Canton Fair launches indoor navigation for vast exhibition halls

The China Import and Export Fair, often called the Canton Fair, has rolled out a new indoor navigation service aimed at helping exhibitors and buyers find their way through its vast exhibition complex, organizers said on Thursday.

The system provides booth-level navigation in selected halls using a combination of Bluetooth, Beidou satellite positioning, and 5G technology. A pilot program is currently operating in 10 exhibition halls, according to a statement released Thursday by China Foreign Trade Center Group.

Organizers said the technology is intended to address long-standing difficulties with indoor positioning at large-scale venues. The system allows users to locate exhibition halls and individual booths through the Canton Fair mobile app.

The updated app also includes route-planning functions that allow users to generate customized visiting paths based on selected exhibitors or procurement needs. Navigation features are linked with information on service facilities inside the venue, such as catering and logistics areas.

Held twice a year in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, the Canton Fair is China's largest trade exhibition. The 138th session, which ended on Nov 4, attracted more than 310,000 overseas buyers from 223 countries and regions, official data shows. Intended on-site export transactions totaled $25.65 billion.

The 139th session of the fair will open on April 15 at the Canton Fair Exhibition Hall in Guangzhou's Haizhu district. It is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the Guangdong provincial government.