POP UP ASIA 2018 in Taipei
POP UP ASIA was a huge success as the event brought in over 20 cities, over 300 brands, and over 200 workshops. The event took place Nov. 15th-18th and Startup Radar was able to get a VIP tour from the director of Pop Up Asia, Jerry Yen and the current CEO at CAMPOBAG. He is responsible for fostering the handmade entrepreneurship ecosystem in Asia. He is an expert on the latest entrepreneurial innovation trends and what it takes to expand into other Asian markets.
Meaning of POP UP ASIA
The word POP in Pop Up Asia stands for 3 words. P stands for personal style. O stands for Original Ideas. Finally, P stands for Partnerships.
The event brought in entrepreneurs who could connect with merchants, manufacturers, and buyers from all across Asia. Furthermore, this cultural exchange among Asian cities could be coming to Seoul, South Korea in 2019! Through these events, Pop Up Asia is able to create a uniquely Asian handicraft entrepreneurial spirit. This is the best offline event Startup Radar has been to where Asian artisans, early startups, and craftsman can connect with platform groups.
The brands at Pop Up Asia focused on products made by hand, or in limited production, and are locally made.
While touring the event both indoor and outdoor, we were able to see the high-quality materials and unique design used in:
- ceramics
- home decor products
- furniture
- handmade jewelry
- accessories
- textiles
- apparels
- illustrations
- stationery
- perfume
- artworks
There were over 100 high-quality artisan brands from all Across Asia. You can find more through their Instagram here.
Talks, Workshops, and Seminars
Over 20 Asian cities participated in this event which is in its third year but what separated this event from others was the workshops. Visitors were able to create some of these products with the help of the brands themselves. Therefore this event is not only a great place for entrepreneurs but also for young children who are looking to develop their creativity.
There were also Pop Up lectures and talks to better educate the visitors on this industry. These talks were from CEOs, designers, artists, and etc. Some of the topics included future production modes, online handmade communities, the challenges of entering other Asian markets, the latest retail trends and much more. There was huge potential for cross-border collaborations between countries. Korea only had one brand at the event, however, once the Korean market learns about the potential of Pop Up Asia, this could change in 2019.
Connecting Asia
Pop Up Asia is the first trade fair that is solely focused on starting a creative dialogue among handicraft entrepreneurs, artisans, designers, manufacturers, suppliers, and organizers in Asia. Therefore, they have created a platform for these energetic entrepreneurs to show their innovative ideas. As well as, show their creative works and build up their business. In addition, this allows for these entrepreneurs to turn their creativity and turn it into a living, connect with other similar handicraft entrepreneurs in different cities across Asia, and finally build cross-border cooperation with buyers and suppliers in Asia.
