Wednesday
April 30 2008
Hong Kong
A few years ago, Mom told me that someone had told her it’s good fortune (or good taste, can’t recall which) to have an item of Chinese design in each room. If that’s true, my bedroom just inherited good fortune.
Simmer down, you dirty little minds out there…no hidden meaning behind the statement.
You’re looking at a photo of legitimate hand made Cloisonne, made by a company Trip knows well, based just outside of Beijing. It’s stunning in person, and incredibly well priced, given the discount I was offered in their booth at the Hong Kong Gift show. The piece won’t arrive in Minneapolis for a couple of months due to shipping, but oh, it’s worth the wait.
According to Conny (the vendor), the little squiggle lines are hand laid copper wire. Enamel is then painted in, layer by layer, until the color and finish is complete. Last step is hand polishing to give it the soft glow of real Cloisonne.
Photos don’t do this justice; it’s just about the prettiest piece I’ve ever seen (in addition to the tall floor vase with red blossoms, which was beyond my price range). Big thanks to Sarah for coming along as I returned to the booth for these photos.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Hong Kong
Here she is, everyone—the most wonderful contact you could ask for when visiting a foreign city. Kanice Ho first sent me an email introducing herself as my “go to” person a few weeks ago. Since then, she’s been an invaluable resource, both in preparing for the trip and in making things run like clockwork once we hit the ground.
She’s a bundle of energy and enthusiasm…with a quick sense of humor on the side. What a Godsend.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Hong Kong
After the seminar, Trip and Curtis (his trusty side kick at Wellspring and Sultan of All Things Supply Side) invited me to walk the show with them, checking out product, design ideas, and vendors they worked with. If not for a solemn pinky swear that everything seen/discussed/smelled/felt/injested was top secret, I’d tell you all sorts of cool things you’d love to hear.
But alas, I can’t. Gotta keep the good stuff under wraps so they can wow you with it later.
Without question, that was some of the most fun I’ve had on the show floor. Seeing the world through the eyes of a vendor gives you a whole new appreciation for where things come from. These two are creative souls who truly enjoy everyone around them (and visa versa). It was a kick—and a privilege—getting to walk the show with them.
Did drinks with both at their hotel later on; dinner with Trip after that. My creative wheels are spinning now, boys. ‘Nuff said, or we’ve have to hurt someone’s pinky.
Tuesday, May 28, 2008
Hong Kong
This is it—the whole reason I’m here. The “Latest Marketing Trends In the Gift Industry” seminar, of which I’m part five (they intentionally leave the UK and US for last, since everyone leaves after those two slots).
All in all, I’m really happy with my segment. Earlier on, there was a hiccup in the projector that literally derailed the video for Ryoko Mikami, the Japanese journalist participating. Sarah, being a true trooper, volunteered to step in since Ryoko’s presentation hinged on visuals. She was brilliant, in spite of engineers swarming around the podium and behind her perch on the mid-stage sofa chair. Not sure how many speakers could have pulled that off, let alone made it look so easy.
Since the audience had been sitting for nearly two hours by the time my segment began, I started out by asking them to participate in a little “move to the left, move to the right” diddy concocted during my own seventh inning squirm a half hour earlier. Turns out that’s all it took to light up the room; in the words of an attendee later on, “You were quintessentially American…it was great.”
Yup. I’m a happy camper.
(Photo credit: Hong Kong Trade Development Council)
Monday, April 28, 2008
Hong Kong
Next invitation-only gig of the day—the V.I.P. Cocktail Party at the Port Café, co-sponsored by the TDC. The same luminaries from this morning’s stage were there, along with a lot of cameras. My inner rock start is beginning to like this treatment. Sarah, Isaac, and I (shown above) gathered to compare notes, share a couple of cocktails, and plan where to have dinner. The end decision was Soho, which—in theory—should be easy to find.
We stuck around until 8:00, in hopes of seeing the nightly laser and light show Victoria Harbor is famous for. Turns out you can’t really get the full effect from inside the building—besides, it’s in the heart of the action, which would be better seen from across the bay in Kawloon. Looks like I’ll need to find a way over there this week.
Eventually—and with the aid of a local Brit—we were able to cab it to Soho, where we had a terrific Thai dinner. Afterward, we rode the top half of the Midlevel Escalators up the side of the mountain, through what I think of as “Yuppieville.” The escalators stretches a full half mile from end to end, with a 450-foot climb built in, connecting the Central business district with the upper residential areas popular with the upwardly mobile set. It’s weird to imagine an outdoor escalator that spans so much distance, but it’s actually pretty cool.
Jump on. Jump off. Grab a bite and a cocktail, then jump back on again. Who needs cab fare?
Monday, April 28, 2008
Hong Kong
The V.I.P. Dragon Lounge at the Convention Center—the one that puts all others to shame world wide–is a favorite hang out for most of us seeking a few minutes of quiet with a cup of Chinese tea and some black current biscuits (can you tell I’m hanging with a Brit?)…
…or some unsolicited, albeit helpful, advice from an American at the next table.
Note to Patti Stracher—David Oestreich says “Hello,” and has nothing but unending praise for you, both professionally and personally.
Note to George Kacik—I’m supposed to “remind you about Takara.” Care to fill in the blanks? He sure was laughing when he asked that I pass the message along.
You just never know who you’ll meet in “the Dragon.” Besides, those little black current cookies are really good.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Hong Kong
In this neck of the woods, they don’t just open a show; they Open A Show.
Members of the foreign press were invited to both the Tea Ceremony and Opening Ceremony this morning. Trust me when I say nothing is done on a small scale here; there was a bank of cameras and plethora of film crews in attendance, in addition to the relatively small number of guests invited to the soiree. It was Oscar-stage kind of stuff, complete with a galaxy of government and TDC dignitaries. By the time it concluded, there was no question this wasn’t going to be like any other show.
Dorothy, we are most definitely not in Kansas any more.
(Photo credit: Hong Kong Trade Development Council)
Monday, April 28, 2008
Hong Kong
Okay. So I looked like a tourist. I am a tourist. But hey, when you’re standing on an escalator and your breath is taken away by the view out the window, you just have to stop, take a picture, and not care that you look like a typical gawker.
Obviously, I wasn’t the only one gawking. What a view.
And I get to see it about a dozen times every day, as I’m leaving the media center. Not a bad gig at all.
Wednesday
