We set up our booth on Thursday and packed it up on Monday, and somewhere in between we had one of the best weeks Alizé has ever had.
Walking the halls in Mawei, it didn’t take long to notice something. We were the only furniture company at the show, and the only umbrella company. Everyone around us was building serious machines. Sea drones, crane suppliers, oil rig services, offshore wind farm developers. It was a show full of people solving hard problems on the water, and honestly it was a thrill just to be around all of it. It also felt right. We think of our umbrellas as marine engineering that happens to live on a patio, and this was a room full of people who understood that.
Come sit down
Our booth was simple. Umbrellas up, fans running, and a place to sit. A lot of visitors stopped by to try them out, and the reaction never got old. People sit down, feel the breeze come down from the canopy, and you can see it click. We also poured authentic Caribbean Painkillers, which turned out to be a very good way to start a conversation.
Plenty of people came by just for the drawings. We had the plans for the classic yawl Mah Jong hanging in the booth, and they pulled in sailors, engineers and boat lovers who wanted to stand there and talk about her lines. Some of my favorite conversations of the week started right in front of those plans.
A family affair
We had visitors from all over the world, but the people who made this show special were our own. My wife Bella and our daughter Bronwin helped run the booth, along with Niels.
Niels is a Danish designer who is working with us on our new premium line. He brings years of experience, and he comes from a part of the world that builds some of the most beautiful wooden boats ever made. We’ll be sharing more soon about the direction he’s taking our umbrellas, and I can’t wait to show you.
There was one more reunion that made this week unforgettable. My cousin Bronwynn and her husband Cam flew in from Australia to visit the show. That meant that for the first time ever, the two Bronwyns in our family finally got to meet. Seeing the two of them together in our booth in Mawei is something I’ll remember for a long time.
What comes next
We came home with some really unique opportunities. We had strong interest from magazines and photo journals, and from resorts looking to upgrade what they offer their guests. We’re following up on all of it now, and we’ll share more as those conversations turn into something real.
To everyone who stopped by, sat under an umbrella, had a drink with us or stood around talking about Mah Jong, thank you. And to my family and Niels, thank you for making it feel like home.
More soon.
Ryan Dickerson
