GTI China Expo 2026 took place in Guangzhou from September 10–12, 2026. The show has now ended.
Updated October 6, 2026. This guide now focuses on the next step: comparing the arcade machines on your shortlist, checking supplier answers and confirming the right setup for your venue.
Whether you attended GTI or are reviewing machines from overseas, a catalogue and a short demo are only the beginning of that decision.
We have exhibited at GTI since Jiuyou started.
Over the years, we have met many overseas buyers coming to the show for the first time.
The same practical questions remain useful after the show, when buyers move from a shortlist to a purchasing decision.
GTI Is Not IAAPA — And That Is the Point
If you regularly visit IAAPA Orlando or IAAPA Europe, GTI feels different.
At IAAPA, you probably already know many of the companies you want to visit. You meet existing suppliers, look at new releases and see what international manufacturers are bringing to market.
GTI gives an overseas buyer something else.
You can see a large part of the Chinese amusement manufacturing supply chain in one place.
That is where the value is.
Think of GTI as a compressed supply chain trip.
If you tried to visit the same number of Chinese manufacturers individually, you could spend days travelling between factories.
At GTI, you can walk from one supplier to another in minutes.
That makes it easier to compare products, prices and companies.
It also creates another problem: there is too much to compare.
The 2026 show ran across eight halls. If you returned with several suppliers on your shortlist, compare the same points for each one: gameplay, components, operator settings, service access and after-sales support.
Write down what is confirmed and what still needs a demonstration or a written answer.
One of the useful things about GTI is finding a machine or supplier you did not know before the show.
Why Can Two Similar Arcade Machines Have Very Different Prices?
This is one of the questions we hear most often from overseas buyers at GTI.
You may see two machines with similar gameplay and a similar cabinet.
One supplier gives you one price.
Another is much cheaper.
From the aisle, the machines may look almost the same.
That does not mean they are the same.
Development
Ask how long the machine has been in production.
Has the supplier already shipped it in volume?
What changed between the first version and the machine you are looking at today?
A product that has gone through several production runs usually has a history behind it — testing, field problems, component changes and small improvements that are difficult to see on a trade-show floor.
Components
Motors, sensors, control boards, power supplies and wiring are mostly hidden.
Ask what is actually being used.
More importantly, ask whether the same components will still be used when your order goes into production.
A sample machine can be built well.
Consistency across a production batch is the harder part.
Cabinet and Service Access
Open the door.
Look inside.
Can your technician reach the motor?
Can a sensor be replaced without removing half the mechanism?
Where are the power supply and control board?
How are prizes refilled?
These details usually matter more after six months of operation than they do during a five-minute demo at the show.
Software
Play the machine more than once.
Ask to see the operator settings.
What can actually be adjusted?
What happens after a power interruption?
Are there error codes?
If there is a software problem later, how is an update handled?
A trade show is good for seeing how a machine plays.
It is not enough to tell you how stable it will be after thousands of games.
None of this means the cheaper machine is automatically the wrong choice.
Sometimes it is the right choice for the project.
The important thing is to know what is different before you compare the price.
Six Questions We Would Ask Any Supplier
You do not need a fifty-point factory audit while standing at a booth.
Start with a few basic questions.
1. How long has this model actually been in production?
Not when the artwork was finished.
When did real production start?
2. Approximately how many units have been shipped?
A new machine and a machine already operating in hundreds of locations should be evaluated differently.
3. Can I see inside the cabinet?
A machine should make sense from the service side as well as the player side.
4. Which spare parts should I keep locally?
The useful answer is not “don't worry, our quality is good.”
Ask which sensors, motors, boards, switches or other parts could stop the game if they fail.
5. What happens if a board fails after the warranty period?
Can the supplier still provide the board?
Can it be repaired?
Is there a replacement version?
How will your technician know which one to order?
6. Can I visit your factory after GTI?
If the supplier is becoming a serious option, this is worth asking.
Apply the same questions to Jiuyou.
We would rather be checked than believed.
Do Not Compare the Machine From the Player Side Only
At GTI, every machine is clean.
Every prize is full.
Someone from the factory is standing next to it.
That is not how the machine will operate in your venue.
After you play it, look at it again as an operator.
Ask yourself:
- Will a new player understand the game quickly?
- What does staff need to refill?
- Which settings can I change?
- How much space is needed to open the doors?
- Which parts are likely to need service?
- Does the prize value make sense at my local price per play?
The last question is easy to overlook.
A prize that works well in one market may not make sense in your market.
The machine can be good and still be the wrong fit for the local price and prize structure.
That is why we prefer to discuss the venue before recommending a machine.
If a Supplier Makes Your Shortlist, Visit the Factory
Three days at GTI is enough to make a shortlist.
It is not enough to fully understand a new supplier.
If two or three factories are serious candidates, arrange a visit when practical. If you are evaluating from overseas, ask for a live video walkthrough of the machine, assembly area and service access before planning travel.
A booth shows you what a company wants to display.
A factory shows you what the company does every day.
You do not need a complicated inspection.
Look at what is actually being produced.
Look at the assembly area.
Look at testing.
Look at spare parts.
Look at packaging.
Ask technical questions away from the sales booth.
Most importantly, see whether the answers you hear at the factory match the answers you heard at GTI.
Sometimes the factory visit confirms your decision.
Sometimes it changes it.
Both are useful.
Continue Your Machine Evaluation After GTI
The September 10–12 exhibition has ended. You can still discuss the machines on your shortlist with Jiuyou.
Tell us which machine you are considering, your venue type, local play price and the prize or ticket system you use.
Ask us about a product demonstration or factory visit, and use the discussion to check the parts that are difficult to understand from a catalogue:
- Gameplay
- Payout settings
- Prize setup
- Payment-system preparation
- Refill access
- Service access
- Spare parts
- Market-specific requirements
For our latest machines, see Push Tower 1 Player, a five-level prize machine, and Ball Tower, a ticket redemption game. Their product pages explain gameplay, operator settings and specifications.
You do not need to decide from a catalogue. Ask to see how the machine works for your setup.