20 Years Alongside the Canton Fair, Moving Forward with Innovation | WAYON Stone Wraps Up a Successful 140th Canton Fair

Foreword

Twenty consecutive years. Forty editions.

Twenty years ago, buyers came to the Canton Fair looking for stone products. Today, they come seeking material innovation, technical assurance and comprehensive solutions for their projects.

After five days at the exhibition, what stands out is not simply the number of visitors.

One buyer arrived at our booth with technical drawings for quartz stone washbasins for a hotel project, eager to move forward with a quotation. Overseas buyers requested third-party test reports for zero-silica stone. Others gathered around our flexible stone samples, examining and touching the surfaces, asking about manufacturing processes and expressing interest in visiting our factory.

These conversations reflect the changing demands of the global building materials market. They also remind us that what customers are looking for today is much more than just a piece of stone.

On October 27, 2026, Phase 2 of the 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) came to a successful close. For WAYON Stone, this was more than an international trade event. It marked an important milestone: 20 consecutive years of participation in the Canton Fair, representing approximately 40 editions of connecting and growing alongside global buyers.

01 | Twenty Years at the Canton Fair: Witnessing the Evolution of Global Procurement Needs

Over 20 consecutive years of participation, WAYON has witnessed the growing diversity of international markets and the continuous evolution of buyers' expectations through countless face-to-face conversations.

1. From Purchasing Products to Seeking One-Stop Project Solutions

In the past, buyers mainly looked for suitable stone slabs, comparing colors, specifications, quality and prices.

Today, more buyers arrive with drawings and procurement lists for hotels, shopping malls and residential developments. They expect suppliers to offer more comprehensive support, including material recommendations, size-specific fabrication, custom-shaped processing, finished-product solutions and delivery coordination.

2. From Focusing on Price and Quality to Paying Greater Attention to Environmental and Safety Performance

Price and quality remain essential. However, some overseas buyers are increasingly interested in material composition, crystalline silica content, fire performance and third-party test results.

The ability to provide clear, verifiable technical documentation has become an important factor in supplier evaluation.

3. From Traditional Materials to Innovative Building Materials

Traditional stone continues to enjoy stable market demand, while innovative materials such as flexible stone are creating new possibilities for modern architectural decoration.

Buyers are no longer interested in appearance alone. They also want to understand installation methods, performance specifications and the supplier's ability to support bulk orders.

4. From Product Inspection to Evaluating R&D, Patents and Overall Corporate Capabilities

Some large-scale buyers and long-term business partners go further by examining a company's history, manufacturing capacity, technological R&D, intellectual property, quality management systems and international project experience.

They are looking for manufacturing partners capable of delivering continuous innovation and reliable long-term supply.

5. From Standard Specifications to Customized Solutions Based on Project Drawings

Projects involving hotel washbasins, kitchen countertops, custom decorative components and commercial interiors increasingly require suppliers with strong drawing interpretation, fabrication and rapid-response capabilities.

At the same time, buyers are placing greater importance on supply-chain stability, transparent online information and the long-term value of business partnerships.

The exhibition is no longer simply a place to discover products. It has also become an important platform for verifying technical expertise, assessing manufacturing capabilities and building trust.

These changes do not represent the choices of every buyer, but they reflect recurring needs that WAYON has observed throughout 20 years of participation in the Canton Fair.

In the past, buyers asked:

"What stone products do you offer? How much do they cost per square meter?"

Today, they are more likely to ask:

"What solutions can you provide for my project?"

02 | Flexible Stone Takes Center Stage

At this year's Canton Fair, WAYON's flexible stone attracted considerable attention from international buyers.

Compared with conventional, heavier stone products, flexible stone offers a lightweight, bendable format and a rich range of decorative stone finishes. It creates more possibilities for wall applications in hotels, commercial spaces, residential interiors and public buildings.

After examining the samples, many visitors raised practical questions:

50. How is flexible stone manufactured?
50. Can it be used on curved walls, columns and large commercial spaces?
50. What is its fire rating?
50. Can it support bulk orders for engineering projects?
50. What test reports and technical documentation are available?
50. Can we arrange a factory visit to learn more about the manufacturing process?

Moving from an interest in a single sample to wanting to understand the entire production line reflects buyers' growing interest in both practical applications and large-scale manufacturing capabilities.

WAYON flexible stone is approximately 2–8 mm thick. Standard sizes include 600 × 1,200 mm, 1,200 × 2,400 mm and 1,200 × 3,000 mm. Specifications and fabrication solutions can be evaluated according to individual project requirements.

WAYON flexible stone can achieve a fire rating of A2-s1,d0, offering strong fire performance. For hotels, commercial buildings, office spaces and other construction projects, flexible stone provides a material option that combines decorative appeal with fire performance.

Through automated production lines, intelligent temperature-controlled firing equipment and proprietary texture-processing techniques, WAYON continues to advance the manufacturing and development of flexible stone products.

For building material distributors, contractors, design firms and project procurement professionals, product samples are only part of the evaluation. Manufacturing processes, quality management and the ability to supply products consistently in volume are equally important.

WAYON warmly welcomes partners from around the world to arrange factory visits and explore our flexible stone manufacturing processes and application solutions in greater detail.

03 | Growing Interest in Zero-Silica Stone

In addition to flexible stone, zero-silica stone was another important product featured in discussions at this year's exhibition.

During conversations with overseas buyers, some specifically requested third-party test documentation so that their internal technical teams, procurement departments or project partners could conduct further evaluations.

WAYON can provide relevant technical documentation for specific products, including test reports from Australian laboratories and SGS third-party testing reports.

The available documentation covers crystalline silica testing, including relevant test results obtained using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. Specific content levels, testing methods, detection limits and applicable products are subject to the corresponding official reports.

For overseas importers, stone wholesalers, kitchen cabinet manufacturers and engineering contractors, verifiable technical documentation supports material evaluation, supplier assessment and subsequent purchasing decisions.

It is important to note that third-party laboratory reports are not equivalent to customs certification or import permits. Buyers should still assess the actual imported product, processing methods and applicable regulations in their target markets.

Relevant technical documentation for materials such as inorganic terrazzo can also be provided according to specific product requirements, helping customers better understand product performance and application considerations.

The competitiveness of innovative materials comes not only from appearance and design, but also from reliable manufacturing capabilities and verifiable technical data.

04 | Meeting Urgent Project Requirements with Reliable Engineering Support

A Buyer Arrives with Drawings and an Urgent Quotation Request

During the Canton Fair, a buyer visited WAYON's booth with fabrication drawings for quartz stone washbasins for a hotel project, hoping our team could promptly prepare a quotation based on the dimensions, processing requirements and project schedule.

For project-based buyers, material procurement involves much more than price. It also requires an understanding of technical drawings, fabrication processes, order quantities and delivery arrangements.

In response, WAYON's team discussed product dimensions, stone selections, processing requirements and the proposed delivery schedule, laying the groundwork for subsequent technical evaluation and quotation preparation.

When customers are working against project deadlines, a timely response matters.

This case also highlights the value of WAYON's engineering support capabilities.

Supported by its stone production bases and an approximately 6,500-square-meter engineering processing center, WAYON can provide material selection, drawing development, quotation coordination, specification-based fabrication and finished-product support according to project requirements.

Our services cover a wide range of applications:

Hotels and Commercial Spaces: Vanity countertops, washbasins, reception desks, and wall and floor finishes.

Shopping Malls and Public Buildings: Terrazzo flooring, stone wall cladding, custom-shaped decorative components and made-to-order slabs.

Residential Developments: Kitchen countertops, bathroom countertops, window sills, staircases and decorative materials for common areas.

Wholesale and Distribution Channels: Large-format slabs, standard-size slabs, customized fabrication and collaborative product development.

From standardized stone slabs to finished products fabricated according to project drawings, WAYON aims to help customers turn design concepts into products that can be manufactured, procured and delivered.

05 | From Traditional Stone to Innovative Building Materials

Founded in 1982, WAYON has been deeply involved in stone manufacturing and processing for decades.

As the architectural and decorative materials market continues to evolve, the company has gradually expanded its business into engineered quartz, terrazzo and fabricated products for engineering projects. It has also further developed innovative building materials, including zero-silica stone, inorganic terrazzo and flexible stone.

Today, WAYON's products and services cover a diverse range of stone manufacturing, innovative building materials and customized engineering fabrication, supporting the needs of different markets and projects.

These capabilities are supported by a continuously developing manufacturing and processing system.

1. Multi-Location Manufacturing Network

With production bases in Heyuan and Yunfu, Guangdong, as well as other manufacturing resources, WAYON coordinates production across different product lines.

2. Engineering Fabrication Capabilities

The engineering processing center is equipped with various types of cutting, edge-polishing, drilling and countertop-processing equipment to support customized projects.

3. Technical and Project Coordination

Depending on project requirements, WAYON provides CAD drawing development, quotation coordination, layout optimization and fabrication planning support.

4. Diversified Product Portfolio

From natural marble, artificial marble and engineered quartz to zero-silica stone, flexible stone and inorganic terrazzo, WAYON offers customers a broader selection of materials.

Over the past 20 years, WAYON has continuously learned from the market and updated its product portfolio through the Canton Fair. At the same time, cooperation with global customers has helped the company accumulate valuable experience in manufacturing and engineering services.

For WAYON, corporate strength is measured not only by production equipment or factory size, but also by the ability to understand customer needs, solve practical challenges and consistently deliver reliable products and services over the long term.

06 | The Canton Fair Ends, but Global Partnerships Continue

Every exhibition eventually comes to an end, but many business relationships truly begin after the event.

Every product discussion, request for technical documentation, project drawing and factory visit arrangement can become the starting point of a new partnership.

Following the exhibition, WAYON will continue working with customers on new material samples, technical documentation, project quotations, fabrication solutions and factory visit arrangements, turning conversations at the booth into deeper business cooperation.

Looking ahead, WAYON will continue to focus on flexible stone, zero-silica stone, inorganic terrazzo, engineered quartz, natural stone and customized engineering products.

We are committed to providing diversified material and fabrication solutions for distributors, importers, engineering contractors, hotel project purchasers and residential developers around the world.

Twenty years and forty editions: a milestone to celebrate, and a new starting point for the journey ahead.

We sincerely thank everyone who visited the WAYON booth and appreciate every conversation, every opportunity and every expression of trust.

See you at the next Canton Fair!

To our partners around the world, WAYON looks forward to welcoming you.