Behind The Great Wall

During his week-long visit to China, Counselor Senior Writer Dave Vagnoni recorded his daily experiences through an online blog. Read his feature article and blog posts and watch a video on business in China.

Video

Feature Article

One of the most intricate booths at the Hong Kong Fair in 2011

Behind the Great Wall

Unprecedented changes in China are having a significant impact on the ad specialty industry in North America. With so much at stake, Counselor traveled to the other side of the world for an in-depth look at a nation and a people in unavoidable transition.

The road to Dongguan is as hopeful as it is heartbreaking. Along the way, elderly farmers, who may earn $6 daily, tend to uncountable acres of crops. Read more...

Blogs

The Year I Skipped Easter

It definitely was an odd feeling to leave Philadelphia Saturday morning and finally arrive in Hong Kong late Easter Sunday night. A delayed flight, three-quarters of a day in the air and a 12-hour time difference does tend to rearrange what seems normal. I wound up spending those “missing” hours catching up on some sleep, eating better-than-I-expected airline-provided Chinese noodles and watching in-flight movies (wish I would’ve dozed off during Gulliver’s Travels rather than The King’s Speech).
Read more from The Year I Skipped Easter blog....

Detained At The Border

My second full day in China began with a cab ride from my hotel to the Star Ferry. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought I was involved in a car chase. The driver swerved, then stopped. Sped up, then slammed on the brakes. I found myself holding onto the seat in front of me just to keep my balance. Picture a cab ride through New York City with narrower and curvier streets.
Read more from Detained At The Border blog....

The World's Largest Gift Show

Find in your mind an image of the busiest ASI Show you can remember. Now imagine a show at least five times bigger, held on three separate floors in giant halls and concourses, with more than 4,070 suppliers – that’s the Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair. The grandiose event is billed as the largest of its kind in the world, this year hosting exhibitors from 36 different countries.
Read more from The World's Largest Gift Show blog....

Supplier mascots at the Hong Kong Gift Fair

Standing In The Clouds

Just got back a little while ago from a VERY late dinner where I visited with distributors from four different continents. The table conversation was direct and engaging. It's true that a salesperson in Brazil faces different challenges than a salesperson in Japan, but the bottom line is they're both still trying to do one thing – convince clients and prospects that promotional products are a great way to advertise.
Read more from Standing In The Clouds blog....

high-end greeting card designs are offered by retailer Papyrus

Noodles, Novelties and Things I've Noticed

On an especially hazy day here in Hong Kong, I had breakfast with Danielle and Randee from Dard, along with Ross Beaton of Australia’s Logo-Line. Ross, who’s a former Counselor International Person of the Year, has been trying for days to get me to eat how the locals do (that means eating fish that stare back at you). He’s also been pushing Peking Duck, which is not on my top 10,000 list of things to eat. Sorry, Ross.
Read more from Noodles, Novelties and Things I've Noticed blog....