01
Give each stage a different output
Buying for several rooms can involve furniture, cabinetry, bathroom fittings and finishes that will not all be ready for the same decision on the same day. A two-stage visit is useful when the first trip has a discovery purpose and the project team will review designs and scope before a final order.
It is not a promise that a supplier will produce drawings, accept unlimited revisions or hold a price while you are away.
| Stage | Useful output | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|
| First Foshan visit | Room-coded shortlist, visible material and furniture comparisons, supplier questions and sample references. | A display item is the final product or that a factory meeting proves capability. |
| Review at home | One revision register, named reviewers, dated drawings and quotations, and unresolved assumptions. | A 3D render is a production drawing or a verbal answer is a fixed term. |
| Second visit or final review | Check the exact sample, finish or mock-up question that still needs in-person judgment. | Travel itself constitutes technical or purchase approval. |
02
Separate product groups before the first visit
Start with the room list and current drawings. Give each item a stable code, intended quantity, destination project, known dimensions and the person who can approve it. Mark provisional measurements and design ideas unmistakably.
Group products by the evidence they need. Seating may require comfort and upholstery comparison; cabinets require site dimensions, appliance interfaces, materials, hardware and controlled drawings; tiles and sanitaryware need product references, quantities and project-side suitability review.
A single whole-home conversation may be convenient, but it does not prove one company makes or controls every category. Ask who is quoting, who would prepare drawings, who would supply each item and who would handle later changes.
03
Ask each supplier about the design handoff
If a supplier proposes a 3D layout, ask what input it needs, who owns the source drawings, what the deliverable is and whether a design fee, revision limit or credit against an eventual order applies. Request any terms in writing for the exact item.
Different product categories may follow different drawing processes. Do not turn a visualization into a universal promise of production readiness.
- Record the exact product or sample reference and its room or item code.
- Photograph the visible option and label what was actually seen, without treating a showroom image as proof of hidden construction.
- Ask what is included in the proposed scope and what remains provisional or excluded.
- Write down the requested drawing format, dimensions, material and hardware information, and revision process.
- Name the person who will answer each missing question and the project professional who will review fit and technical interfaces.
| Supplier question | Written answer to request |
|---|---|
| What design work is included? | Deliverable format, fee basis, revision conditions and drawing owner. |
| What is still needed for a firm quotation? | Missing dimensions, materials, hardware, quantities and scope boundaries. |
| What can be inspected locally? | The exact sample or display reference and what it does not demonstrate. |
04
Control one revision register between visits
When family members, a designer or a project manager review options remotely, feedback must attach to a specific version. Keep one row per room or item code with the supplier reference, drawing or render revision, date, reviewer, requested change, supplier response, open measurements and next decision.
Separate a family preference from a supplier commitment. Do not rely on several unnumbered image threads that make it unclear which version is current.
| Decision record field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Item code and supplier reference | Keeps the answer tied to the intended room rather than a similar display. |
| Drawing or render version and status | Distinguishes a concept, supplier proposal and controlled approval drawing. |
| Change, response and owner | Prevents a preference from being mistaken for a supplier commitment. |
| Open site or commercial assumption | Shows what must be resolved before a comparable quotation or order. |
05
Make the second visit earn its place
Return for a named physical decision that documents cannot settle well enough for your approval process: sitting on the exact seating model, comparing a finish beside an approved sample, reviewing a proposed mock-up or seeing a specified product with the responsible team. If the remaining issue is a missing scope line or dimension, request the corrected document first.
A second trip may be unnecessary when the buyer and qualified project team can review controlled evidence remotely. Before any deposit or production release, confirm final site dimensions, exact item scope and exclusions, materials and hardware, controlled drawings, delivery and payment terms, and who approves each step.
Independent inspection, destination compliance, installation and freight arrangements have separate responsibilities and must not be inferred from the sourcing visit. Buyer approval remains an explicit written decision.
06
Keep Canton Fair discovery separate from Foshan follow-up
The official organizer lists furniture, building and decorative materials, and sanitary/bathroom equipment in Phase 2 of the 140th Canton Fair, October 23-27, 2026. A fair lead can start the shortlist, but a Foshan sourcing visit is separate from the fair and should have its own project decisions and supplier confirmations.
VELA Home Global is an independent Foshan sourcing service, not the Canton Fair organizer, official guide, ticket or badge provider, or exhibitor. Within an agreed scope, Alison can help plan a focused local route, support English-Chinese supplier conversations and organize comparison notes for the handoff between visits. Fair access, exhibitor or factory meetings, supplier performance, drawings, revisions, pricing, quality, inspection, logistics and purchasing results are not guaranteed.
Buyer questions
Frequently asked questions
What should I decide on the first Foshan visit?
Compare visible products and materials, ask suppliers what information they need and create a room-coded shortlist. Keep provisional designs and prices clearly marked as unapproved.
Can a supplier's 3D render be used to place an order?
Not by itself. A render communicates design intent; confirm dimensions, item specifications, technical interfaces, controlled drawings and written commercial terms with the relevant project professionals and buyer.
Do I need a second trip to Foshan?
Not necessarily. Return only when an in-person comparison or sign-off has a defined purpose. Some decisions can be reviewed remotely with controlled documents and samples, subject to the buyer's approval process.
Is VELA Home Global part of the Canton Fair?
No. VELA is an independent Foshan sourcing service, not the organizer, official guide, ticket or badge provider, or exhibitor.
Source notes
Official sources used for current fair details
Event dates, exhibition phases and venue details can change. Check the official organizer before booking travel or relying on a product-area schedule.
- Official Canton Fair exhibition dates and categoriesOrganizer source for Phase 2 dates and relevant categories, checked October 22, 2026.