The role of the Canton Fair has undoubtedly dwindled, with the number of buyers dropping significantly from previous years, said Qiu Lingpei, international business department of Xipoint Technology Co Ltd.

"We no longer see the Canton Fair as the only, or the primary, channel for business expansion. But it serves as an important and irreplaceable venue for managing existing customer relations," Qiu said.

The success of previous sessions was a double-edged sword to exporters, since buyers who already pinpointed business partners via the fair would not choose to come on a frequent basis, thus eroding chances for winning new contracts, said Zhou Qi, director of sales of panel TV maker Skyworth.

"I expect that five years from now, the platform will remain largely effective, especially to industries that undergo frequent reshuffling. Once you come to the fair, you get to see a consortium of leading players, and it's easier for you to compare them," he said.

For smaller-cap companies, face-to-face negotiation effectively reduces uncertainties about deals made using virtual channels, said Xu Lingfei, general-manager of Zhejiang Zhuguang Group Christmas Lighting Co Ltd.

Xu's company, with annual sales of $20 million, has adopted online channels to find business opportunities. But she was worried about encountering fake dealers online.

"If they bother to fly all the way to the event, there's more likelihood that the demands are urgent and real," she said.

It is true that new communications media have brought countries "closer" worldwide. Yet, ironically, more efficient communications and transportation have also underscored the strategic importance of geographic clusters of production, said Dan Steinbock, research director of International Business at the India, China and America Institute.

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