Exhibitors' and Buyers' Comments
| Exhibitors' Comments | Buyers' Comments |
- Research and development, staff cultivation and anticipatory response to market demand keep the Ten Pao ship sailing ahead in this stormy business climate. The key is to anticipate market needs rather than merely respond to them. We are confident the company will do well in the years to come with our investment in new technologies and product category branding endeavours. While developing new energy sources, we have not neglected the importance and advancement of energy efficiency in traditional consumer electronics to provide a greener, one-step power solution for our customers. The new brand, TP Power for our consumer electronics product line, is being launched here today. This Fair has been instrumental in branding, image-building and market intelligence gathering for us.
K. Y. Hung, President, Ten Pao International Limited, Hong Kong - Our core business, high-quality headphones, has done very well in recent years. It has led to more than 40% revenue growth this year, mainly from Bluetooth-enabled devices and other smartphone accessories. The strategy is to stay one step ahead of the market and get ready to reap the profit. For example, we have employed Bluetooth 4.0 and Near Field Communication (NFC) for our new headsets. One light touch of the smartphone on our new headset brings music alive, saving the cumbersome process of pairing the two. Based on the solid business performance, we are expanding into new areas such as power-recharging pads and leatherette packaging products. After two decades at the Fair, we are able to meet existing and potential business partners here, and bring our OEM and ODM business to new heights.
Maurice Lam, Product Marketing Manager, Fujikon Industrial Co., Ltd, Hong Kong - This year we introduce a new dining experience to Asia by launching our new product Dinner4All. It is a set of several individual baking plates, or you can call them personal grills, placed on the dining table in front of each diner to cook the food to their personal preference and satisfaction. It is a Dutch design and we believe it will be well-received in Asia for it makes eating together more fun; it is also similar to the individual hotpot service style which is already well established in the region. The current economy should be good for our business as people tend to be conservative about spending and eating at home more often. So far, we have received enquiries from interested Korean and Hong Kong buyers. The Fair is a perfect launch pad for the new products.
Florence Law, Export Manager, Princess Worldwide Limited, Hong Kong - The star for VTech this year is no doubt the DECT 360 cordless phone, an award winner that covers 800 meter in range while incorporating mobile phones into the home phone system by simply placing the mobile set near the cordless phone base station. It saves health and money for the user since the radiation level of cordless phones is much lower than mobile devices and the user can optimize the quota allocated by the mobile communication service provider while making outgoing phone calls from the home phones. After establishing itself in the American and European markets, VTech focuses on Hong Kong, Asia as well as the Middle East markets. The Fair is an ideal place for us to expand into these markets.
Boogie P. Y. Chan, Senior Marketing Officer, International Sales and Market Development, VTech Holdings Limited, Hong Kong - The Epilady is a 26-year-old brand built on our invention of the world's first epilator, a device that removes hair from the root with minimal discomfort. Originally an Israeli company, we started to manufacture in China since 2003 and we started to participate in the Fair in 2006, twice a year without fail. We are here again to meet potential country distributors and to develop reliable manufacturers in China. The Fair has proven to be effective in the past as almost all of our country distributors came to us during the show organised by HKTDC. Our products are well received in more than 30 markets in Europe, the Americas, Australia and Asia. Yes, our business did suffer in 2008, 2009 and 2010. However, it bounced back in 2011 and 2012 due to an effective pricing strategy. The conventional wisdom is consumer products priced between US$50 to US$80 are the first to pick up sales when the economy recovers.
Joseph Miller, CEO, Epilady 2000 LLC., Israel - The OEM and ODM manufacturer IDT group bought the American Oregon Scientific brand, with design and marketing done by the corporate headquarters in Hong Kong and sales made all over the world along five major product lines. They are wellness & beauty, sports, fitness & health, time and weather, learning and fun and mobile style. We were not immune from the global economic downturn; however, we managed to stay the course by expanding markets in Asia and enhancing product range. By introducing smartphone accessories such as wireless speakers and wireless power charging pads, we aim at setting the users and their mobile phones free by breaking the barrier among mobile device platforms iOS, Android and Windows OS. In the meantime, we enable our products with more apps for increased connectivity. The main purpose for us here is to meet existing and potential distributors. The fair organiser prepares a fine stage for Oregon Scientific to perform.
Joey Lam, Assistant Marketing Manager, IDT International Limited, Hong Kong - The company started as a Swiss concern selling turntables and later evolved into a Dutch company selling made-in-China audio video products to Europe and the Middle East under the Lenco brand. We are a veteran participant at the Fair and we have been rewarded for our consistent attendance. For example, the contacts we made here two and three years ago have become our distributors in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Our agents in China also came to us during this show. Now, business in those markets counts for substantial turnover for us. We keep coming back to the Hong Kong Fair in order to explore the global market.
Mavis Lo, Assistant Sales Manager, S.T.I. Electronics Limited, Hong Kong - Coway is the biggest wellbeing electrical appliances company in South Korea with the mission of keeping our customers happy and healthy. We specialise in filtration, featuring air and water purification, and our products have already penetrated the U.S., China, Europe, Malaysia and Indonesia markets. Our booth has been busy today, receiving over 50 groups of visitors including potential customers from Turkey. We are confident that some of these queries will lead to new business later, adding to the million-dollar sales generated from contacts cultivated from the two previous Fairs.
Rodney Ryu, Senior Sales Manager of Overseas Business Unit, Coway, Korea - The patented electromagnetic-wave absorption case for smartphones, tablets and laptops is the star we present at the Fair. These cases are tested and proven to absorb almost 90% of the radiation, which provide an effective protection to users, especially children and pregnant women. The protective feature and smart design of our product caught the attention of consumers in Japan and brought us US$2 million worth of business in the first year after the launch. Many buyers at the Fair came to enquire about our technology and some of them expressed great interest. We won an order from a Middle Eastern buyer on the first day.
Bin Liu, Director of R&D and Marketing Strategy, Lab Success Co., Ltd., Japan - GPI specialises in batteries and related products and has risen to be one of the world's top five battery manufacturers. Riding on the growing popularity of mobile devices, we launched the GP Portable PowerBank and expect substantial growth from this new product line. That, coupled with the penetration of new markets in emerging Eastern Europe, India and South America, are our way to cope with the challenging business environment. The Fair has become an integral part of our marketing program to reinforce the brand, introduce new products and reassure our partners that we are solid and we are here for them. In return the organiser attracts professional buyers to visit. Hundreds of them came to our booth this time.
Parklin Ho, Director of Consumer Division, GPI International Limited, Hong Kong
- In response to the phenomenal growth of the smartphone and accessories business in Russia, our company is shifting the focus on home appliances to include mobile device accessories. It's a new direction for us and we are looking for new products from China and elsewhere. Russian customers are demanding. They want something new, fresh and innovative. Our job is to import the right stuff to meet their expectations. Thanks to a stable economy, our retail business selling OEM and ODM items enjoyed a 15%-20% growth last year, and we expect to see a 20%-30% increase in the year to come. As a third-time visitor to the Fair, I have become a serious buyer, looking for new suppliers in China to take their products into the Russian market.
Michael Senichev, Commercial Director, Lebedinskiy Trade Company, Russia - The import-export trade regulations in Argentina are changing frequently to maintain a trade balance. In this uncertain climate, trade has come almost to a standstill. One possible solution is for Chinese and other Asian companies to form joint ventures with South American companies to manufacture for Mercosur markets. I have come to the Fair not so much as a buyer this time but more as an agent for several companies in Argentina and its neighbor countries to explore such business opportunities. The Fair in Hong Kong is especially good at presenting new products and reflecting market trends. As to the market outlook for Argentina, it's murky.
Daniel Hector Chacon, President, DoMoCo Producciones Int., Argentina - We operate more than 30 superstores in the U.S. selling electronic products ranging from computers, components, audio and video items, communications products and accessories, cameras and more. I am in charge of the audio/video division and am interested in finding new OEM products to sell under the Fry's brand. In the current challenging market environment, our task is to identify what customers want and offer prices people are willing to pay. At this first visit to the Fair in Hong Kong, I am excited to see the stunning picture quality of the 4K and 8K ultra-high definition television for 2013 and to get in-depth knowledge about suppliers in order to develop long-term business partners. What I find here is amazing and I will certainly come back here next year.
Raj Seth, Director of Audio/Video, Merchandising & Operations, Fry's Electronics, USA - The company specialises in household electrical appliances and electronic products at low- to medium price range. Our business includes wholesale and retail at 30-some chain stores in Russia for which I seek value-for-money innovative products. I am a first-time visitor and I find the Fair overwhelmingly large with information galore. I collected useful product information to be followed up later, such as an external power bank for digital devices I came across today. I will also check out the Small-Order Zone later. After this first visit facilitated by the organiser, I will come back to identify and engage quality suppliers.
Yakimyuk Alexey, Purchasing Manager, Set Elektro, Russia - The Mall Group owns and operates high-end shopping malls such as Siam Paragon and the Emporium in Bangkok and department stores. And the department stores are where most of the electronic products are purchased in Thailand. Our eight Power Malls dedicated to electrical and electronic products totalling 24,000 square meters floor space are a good reflection of what the Thai consumers want. I see the 7-inch phonelets as a potential market favorite. Thus, I have come to the Fair to look for tablets, phonelets and accessories and I have found huge opportunities in the impressive range of products coming out of smaller and lesser-known manufacturers. The three business matching meetings with suppliers from Hong Kong, China and Sweden may also lead to distribution partnerships and/or order placements.
Jakkrit Keeratichokchaikun, Chief Merchandising Officer, The Mall Group Co., Ltd., Thailand - The company is a telecommunication product distributor and solution provider headquartered in Germany while doing business in five additional western European countries. We used to look for only manufacturers here. However, starting three years ago we have also found product developers in China to tailor-make solutions that answer to the needs of our markets. The economic downturn is not that worrisome for our business. As far as I can see, it actually gives rise to good telecommunication solutions. For example, enhanced connectivity helps lower healthcare costs. Change is the order of the day in the telecommunication business. My team visits every floor of the Fair to discover potential suppliers. They have lined up 15 meetings already. I hope we can identify and develop trustworthy partners here.
Jurgen Taplick, Chief Operating Officer, Tiptel.com GmbH Business Solutions, Germany - The market is getting ever faster. Products come and go in shorter cycles. In response we have to expedite the time to market, targeting at getting new products on store shelves in 45 days. Presently, smartphones are still big. And I see tablets and laptops merging into one. Being one of the biggest retailers in India, a country with a young population, we have to stay a bit ahead of the market to serve our young consumers wanting the latest technology. I am delighted to spot some market trends at the Fair, which is a great showcase of the advancement of technology. I find many innovative smaller suppliers here who may offer bigger margins for us.
Rajan Malhortra, President - Retail Strategy, Future Group, India - I have been a buyer of electronic products for more than a decade. It is obvious that desktop and laptop computers are phasing out and are being replaced by mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The dominance of tablets will be further strengthened by Windows 8 and they may very well render portable computers obsolete. Also, the point & shoot cameras will also be driven out in the foreseeable future. The consumers want the latest user-friendly technology. In challenging times, they look for good value in good deals. Our company is one of the largest furniture, electronics and IT retailers in Southeast Asia. I will place a quarter of a million U.S. dollars of orders at the Fair this time. Good selections of white goods, mobile accessories and small- and medium-sized electrical household appliances are available.
Paul Deng, Senior Buyer, Courts (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Singapore - I am a first-time buyer to the Hong Kong Fair and I am lucky to have identified a good supplier to get me what I want: air-conditioner sensors for temperature and humidity control. In a few days they will send samples to be tested on my system. Orders will follow if they work out. You see, the control is the most important part in the air-conditioning system, and the most expensive. Once we get the control right, we are set. Here at the fairground, the exhibition is organized to make it convenient for buyers with certain objects in mind. It helps me focus and find what I look for rather easily. Also good: the price is right.
Antoine Y. El Khoury, Owner & General Manager, Dysman Est., U.A.E. - We do various cable assemblies for OEM manufacturers in India and they sell to domestic and overseas markets. At this first visit to the Hong Kong Fair we are delighted to find suppliers big and small to meet our needs at different levels. Samples have been left and feedback will come. Business will be done if the quality and price meet our requirements. The organisation of the Fair is perfect. Perfect is a strong word but that is how I feel. Thanks to the good planning and guidance, we know exactly where to go to find exactly what we want.
Bhaven A. Mehta, Director, Multi Connection Systems, India
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