At the organizational level, Hongqiao International Tech Week is guided by the Administrative Committee of Hongqiao International Central Business District, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, and the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission. It is organized by Informa Group, with the Shanghai Technology Innovation Center serving as its Strategic Innovation Partner and GEC as its Strategic Partner. Suppliers’ ability to connect with procurement decision-makers is supported in part by government backing. The Shanghai Global Technology Partnership Program identifies the event as an important exhibition platform, attracting buyers within established industry and institutional networks who often attend with specific procurement objectives.

For suppliers, the biggest challenge is often not a lack of customers, but getting past layers of assistants to reach the people who actually make purchasing decisions. Emails go unanswered, business cards collected at exhibitions end up forgotten in a folder, and the people with real purchasing authority rarely appear among visitors casually browsing the exhibition floor.

Hongqiao International Tech Week 2026 takes a different approach: it makes buyer invitations a structured process, putting decision-makers directly onto your meeting schedule instead of leaving connections to chance.

Why Is It So Difficult to Reach Decision-Makers? Because You Are Waiting for Them to Show Up

Most suppliers follow the same routine: set up a booth and wait for customers to walk in. However, visitors who proactively approach unfamiliar booths are often researchers or operational staff. People responsible for budgets usually have tightly scheduled calendars arranged by their assistants and are unlikely to browse an exhibition at random.

As a result, suppliers often meet people who say, “I’d like to learn more,” rather than those who can say, “We can make a decision.”

This is why Hongqiao International Tech Week brings buyer invitations forward to the pre-event stage.

The event provides a buyer engagement service spanning the periods before, during, and after the exhibition. Supported by a database of more than 100,000 industry buyers, the service facilitates over 2,000 one-to-one targeted business matchmaking sessions, alongside value-added services for targeted matchmaking and media exposure.

When suppliers clearly define their target buyer profiles before the event, relevant decision-makers have a better chance of being included in their schedules. By making buyer invitations a structured process, Hongqiao International Tech Week helps turn hard-to-reach decision-makers into people suppliers can actually meet.

Nearly 40% of Expected Attendees Could Be in Decision-Making Roles

Hongqiao International Tech Week is scheduled to take place from November 20 to 22, 2026, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). The event is held annually.

For suppliers, exhibition space and exhibitor numbers are basic considerations. The more important question is: Who will actually attend?

Among the expected attendees, nearly 40% are projected to be corporate executives, directors, partners, and department heads. Technical experts and engineers are expected to account for around 30%, while procurement professionals and other attendees will make up 16%.

Hongqiao International Tech Week targets participants across a broad range of sectors, including manufacturing, financial services, logistics and freight distribution, industrial parks and major energy-consuming enterprises, real estate and construction, and education and research. Procurement demand is therefore not concentrated in a single industry.

Together, these attendee groups mean the event is expected to bring together people who control budgets, technical professionals who can translate requirements into specifications, and procurement representatives who can discuss commercial terms directly.

For suppliers, the key is not simply the size of the audience, but the proportion of attendees who can influence or make purchasing decisions. Hongqiao International Tech Week positions attendee quality around this composition. Rather than casting the widest possible net, suppliers should focus on reaching the right people.

How Can You Tell Whether Someone Has Real Purchasing Authority?

Once you receive a meeting list, you still need to distinguish decision-makers from other contacts. Hongqiao International Tech Week’s targeted business matchmaking process can help suppliers assess potential contacts through three main indicators.

First, look at their job titles. C-suite executives, managing directors, partners, and department heads are often positioned higher in the decision-making chain.

Second, assess their purchasing intent. Buyers who enter targeted matchmaking with clearly defined procurement objectives generally have more specific needs than visitors attending only to explore the exhibition.

Third, look for concrete requirements. People who arrive with a budget range, technical specifications, or minimum requirements may already be comparing potential suppliers.

For suppliers, these indicators help allocate limited meeting time effectively. With buyers who are already comparing options, focus directly on solutions and commercial terms. With those who are still exploring, prioritize explaining your value proposition and relevant case studies.

By making buyer requirements available through targeted matchmaking, Hongqiao International Tech Week helps suppliers decide in advance how to approach each meeting. When attendee profiles and matchmaking requirements are visible before the event, suppliers can make better-informed decisions about where to invest their time.

Structured Buyer Invitations Start with Three Pre-Event Actions

Hongqiao International Tech Week uses targeted business matchmaking rather than relying solely on on-site visitor registration to connect suppliers with buyers. Its database of more than 100,000 industry buyers provides the foundation for matching, while more than 2,000 one-to-one targeted business matchmaking sessions form one of its key value-added services.

For suppliers, this approach replaces “wait for customers to show up” with “finalize the target list before the event and meet people by appointment on-site.”

The key is to define requirements clearly. For example, stating, “We want to meet manufacturing procurement managers with budgets for intelligent production-line upgrades,” is much more useful than simply writing, “We are looking for customers.”

Hongqiao International Tech Week also offers exhibition booths, sponsorship opportunities, and targeted business matchmaking. For suppliers whose main objective is to establish business connections, concentrating resources on matchmaking and buyer invitations can make their efforts more focused.

Once the Invitation Is Sent, Follow-Up Is Where Conversion Begins

Securing a meeting is only the beginning. Real conversion often happens after the exhibition.

Effective follow-up means more than sending a generic thank-you email to everyone. It requires acting on the specific information gathered during each meeting:

At Hongqiao International Tech Week, matchmaking starts before the event and continues through in-person, one-to-one discussions on-site. The more specific the conversation, the easier it is to identify clear follow-up actions.

For suppliers, following up while discussions are still fresh is generally more effective than reconnecting several months later. By making buyer invitations part of a structured process, Hongqiao International Tech Week aims to ensure that every in-depth discussion produces actionable next steps rather than a collection of business cards that lead nowhere.

Four Indicators to Check When Assessing Whether the Event Can Connect You with the Right People

Hongqiao International Tech Week offers four practical indicators suppliers can use to assess the event’s relevance to their objectives.

1. Review the attendee profile. Nearly 40% of attendees are expected to be decision-makers, around 30% technical experts, and 16% procurement professionals and others. The presence of these groups creates opportunities to discuss business with decision-makers, technical specialists, and procurement representatives.

2. Examine the invitation process. More than 2,000 matchmaking sessions are planned, with arrangements beginning before the event. Relevant contacts can be scheduled in advance rather than left to chance on the exhibition floor.

3. Assess the buyer database. The database of more than 100,000 industry buyers provides the foundation for matching. The more specific your buyer profile, the more targeted your invitations can be.

4. Consider the strength of the regional ecosystem. Hongqiao brings together more than 7,000 digital economy companies, over 3,600 automotive industry-chain companies, and more than 1,000 new energy companies. The Yangtze River Delta’s total economic output exceeds RMB 25 trillion. For decision-makers based in the same city or region, arranging a second meeting after the exhibition can cost far less than traveling across regions.

Hongqiao International Tech Week’s location within the Hongqiao International Open Hub takes advantage of this potential for convenient follow-up and continued business engagement.

Suppliers Should Define Whom They Want to Meet Before Planning Their Exhibition

Step 1: Clearly define your target buyer profile. Specify the job title, industry, and purchasing focus. The more precise the profile, the better.

Step 2: Clarify the type of cooperation you are seeking. Are you looking for business partners, distribution channels, or joint-development opportunities? Different objectives require different types of contacts.

Step 3: Submit your matchmaking requirements early. Hongqiao International Tech Week’s more than 2,000 matchmaking sessions are arranged starting before the event. If you wait until you arrive to look for contacts, decision-makers may already have full schedules.

There are three types of exhibition booths: raw space, standard or premium shell-scheme booths, and startup booths. Suppliers whose main objective is to meet decision-makers should prioritize matchmaking and buyer invitations, treating the exhibition booth as a supporting tool.

For the first two booth categories, each 9-square-meter booth includes three exhibitor badges, providing a practical basis for attending several consecutive one-to-one business meetings.

The recommended order is simple: decide whom you need to meet, clarify what you want to discuss, and then arrange the matchmaking sessions. With this sequence in place, conversations on-site have clear objectives and relevant participants.

By making buyer invitations a structured process, Hongqiao International Tech Week encourages suppliers to identify their target contacts before the event begins.

Three Common Mistakes Suppliers Make When Exhibiting

Even with buyer invitations arranged before the event, suppliers can still fall into three common traps.

Mistake 1: Defining requirements too broadly. If the matchmaking request contains only a vague statement such as “looking for customers,” the organizer has little information to identify suitable contacts. Specific buyer profiles are essential for relevant matching.

Mistake 2: Dividing meeting time equally among all contacts. This can result in important buyers receiving only superficial attention while less relevant contacts take up too much time.

Mistake 3: Delaying follow-up after the event. Even a promising conversation can lose momentum if the supplier waits a month before getting back in touch.

Hongqiao International Tech Week’s invitation and matchmaking process is designed around advance preparation. More specific requirements can improve matching; limited meeting time should be allocated to the most relevant buyers; and agreed actions should be followed up promptly after the event.

By avoiding these three mistakes, suppliers can make each business meeting more productive. Spending an extra hour refining buyer profiles before the event could translate into several additional hours of effective conversations on-site.

Preparation is what turns exhibition attendance into meaningful business engagement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Should suppliers attend Hongqiao International Tech Week as exhibitors or visitors?

Companies primarily interested in networking and building supply-chain relationships can attend as professional visitors and use the matchmaking service. Companies that want to set up a booth or participate in a joint display can apply as exhibitors. Both participation types can make use of Hongqiao International Tech Week’s matchmaking and buyer invitation services.

Q: How can I arrange meetings with procurement decision-makers before the event?

Hongqiao International Tech Week uses targeted business matchmaking to invite suitable decision-makers and schedule meetings in advance. The process is supported by a database of more than 100,000 industry buyers, helping suppliers identify whom they are scheduled to meet before arriving.

Q: When and where will Hongqiao International Tech Week 2026 take place?

Hongqiao International Tech Week is scheduled for November 20–22, 2026, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). The event is held annually. The timing falls before many companies finalize their budgets for the following year, allowing suppliers to plan meetings in line with buyers’ project and procurement schedules.

Q: What proportion of attendees are expected to be decision-makers?

Nearly 40% of expected attendees are corporate executives, directors, partners, and department heads. Technical experts and engineers are expected to account for around 30%, while procurement professionals and other attendees will make up 16%. Together, these groups are expected to bring decision-makers, technical specialists, and procurement representatives to the event.

Q: How does matchmaking work, and what should I prepare in advance?

Hongqiao International Tech Week plans to facilitate more than 2,000 one-to-one targeted business matchmaking sessions, with arrangements spanning the pre-event and post-event periods. Certain matchmaking-related sponsorship packages include pre-event appointment scheduling and access to dedicated on-site meeting rooms. The more specific your requirements, the more targeted the matching can be.

Q: How can I get in touch about registration and exhibiting?

Visit the official Hongqiao International Tech Week website at www.hongqiaotechweek.com to submit an application to exhibit or attend. You can also follow the HongqiaoTechWeek WeChat public account or search for Hongqiao International Tech Week on WeChat Channels, Xiaohongshu, and Douyin for event updates. Suppliers can specify their target buyers and business objectives when submitting their applications.