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Direct From Market: Hong Kong Gifts and Premiums Fair

By Cinda Baxter -- Gifts and Dec, 5/7/2010 8:50:00 AM

Hong Kong — The 2010 Hong Kong Gifts and Premiums Fair stood in stark contrast to the same event one year ago. The then-frequently heard term “economic tsunami” has now been replaced with talk of the need for yet more square footage to accommodate a growing list of manufacturers eager to exhibit. According to Jeffrey Lamm, chairman of the Fair Organizing Committee, the Convention and Exposition Center expansion that opened prior to last year’s show has already been outgrown, which is why the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is asking major players to join a movement to secure permission for further expansion.

Translated? There’s a whole lot of gift buying going on across the Pacific Ocean.

The Fair’s 25th anniversary edition welcomed more than 4,000 exhibitors from 36 countries, many of which populated 17 national and regional pavilions throughout the venue. Adding additional sparkle to the week, the Hong Kong Exporters Association also celebrated a milestone 55 years in business, which was marked by the debut of a new logo that symbolizes stability and growth through future years.

The success of the show was particularly sweet, given the significant impact volcanic ash had on the Housewares Fair one week earlier. Due to grounded flights throughout the European continent, a sizable contingent of exhibitors and buyers were left stranded at home, which meant empty booths with skeletal local staff in many cases. Determined to create something positive in spite of a bad situation, the HKTDC arranged for in-booth Internet access, often complete with video conferencing, so that buyers and sellers could do business long distance.

According to numerous exhibitors, traffic at the gift show was steady, with a slight increase in American buyers and a more pronounced increase in European buyers, compared to last year’s fair. Few buyers were writing notes; most were placing orders, many with short turnaround requests — a sign that manufacturing and consumer interest is beginning to pick up worldwide.

Among standout products seen in the aisles were:

Ooobject
Taking green to the pre-consumer stage, Ooobject seeks out unconventional resources, then turns them into

Ooobject Conjoin

recyclable products, merging clean design and functionality. Their Buoy brush series, for example, comes in three versions, created using either apple dregs, coffee grounds or eggshells as the base component. The

Ooobject Revive

Conjoin collection is built from 35 percent recycled ceramics, sourced from rejects and sub-standard products factories would otherwise put in a landfill. The result is an attractive line of oversized cups, saucers, and dinnerware in gorgeous colors ... all 100-percent recyclable. From coffee grounds to eggshells, this new company has found a way to jump start their commitment to green living, on both pre- and post-consumer fronts.

Forme
Licensing isn’t unique, but the way Forme approaches it is. Rather than simply play off an established brand or logo, the Italian company reimagines the elements of the original concept, then breathes new life into it. In the case of Vespa (one of the six licenses they hold, along with Fiat 500 and newly added Barilla), Forme designers honed in on the familiar headlamp, then, keeping true to the original, beloved design, created desk lamps, alarm clocks, and other high quality products that appear to be made from an actual headlamp. A ballpoint pen from the same line incorporates enameled colors from the original Vespa scooters, then adds a miniature gear shift as the “clicker” at the end of the instrument, producing a pen that’s well balanced, comfortable in the hand, and eye catching.

Urban Trend
Recognizing the prevalence of function over comfort in the wine accessory category, Urban Trend decided to zero in on one of the fastest growing demographics in that segment — women. The Tulip Corkscrew looks like

Urban Trend

a potted tulip, available in several bright, true-to-nature colors. When a bottle of wine comes to the table, however, it springs into action, pulling up and out of the “pot” to reveal a simple-to-use corkscrew, ergonomically molded to fit the female hand better than other tool-type options on the market. The mechanical side hasn’t lost out, though: corks glide easily from the bottle with little effort, making this an ideal gift for the wine loving women in your circle.

Area+
Lauren Bacall once said “You know how to whistle, don’t you...? You just put your lips together and blow.”

Area+

Area+ has taken that concept in a new direction, using the human whistle as a means to retrieve lost keys, regardless of what black hole they seem to have disappeared into. All one has to do is attach a keyfob — the sleek, flat “findMe” style, or a brightly colored “Mice” fob, where keys are threaded onto the creature’s tail. If the keys get lost, the user just whistles; the fob beeps back in response, helping the user home in on the missing keys’ location. Available in a wide selection of colors, both styles provide a solution that everyone will eventually need.

MagiMags
At first glance, MagiMags look like rolls of narrow duck tape in bright, eye-popping colors. Instead, the

MagiMags

rubberized tape is not only repositionable, but magnetic, allowing one to mount just about anything on a metal surface. Have two non-metallic surfaces? No problem. Just adhere a strip to both surfaces to provide a magnetic duo. Whether using strips to pop a child’s drawing on the refrigerator or to mount favorite photos to an office wall, MagiMags is a clever, easy-to-use alternative to chunky magnets or adhesive tape that may leave marks.

The Hong Kong Gifts and Premiums Fair is held annually, supplemented by the Summer Sourcing Show for Gifts, Housewares, and Toys, scheduled for July 5–8. For details, visit www.hktdc.com.

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