source more profitably from overseas supply markets. These services also provide suppliers with integrated marketing solutions to build corporate image, generate sales leads and win orders from buyers in more than 240 countries and territories.

Global Sources' other businesses provides Chinese-language media to companies selling to and within Greater China. These services include online web sites, print and digital magazines, seminars and trade shows. In mainland China, Global Sources has a network of more than 30 office locations and a community of over 4 million registered online users and magazine readers of its Chinese-language media.

Now in its fifth decade, Global Sources has been publicly listed on the NASDAQ since 2000.