Trade Shows

Met with a past online student today at a trade fair in Hong Kong... he is now living in China and starting up a sourcing biz there. That was the only other American I met at a show with nearly 4000 exhibitors. I normally do not attend trade shows, because in the system I learned and lay out for you shows where I am selling I have reps handle the sales, and I target buyers through the means I am laying out in this class, so I don't need trade shows to find sources.

Hong Kong has so many trade shows that as part of my trip here to line up new printing suppliers, there happens to be a print trade show going on so I want to sweep it just to make sure I did not miss any good printers in my research. At the same time there is a giftwares show (at which I met the ex-student.)

Trade shows can give you ideas, but of course only after you know what you are doing, never as a place to start. For example I saw a cool mini-lighting studio for setting up digital photos... a company making clever wine boxes ( this for my wife who has me doing advance work on exporting wine to asia for here...), a model making company (sample models can be a challenge..) ... and I am not proud of this, but I think I've talked someone into making up a set of studs and cuff links for my tux shirt... The supplier is willing only because biz is so slow...

I recall in the 1970's there were so many Americans of all ages here that we actually worried about getting our ideas ripped off. I am having show management send me figures, but I am sure there are no more than a handful of Americans here now. I don't know what happened, but I am sure USA is losing out as young Africans, Europeans and South Americans flock here to do business. (Of course people of my age too... but it is a lack of young people that worries me...)

It is not as though they are not trying to be heldful from the exhibition hosts side... HKTDC.com offers subsidized air fare through Cathay Pacific Airlines, free shuttles to the shows, hotel room subsidies, free parties out on the harbor! and they will organize your visit to the show to make sure you take the fewest number of steps to meet your suppliers. Sheesh!

Wine export market development is going apace too, although the only reason I am working on that is my wife is making me do it, because she is cruel and unreasonable. Do you know the difference between a wife and a terrorist? You can negotiate with terrorists.

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