Global Sources Now Second-Largest Trade Show Organizer in Hong Kong - Business Strategies Group Report

Global Sources Now Second-Largest Trade Show Organizer in Hong Kong - Business Strategies Group Report

November 01, 2007

Growth driven by China Sourcing Fairs: Electronics &
Components, Gifts & Home Products, Fashion Accessories
and Underwear & Swimwear

    HONG KONG, Nov. 1 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --  The Business
Strategies Group trade show market report shows Global
Sources (Nasdaq: GSOL) is the second-largest trade show
organizer in Hong Kong, with a 14 percent market share.

    (Logo: http://www.xprn.com/xprn/sa/200708071747.jpg )

    This news comes as Global Sources (
http://www.globalsources.com ) closes its biggest yet China
Sourcing Fairs: Electronics & Components, Fashion
Accessories, Underwear & Swimwear and Gift & Home
Products shows at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong with over
7,500 booths. 

    Global Sources' Chairman and CEO, Merle A. Hinrichs,
said: "We are delighted with the findings of the
Business Strategies Group report. Becoming the second
biggest show organizer in Hong Kong, having just operated
in the market since 2006, is a dramatic testament to the
success of the China Sourcing Fairs and to the trust and
support we have established over the years with our buyer
and supplier communities.

    "Our exhibitors appreciate the quality of the
buyers who attend the China Sourcing Fairs and, likewise,
buyers value the quality of the suppliers they meet. And
clearly, the convenience of Hong Kong and AsiaWorld-Expo
has supported our exciting growth.

    "Beyond this, the combination of our online, print
and trade show services gives Global Sources a major
advantage. Export suppliers have three primary marketing
objectives: lead generation; branding and differentiation
from competitors; and getting face-to-face with buyers to
negotiate and win orders. We believe that the China
Sourcing Fairs have grown so rapidly because Global Sources
helps suppliers achieve all three objectives."
 
    Growing Share of Hong Kong's Expanding Trade Show
Sector
    The Business Strategies Group report entitled `Profile
of the South China Exhibitions Market', published in
September 2007, shows that Hong Kong's trade show industry
experienced strong growth in 2006 attracting 62,000
exhibitors -- up 50 percent from the previous year -- and
5,200,000 visitors. 

    The report cited primary reasons for industry growth as
"the successful opening of AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE), the
emergence of Global Sources as a serious competitor in Hong
Kong's exhibition industry and the existence of significant
untapped demand from exhibitors."

    The report adds that "the opening of AWE added
over 66,000 square meters of space and Global Sources was
able to successfully fill it with its China Sourcing Fairs
during peak periods in April and October."

    Global Sources plans to further expand its Hong Kong
China Sourcing Fair portfolio with the launch of
specialized shows for Gifts & Premiums and Home
Products in 2009.

    In total, Global Sources will organize eight China
Sourcing Fairs in Hong Kong in 2008 and nine Fairs outside
the region in other rapidly growing exhibition markets of
Shanghai, Dubai and Mumbai.

    Specialized Global Sources Trade Shows, Websites and
Magazines

    The China Sourcing Fairs are an important part of
Global Sources' sourcing and product information services,
which include Global Sources Online (
http://www.globalsources.com ), Global Sources trade
magazines and Global Sources Direct (
http://www.globalsourcesdirect.com ). 

    Further information about Global Sources is available
at http://www.corporate.globalsources.com . 

    About Global Sources 

    Global Sources is a leading business-to-business (B2B)
media company and a primary facilitator of two-way trade
with Greater China. The core business is facilitating trade
from Greater China to the world, using a wide range of
English-language media. The other key business segment
facilitates trade from the world to Greater China using
Chinese-language media. 

    The company provides sourcing information to volume
buyers and integrated marketing services to suppliers. It
helps a community of over 647,000 active buyers source more
profitably from complex overseas supply markets. With the
goal of providing the most effective ways possible to
advertise, market and sell, Global Sources enables
suppliers to sell to hard-to-reach buyers in over 230
countries.

    The company offers the most extensive range of media
and export marketing services in the industries it serves.
It delivers information on 2 million products and more than
160,000 suppliers annually through 14 online marketplaces,
13 monthly magazines, over 100 sourcing research reports
and nine specialized trade shows which run 22 times a year
across seven cities. 

    Suppliers receive more than 23 million sales leads
annually from buyers through Global Sources Online (
http://www.globalsources.com ) alone.

    Global Sources has been facilitating global trade for
36 years. In mainland China it has over 2,000 team members
in 44 locations, and a community of over 1 million
registered online users and magazine readers for
Chinese-language media.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This news release contains forward-looking statements
within the meaning of Section 27-A of the Securities Act of
1933, as amended and Section 21-E of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended. The company's actual results could
differ materially from those set forth in the
forward-looking statements as a result of the risks
associated with the company's business, changes in general
economic conditions, and changes in the assumptions used in
making such forward-looking statements. 

    For more information, please contact:

    Global Sources Press Contact in Asia:
     Camellia So
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

    Global Sources Investor Contact in Asia:
     Eddie Heng
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

    Global Sources Press Contact in U.S.:
     James W.W. Strachan 
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail] 

    Global Sources Investor Contact in U.S.:
     Moriah Shilton & Christiane Pelz
     Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates, Inc.
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]