CIFF Guangzhou Guide: Phases, Exhibitors and Buyers
By Ilyas Kerbal,
If you sell to furniture makers or buy from them, the China International Furniture Fair in Guangzhou is the one show you can’t ignore. It is the largest furniture trade fair in the world by exhibitor count and floor space, and in March it takes over the entire Canton Fair Complex in two back-to-back phases.
Below you’ll find how the March dates work, what each phase covers, who walks the aisles, how to register for free, and how sales teams use the CIFF Guangzhou exhibitor and attendee list to plan their week.
Quick facts
| Industry | Furniture |
| City | Guangzhou, China |
| Venue | Canton Fair Complex (China Import & Export Fair Complex), Pazhou, Guangzhou |
| Dates | March, in two phases, 2026: Phase 1 18–21 Mar, Phase 2 28–31 Mar |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Moves between cities? | No (sister edition in Shanghai each September) |
| Typical scale | ~300,000 attendees · ~4,000 exhibitors |
| Visitor ticket | Free (pre-registered trade visitors) |
| App / platform | CIFF Click2Connect sourcing platform + WeChat |
| Official website | ciff-gz.com |
Details checked in October 2026. Dates, prices and venues can change between editions, so confirm on the official CIFF Guangzhou website before you book travel.
What is CIFF Guangzhou?
CIFF has run since 1998. The Guangzhou edition is split by audience:
- Phase 1 covers home furniture, outdoor and leisure furniture, home décor and textiles.
- Phase 2 covers office and commercial-space furniture, hotel and contract furniture, and CIFM / interzum guangzhou, Asia’s leading fair for furniture production machinery, fittings and raw materials.
That second phase is often overlooked. It brings thousands of Chinese furniture manufacturers into the halls as visitors, which makes it the entry point for anyone selling machinery, hardware, coatings or materials to the furniture industry.
For buyers, it is the most efficient place to source from the Pearl River Delta furniture cluster. Practically every major Chinese maker is there.
Home furniture fills Phase 1 of CIFF, while office, hotel and contract furniture take over in Phase 2. Photo: Gpkp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Dates and venue
CIFF Guangzhou is held every March. The 2026 edition used this schedule, and the next edition is expected to follow the same two-phase pattern in March 2027 (check ciff-gz.com for confirmed dates):
| Phase | 2026 dates | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 18–21 March | Home, outdoor, décor, textiles |
| Phase 2 | 28–31 March | Office, hotel, contract, plus CIFM / interzum guangzhou |
Both phases take place at the Canton Fair Complex in Pazhou (Haizhu District), reachable by Metro Line 8 at Pazhou or Xingangdong. The March show doesn’t rotate. The same organiser runs a separate CIFF Shanghai in September at the NECC, so the brand appears in two cities a year, but the Guangzhou edition is always in Pazhou.
The timing also lines up with the Shenzhen and Dongguan furniture fairs, so many international buyers turn March into a full sourcing trip.
Who you’ll meet at CIFF
Around 300,000 visitors and about 4,000 exhibitors take part.
| Visitor type | Typical goal | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|
| Importers, wholesalers and retailers (150+ countries) | New suppliers and product lines | Furniture factories, logistics, QC and inspection firms |
| Interior designers, architects and specifiers | Products to spec into projects | Contract and design-led manufacturers |
| Hotel, office and project buyers | Volume contract furniture | Phase 2 exhibitors, fit-out suppliers |
| Real-estate developers and fit-out contractors | Packages for large projects | Contract furniture, lighting, flooring |
| E-commerce and private-label sellers | OEM partners | Factories with low MOQs, packaging suppliers |
| Chinese furniture manufacturers | Machinery, hardware, materials | CIFM / interzum exhibitors |
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Registration and tickets
Entry is free for trade visitors who pre-register online at registeren.ciff-gz.com. Registration is real-name, so bring the passport or ID you used. It’s a trade-only event, and international buyers can join the iConnect programme for help with registration and information on visa-free travel.
CIFF’s digital tools
CIFF runs Click2Connect, an online sourcing and matchmaking platform that links buyers and exhibitors before and after the fair. Badges and updates come through the registration site and CIFF’s WeChat account.
Click2Connect is useful for browsing, but it won’t give a sales team what it needs: a filterable list of the right companies with names, roles and contact routes that can go straight into a CRM. With 4,000 exhibitors across two phases, building that by hand takes days.
Pros and cons of CIFF Guangzhou
Why it’s worth it
- Unmatched breadth: practically every major Chinese furniture maker exhibits
- Free entry for trade visitors
- Two-phase format separates home and commercial segments
- The co-located machinery and materials show reaches manufacturers directly
- Easy to combine with Shenzhen and Dongguan fairs
What to watch out for
- Overwhelming size; you need a shortlist and several days
- Guangzhou hotels get expensive and crowded during the fair
- Many exhibitors are factories with limited English
- Design copying and IP concerns come up every year
- Less relevant for buyers focused on premium European design
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A simple prospecting plan for CIFF
- Pick your phase. Selling to retailers or importers? Phase 1. Selling to hotels, offices or manufacturers? Phase 2.
- Segment the exhibitor list by hall and product category before you leave, and mark your top 50.
- Reach out two to three weeks before with a specific reason to meet at the booth.
- Use Click2Connect for exhibitors that respond better on the platform than by email.
- Keep a short note per meeting and log it in your CRM on the evening of each day.
- Follow up within a week. Factories and buyers meet hundreds of people in March.
FAQ
When is CIFF Guangzhou held?
Every March. In 2026, Phase 1 ran from 18 to 21 March and Phase 2 from 28 to 31 March, both at the Canton Fair Complex in Pazhou. Expect the 2027 edition in March as well.
Is CIFF Guangzhou free to attend?
Yes, for trade visitors who pre-register online with real-name details.
What is the difference between CIFF Guangzhou and CIFF Shanghai?
They share an organiser. The Guangzhou edition is held in March in Pazhou; CIFF Shanghai is a separate edition every September at the NECC.
Can I get the CIFF exhibitor list?
CIFF’s platform lets you browse exhibitors, but not export them. An enriched, pre-built list is the quickest way to get a CRM-ready version.
Order your CIFF Guangzhou attendee and exhibitor list
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Related event guides
- Furniture China and Maison Shanghai: September Fair Guide
- Canton Fair Guide: Phases, Buyer Registration and Leads
- GILE Guangzhou Lighting Fair: Dates, Visitors and Lead Lists
Sources
Photo credits
- Cover image: Aerial View, Zone B, Canton Fair Complex 20230701-C by Tim Wu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- In-article image: Furniture Fair (2025) 46 by Gpkp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
