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Verifying a Supplier After a Trade Fair Introduction
Trade fair meetings create trust quickly, so buyers should turn the conversation into a documented supplier file.
A trade fair meeting can make a supplier feel familiar before any real verification happens. You saw the booth, handled samples, and met a salesperson. That experience helps, but it does not prove the legal entity, production site, or payment route.
Start with the business card and booth materials. Record the company name, website, booth number, salesperson, product line, and any claimed factory address. Then ask for the business license, invoice entity, bank beneficiary, and production site tied to your product.
Compare the fair identity with later documents. Some booths represent multiple factories, group companies, or sales agents. If the proforma invoice comes from a different name than the booth, ask why before approving payment.
Save photos of samples and booth claims with dates. If the supplier later changes product specifications or claims the sample was only for display, your notes will help reconstruct what you saw.
A fair introduction should move into the same verification route as any online lead. The source of the lead changes the context. It does not remove the need for evidence.
Working checklist
- Record booth and salesperson details.
- Compare fair name with invoice issuer.
- Save sample photos.
- Ask for production site evidence.
- Use the normal supplier file process.