For schools looking to recruit in Mainland China, Chengdu is a market that cannot be overlooked: a major western China hub with more than 21 million residents, decades of strong demand for boarding education, and access to the world’s largest international recruitment market.
📍 Chengdu, China
November 20-21
Student Recruitment Fair & Agent Networking Event
A city with long-standing demand for overseas education creates a powerful recruitment opportunity.
→ Chengdu’s permanent resident population reached 21.47 million by the end of 2024.
→ Chengdu’s GDP reached RMB 2.48 trillion in 2025, up 5.8% year-on-year.
→ Mainland China remains the largest overseas source market for UK independent schools. The 2025 ISC Census reported 6,258 non-British pupils from Mainland China at ISC schools whose parents live overseas.
→ Chengdu is traditionally recognised as a hub of western China, giving schools access to families beyond the coastal recruitment markets.
Location: Renaissance Chengdu
Cost for Schools: $3,200 • £2,370 • €2,740
November 20: Agent Networking Event
School & Agent Registration |
8:15 am - 9:00 am |
Agent Registration |
9:15 am - 9:45 am |
20-Minute Agent Sessions |
10:00 am - 2:00 pm |
Luncheon |
2:15 pm - 3:30 pm |
November 21: Student Recruitment Fair
School Registration & Set-up |
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm |
Family Presentations by E3n |
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm |
Student Recruitment Fair |
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm |
Schools love our Student Recruitment Fairs
& Agent Networking Events in China
”Mary and John's professionalism, organization and inside knowledge about markets and school communities is exceptional."
—Nina Waechter
Director of Enrollment
Ross School | USA 🇺🇸
Preparing for Your Trip
→ Mainland China is the largest international recruitment market.
→ Major STEM + tech hub
→ Demand for boarding school pathways
→ Less saturated recruitment market than tier-1 cities, less competition
→ Chengdu gives schools access to an enormous student market in China.
→ Families have decades of strong awareness and demand for boarding school education.
→ A strong fit for schools offering academic rigour, pastoral support, English-language development, university pathways, and whole-child opportunity.
→ As both a student recruitment fair and agent networking event, Chengdu gives schools direct access to families and trusted local partners.
Families in Chengdu are often thinking about long-term education planning, academic quality, English fluency, university access, and personal development.
This is a market where schools can speak to families who already understand the value of overseas education and boarding, but still need reassurance around fit, support, safety, outcomes, and the full student experience.
Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province and a major gateway to western China.
For schools that have historically focused on Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, or Guangzhou, Chengdu offers access to a large and strategically important inland market with significant family demand and growing international outlook.
The story here is scale and regional opportunity. Mainland China remains the largest international recruitment market, but families are not only concentrated in coastal cities.
Chengdu’s population size, economic growth, and role as a western China hub make it a strategic stop for schools looking to deepen visibility beyond the most saturated recruitment markets.
Airport: Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU)
Chengdu is an increasingly accessible stop for international school teams, with strong domestic and international air links through Chengdu Tianfu International Airport and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport.
→ UK, US, Canadian, and European travellers generally need a visa to enter Mainland China.
→ China offers visa-free transit options for eligible travellers in certain cities and regions, but schools should not rely on transit rules for event travel.
→ Schools should confirm visa requirements, passport validity, invitation letter needs, and processing timelines before booking travel.
https://www.visaforchina.cn/
📍 Renaissance Chengdu