Canton Fair Exhibitors Hiring a Booth Interpreter: Which Badge, What Proof, and Why One Interpreter Cannot Work Two Companies in One Phase (140th Session)

Checked 4 October 2026. We are an interpreting company in Guangzhou (Guangzhou GuanRi Translation Service Co., Ltd.). We are not the Canton Fair organiser, not a trading delegation, and not a law firm. The booth interpreting this article recommends at the end is a service we sell ourselves; we cannot obtain badges and do not apply for them on anyone's behalf. This is not legal advice, and whether a badge is issued is decided by the trading delegation and the Fair's Badge Service Center. Every rule here comes from the Canton Fair's official notice and its annexes; the only figures that come from us are the interpreting rates in section 8, taken from our FAQ page.

When an Export Exhibition exhibitor hires an outside interpreter to work its booth, the usual sticking point is not the rate — it is the badge. The interpreter needs an exhibitor-personnel badge issued under your company's name and approved by your trading delegation and the Fair. For the 140th session, the rules are in the Canton Fair website's Notice on Badge Application for Exhibitors and Service Units of the 140th Canton Fair (China Import and Export Fair Badge Service Center, signed 22 September 2026) and its Annex 1, Notes on Badge Application for Exhibitor and Service-Unit Personnel and Move-in/Move-out Vehicles at the 140th Canton Fair. Neither document mentions "interpreters" by name, but four rules land squarely on hiring one: what proof to submit; one company per person per phase; an alert for people who have been badged under different badge types or different companies many times in recent sessions; and a bar on the same person accompanying an overseas buyer in a phase where they hold an exhibitor-personnel badge. There is also a rule on minors.

We found no official English version of this notice: in the latest 300 items of the Fair's content feed (going back to 30 December 2025), the badge documents for overseas buyers published on 26 and 28 September have English versions, and this one is in Chinese only. The titles above and every quotation below are our own working translation; the Chinese governs.

1. Which line is yours

The badge enquiry line printed in section 8 of the notice is 020-89074092.

2. Which badge the interpreter needs, and what proof to submit

Annex 1 describes two badges that are relevant to hiring an outside interpreter.

The exhibitor representative badge. Annex 1 states who it is for (one sentence in the Chinese; our translation):

For use by persons assisting Export Exhibition exhibitors with their work, and by staff of Export Exhibition exhibitors taking part in the domestic-sales matchmaking activities for quality export goods.

On what to submit, Annex 1 says in the same place (we quote the first paragraph of item (1), one sentence; our translation):

Export Exhibition exhibitor representatives fill in their badge information and submit the badge application through the "Canton Fair Supplier App" (first-time registration requires live facial detection), and must submit a written explanatory document issued by the exhibitor, including but not limited to proof of social insurance, the relationship with the exhibitor, the exhibition duties undertaken, proof of shareholding, etc.

The fee is "RMB 200 per person per day, plus a RMB 50 administrative fee per badge" (our translation); a lost badge costs RMB 200 to replace, and once issued the badge is neither refundable nor exchangeable. The badge is quota-limited: each trading delegation's quota is calculated at five days per standard booth per phase, and a delegation that runs short can apply online, with the Badge Service Center approving a suitable increase.

The exhibitor badge. Annex 1 says it is "for use by staff of exhibiting companies in the Import and Export Exhibitions", and adds one sentence about people other than the booth manager (one sentence in the Chinese; our translation):

When other exhibition personnel apply for an exhibitor badge or an exhibitor representative badge, the supporting proof may be proof of social insurance paid with the exhibitor, or a written, stamped document issued by the exhibitor (including their employment or business relationship with the exhibitor, the exhibition duties they undertake, proof of shareholding, etc.).

An Export Exhibition exhibitor badge costs RMB 50 per badge the first time a person is badged under a given applicant, and RMB 200 to replace if lost.

Both badges allow a written, stamped document showing a "business relationship" as the proof of how the person is connected to you. Which of the two an outside interpreter should hold, Annex 1 does not say; on its wording, the representative badge is for "persons assisting" exhibitors and the exhibitor badge is for exhibitors' "staff". Which one to use is for you and your trading delegation to agree; whether it passes review is the reviewers' decision, and we will not answer for them.

Annex 3 to the notice, Proof of Exhibitor Personnel's Identity Relationship, is a reference template, but it is worded to certify that someone is "other personnel of a parent or subsidiary company" of the exhibitor — it looks meant for people from related companies, not for someone hired from outside. If you are hiring an outside interpreter, write the document yourself along the lines of the sentence quoted above: what business relationship you have with the interpreter (for example, the service contract you signed with the interpreting company) and what duties the interpreter has at your booth. That is a practical suggestion, not an opinion on what documents will pass review.

Two more things can hold up the interpreter's badge. First, the application is made by the interpreter personally in the Canton Fair Supplier App: section 3(2)1 of the notice lists the information to be filled in as name (with pinyin), job position, mobile number, photos of both sides of the identity card and a bare-headed photo, among others, and first-time registration requires live facial detection; section 2 of Annex 1 requires a two-inch ID photo on a blue or white background taken within the last 180 days. Both documents name the identity card as the identity document and say nothing about what a foreign national, or someone from Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan, uses instead; if your interpreter has no PRC resident identity card, ask your trading delegation or call 020-89074092 before filing. Second, item (2)③ of section 3(2)1 says an exhibitor must complete the booth-manager confirmation for all its zones in a phase before it can submit badge applications for anyone else for that phase, and that until any one booth manager's badge has been approved by the badge centre, none of that company's exhibitor-personnel badges for the phase can be printed. If the booth-manager step is not done, the interpreter's badge will not come out either.

On timing, section 3(4)3 of the notice requires that "all types of personnel badges should be applied for at least one day in advance" (our translation), and Annex 1, in the representative-badge section, asks trading delegations "to apply for and obtain the badge at least 24 hours before the exhibitor representative enters the venue" (our translation). How long review takes after you file, neither document says.

Import Exhibition exhibitors take another route: exhibitors and representatives both fill in their details and submit their applications through the Exhibitor Easy Pass system ("参展易捷通"), and the exhibitor, the Import Exhibition recruitment partner and the Badge Service Center review them; Import Exhibition exhibitor badges are free to issue and free to replace, while for the exhibitor representative badge's fee Annex 1 states no Import Exhibition exception.

3. One interpreter, one company, per phase

The first paragraph of section 3(4)2 of the notice is two sentences in the Chinese; we quote the first (our translation):

Following the principle of "one person, one phase, one badge", the same person may not obtain badges of different types or under different companies within the same phase.

For hiring an interpreter, that means: once an interpreter is badged under your company for a phase, they cannot be badged under another company in that same phase. So "two companies share one interpreter, mornings here, afternoons there" does not work on the badge side. If both companies need someone, each hires its own.

The rule covers the same phase. Phase I at your booth and Phase II at another company's booth is not prohibited by the notice — but it may count towards the "different companies" tally in the next section.

4. Interpreters badged under many companies in recent sessions trigger an alert

The second sentence of that same first paragraph says that people badged under different badge types or different companies five or more times in the last six sessions (including the 140th) will be "given particular attention", with an alert shown to reviewers in the badge system and reviewers authorised to look up the badge history of people within their review scope. The thresholds are in Annex 1, which states the same review rule in both the exhibitor-badge and the representative-badge sections (one sentence in the Chinese; our translation):

Badge review rule: where an applicant has records of badges of different types or under different companies 5 or 6 times in the last six sessions of the Canton Fair (including the 140th), the system shows a "yellow alert"; where there are such records 7 or more times, the badge system shows a "red alert".

The body of the notice then says what happens next (the second paragraph of section 3(4)2 is two sentences, and we quote the second; the third paragraph is one sentence; our translation):

Trading delegations and exhibitors must review alerted persons strictly, and alerted persons shall not be approved unless necessary; irresponsible badge review will be dealt with seriously.

Where an alerted person is judged on review to have "failed badge eligibility", they may not submit any further badge application of any kind at this session of the Canton Fair.

For freelance interpreters who take a different exhibitor each session, this is a real risk: one different company per session over six sessions and the count very likely climbs (how it is counted is discussed below). "The last six sessions (including the 140th)" counts back to the 135th through the 140th (the Fair runs two sessions a year, and the 139th was spring 2026). Anyone judged to have "failed badge eligibility" may not submit any further badge application at this session — and on the wording, that includes an accompanying-personnel badge a buyer files for them.

How the count works, the notice does not make clear: whether being badged under a company for the first time counts as "a different company", or whether three phases at three companies in one session count as three or as one — we cannot tell from the text, and we will not interpret it for the Badge Service Center. What you can do is ask before you file:

1. For each of the 135th to 139th sessions, which company was the interpreter badged under, and with which badge;
2. At this session (the 140th), have they already been badged under another company, or obtained a move-in/move-out service badge;
3. Has any badge application of theirs ever been rejected.

If the history is long, or the answers are vague, call the Badge Service Center on 020-89074092 early, rather than finding out the day before opening that the badge will not pass.

5. An exhibitor-personnel badge this phase rules out accompanying a buyer that phase

Interpreters often work both sides: an exhibitor's booth for the first days, an overseas buyer partway through. Section 3(4)1 of the notice closes that off (one sentence in the Chinese; our translation):

Persons who have obtained a service personnel badge (exhibitor move-in/move-out personnel, construction move-in/move-out personnel) at this session, or whose application for an exhibitor-personnel badge (Import or Export Exhibition exhibitor, exhibitor representative) was rejected, may not obtain a purchasing-representative badge or an overseas buyer accompanying-personnel badge at this session; persons who have obtained an exhibitor-personnel badge (Import or Export Exhibition exhibitor, exhibitor representative) in the current phase may not obtain a purchasing-representative badge or an overseas buyer accompanying-personnel badge in the current phase.

Three cases, taken separately:

• Holds an exhibitor-personnel badge this phase (exhibitor or exhibitor representative badge): cannot be a buyer's accompanying person this phase. In the next phase this rule does not bar it; the buyer applies separately and the Fair reviews.
• Has held a service personnel badge this session (move-in/move-out): cannot be a buyer's accompanying person, or obtain a purchasing-representative badge, for the whole session. The days spent helping an exhibitor set up or dismantle a booth carry that consequence.
• Had an exhibitor-personnel badge application rejected this session: cannot for the whole session.

For the buyer side — only the buyer can initiate, at least 2 calendar days ahead, and an "interpreter" needs one of three qualifications — see our other article, Canton Fair interpreter badges.

6. Children under 18: in principle, no entry

Section 6 of the notice, "Management of minors entering the venue", is two sentences in the Chinese (our translation):

The Canton Fair is a major international business occasion with a large number of attendees; to ensure good order at the exhibition and the safety of people, during the Canton Fair, minors under the age of 18 may not, in principle, enter the venue. Where an exhibitor, for special reasons, genuinely needs a minor to accompany them into the venue, it must apply for a "Minor Accompanying Entry Badge".

Item (9) of Annex 1 narrows the exception further:

• An Export Exhibition exhibitor must complete Annex 4, Canton Fair Application for a Minor to Enter the Venue (Exhibitor), in advance and submit it to its trading delegation; after the delegation's review it goes through the badge system to the Badge Service Center for approval, with applications capped at 1% of the delegation's number of exhibitors; once approved, the badge is collected at the Canton Fair badge office. Import Exhibition exhibitors submit to their recruitment partner, which passes it to the Badge Service Center for review.
• The only note under that item in Annex 1 is one sentence: "Anyone other than an Import or Export Exhibition exhibitor may not apply for a Minor Accompanying Entry Badge for a minor" (our translation).
• The Annex 4 form, marked "Chinese/English", asks for details of the minor and of the "exhibiting guardian"; the guardian's relationship to the minor is "limited to immediate family", and the guardian's badge-type field is printed as the exhibitor badge. Proof of the family relationship, such as a copy of the household register, must be attached, and the guardian signs a five-point undertaking, the last point of which accepts all legal liability and risk arising from bringing the minor into the Canton Fair.

So if you are an exhibitor hoping to bring a child: ask your trading delegation first; places are very few and the requirements are specific. If you are an overseas buyer, this notice is addressed to exhibitors and service units and says nothing about buyers bringing children; the first sentence of its section 6 says that "during the Canton Fair, minors under the age of 18 may not, in principle, enter the venue". A buyer planning to travel with a child should ask the Canton Fair Customer Service Center before leaving: 4000-888-999 within China, (0086) 20-28888999 from abroad, info@cantonfair.org.cn. We will not answer for the organiser.

7. On the day: everyone is checked, so carry ID

Section 5 of the notice sets the checking period (the first paragraph is one sentence in the Chinese; our translation):

During the Canton Fair, all persons and vehicles entering the exhibition complex grounds will be checked on entry under a separated pedestrian-and-vehicle control mode; the period of full checking is 7 October to 5 November.

Section 2(4) also requires badge holders to "carry a valid personal identity document and cooperate with checks by Canton Fair security and inspection staff", and not to engage, while in the halls, in conduct "inconsistent with the identity and scope of the badge" (our translation), or to lend or impersonate with a badge; section 2(3) sets the principle of "one person, one badge". Section 2 of Annex 1 adds that the photos and identity-card details submitted are used for badge checks, facial recognition at entry and data verification.

In other words: the interpreter carrying a badge issued under your company's name enters on their own face and their own ID. Sending a stand-in at short notice will not get past the badge check. An exhibitor representative badge, "once issued, is neither refundable nor exchangeable"; Annex 1 sets a fee for "changing the person" on an exhibitor badge (RMB 100 per badge from midnight on the first day of each phase) but says nothing about changing the person on a representative badge. Settle on the person before you file.

Where: the Canton Fair badge office, east side of the ground floor of Hall 16, Area C. Under Annex 1, the remaining hours for the exhibitor representative badge are 4 October – 3 November, 9:00–17:00 daily, and 4 November, 9:00–12:00; for the exhibitor badge, 4 October – 2 November, 9:00–17:00 daily, with each phase's cut-off for badge issue, Annex 1 says, set out in the Exhibitor Manual.

8. The part we sell, and what it does not cover

What we sell is interpreting: consecutive and escort interpreting at your booth. Our FAQ page publishes consecutive and escort interpreting from ¥200 per hour or ¥800 per full day, depending on language pair and subject; which rate applies is set by the written quote we give you. That is the interpreter's fee — the Fair's badge fees are separate, paid by your company at the rates in section 2.

The badge itself can only be applied for by your company and the interpreter in the Fair's own systems (through your trading delegation for the Export Exhibition, through your recruitment partner for the Import Exhibition); we cannot file it, and we do not file on anyone's behalf. Wherever you hire from, including from us, ask the three questions in section 4 before filing, and tell the interpreter about the cross-restrictions in section 5.

The Fair's own Buyer Service Centre also sells interpreting, and its price list includes a "booth interpreter" (CNY 600 a day for English, CNY 800 for other languages). But it sits under the Buyer Service Centre, the page says it provides "interpretation service inside the Canton Fair Complex during opening hours of the Fair", and it does not say whether exhibitors can book it (Canton Fair website, Canton Fair Interpretation Service, no publication date shown, checked 4 October 2026). To ask, before the Fair opens, call (020)8913-8055 or email ISC@cantonfair.org.cn; once it opens, the page lists phone numbers for the service counters in each area of the halls, for example 86-20-89130395 in Area A.

You can browse interpreters by language and industry in our Guangzhou interpreter directory. To book, message us on WhatsApp +86 139 2416 6640 (WeChat: Saralee93), or use our contact page, with your phase, exhibition zone, language and number of days.

Sources and currency: the badge rules are from the Canton Fair website's Notice on Badge Application for Exhibitors and Service Units of the 140th Canton Fair (China Import and Export Fair Badge Service Center, signed 22 September 2026) and its Annex 1 (Notes on Badge Application for Exhibitor and Service-Unit Personnel and Move-in/Move-out Vehicles at the 140th Canton Fair), Annex 3 (Proof of Exhibitor Personnel's Identity Relationship) and Annex 4 (Canton Fair Application for a Minor to Enter the Venue (Exhibitor)) — we found no official English version, so the titles and quotations are our working translations; the buyer side is from the Canton Fair website's Badge Application for Accompanying Personnel for Overseas Buyers of the 140th Canton Fair is Now Open (28 September 2026, official English); the Fair's own interpreting service is from its Canton Fair Interpretation Service page (no publication date shown). All were checked on cantonfair.org.cn on 4 October 2026. Our interpreting rates are from our FAQ page, checked the same day. The latest notices from the Canton Fair and your trading delegation govern.

Further reading: Canton Fair interpreter badges, Canton Fair 140th buyer badge collection desks and dates, What a Canton Fair interpreter costs per day. Translation China (GuanRi) is an independent translation company with no affiliation to the Canton Fair organiser.