Just got back from Canton Fair phase 3. David did most of the talking, my English isn't good enough for hours of buyer meetings, so I was on samples and tea duty.
Some observations, not really in order:
The Brazilian buyer flow is still strong but the questions changed. Used to be just "best price, biggest MOQ." Now its more "do you have eco certification, what about FSC wood, can we get a carbon report." Two younger buyers literally asked for an LCA (life cycle assessment) document. We don't have one. We need to look into this for next year.
Met an Australian importer who buys for a sports retail chain — won't name names but they're big down there. He wants a beach paddle line with their own branding, MOQ around 2000 pairs, very specific weight range (240-260g per paddle), and they want delivery to Sydney by mid-September for the start of summer. We can do this if we start production by July. David and the boss are talking about it this week.
Found a new EVA foam vendor at the materials hall. Closed-cell EVA, density a bit higher than what we use now, supposedly better for the carrying bag inserts and possibly for handle wrap padding. Bought 5kg of samples. Will test this month.
The Israel side was quieter than I expected — Lior's competitor in Tel Aviv showed up but mostly to ask about lead times not place orders. Tehy seemed cautious about the season.
One annoying thing — a competitor from Quanzhou had a booth two rows down and was showing a paddle that's almost a direct copy of our 2023 design. Even the curve on the handle is the same. Boss saw it, didn't look happy. We've been thinking about applying for a design patent for the next series. Probably worth it.
Hotel was decent, the breakfast was bad, weather was hot. Back to the workshop. Going again in October.
