The trade show sourcing toolkit: what to bring and which apps you need
Most of what goes wrong at a sourcing show is small: a dead phone at 3 pm, no business cards left on day two, a price written on the back of the wrong card. This list fixes those.
The short answer
Bring power for your phone, your own business cards, a way to get online, a translation app, a measuring tape, and one tool that records products, vendors and prices together. Everything else is optional.
Physical kit
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Power bank (10,000 mAh or more) and a short cable | A show day of photos and scanning drains a phone by mid-afternoon |
| Your business cards, 200+ for a big show | Suppliers expect to exchange cards. Many will not quote without one |
| Comfortable shoes | You will walk many kilometers. This is not a joke |
| Measuring tape | Check product and carton sizes yourself |
| A small notebook and pen | For sketches and for the moment your phone dies |
| A tote bag | Catalogs and samples add up fast |
| Printed badge or registration QR | Lines at registration are long on day one |
Connectivity
Venue Wi-Fi gets slow when thousands of people use it. Buy a local eSIM or SIM before you arrive, or use roaming. If you go to mainland China, check which of your apps work there and which need a VPN, and set that up before you travel.
Whatever you use to record products should work offline and sync later. A tool that needs the internet to save a record will fail you at the busiest booth of the day.
Apps
For recording products and vendors
This is the tool that matters most. It has to:
- Take product photos and link them to a vendor.
- Read business cards into contacts.
- Store price, price term, MOQ and price breaks.
- Work offline.
- Let your team see the same records.
Options:
- A spreadsheet works for a few booths and one buyer. It struggles with photos, cards and team edits on a phone.
- A notes app is fast, but notes cannot be sorted or compared by price later.
- A general CRM is built for sales pipelines, not product quotes.
- A sourcing app such as Show Sourcing is built for exactly this: products, vendors, prices and landed cost in one place.
Our comparison page goes through each option honestly.
For communication
- WeChat. Most Chinese suppliers prefer it to email. Install it and set it up before you travel. Sign-up can need a verification step.
- WhatsApp. Common with suppliers in Hong Kong, India and the Middle East.
- Email for formal quotes and samples.
For translation
A translation app with camera mode reads labels and spec sheets. Download the offline language packs before the trip.
For money and maths
- A currency converter, or a tool that converts prices for you.
- Know your landed cost formula. See FOB to landed cost.
For the official show
Most big shows have an official app or website with the exhibitor list, hall maps and an e-badge. Use it to plan, then record your own notes in your own tool.
Before you leave home
- Set up your recording app and log in, so you are not doing it on the show floor.
- Add your target categories and target prices.
- Invite your teammates, so everyone writes to the same catalog.
- Test business card scanning on two or three cards you already have.
- Charge everything, and pack the power bank in your carry-on.
Frequently asked questions
What should I bring to a sourcing trade show?
Bring a power bank, 200 or more of your own business cards, comfortable shoes, a measuring tape, a notebook, a way to get online (eSIM or roaming), a translation app, and one tool that records products, vendors and prices together.
Do I need WeChat for Canton Fair or the Hong Kong shows?
Many Chinese suppliers prefer WeChat to email, so it helps to have it. Set it up before you travel, because sign-up can need a verification step.
Do I need internet at the trade show?
Venue Wi-Fi is often slow on busy days. Get a local eSIM or roaming, and use a recording app that works offline and syncs later.
Can I use a spreadsheet to record products at a trade show?
Yes, for a small trip. A spreadsheet gets hard to use on a phone with photos, business cards and several teammates. A sourcing app keeps those together.