Jolekyo & Top Shape Imports was in attendance at the 2009 C.C.&E.E.
We were on the morning of the first day, and had already decided to have revenge on the expo next year. It’s not that there were any disappointments, but we felt unprepared after seeing some other exhibitor booths. We were so impressed that it pumped us up to do better.
Our objective for the expo, was to get members of the public familiar with Jolekyo and Top Shape Imports. We can do detailed explanations on our website, but there is so much more interaction when we get to meet people face to face. We were able to benefit from meeting fellow artists, potential clients and enthusiasts of all kinds.
To get things going, we decided to showcase our effectiveness in listening, comprehension & presentation of ideas. We would bug individuals walking by our booth and ask them what was on their minds, or what they would like to see a depiction of. There was no commitment involved, as we just wanted to get a sense of how clear our communication channels were. We were having great fun with the thoughts people had, & asked visitors to “name the price” of the resulting art. We used fabric markers bought at a local craft store on matte or regular paper. Though we did quite well (especially for something we just had come up with), our payment was sharing the smile with our visitors. We hope they got a sense of the theory behind Jolekyo Inc.
For Top Shape Imports, the initial draw seemed to be the hocho knives on display. Many people interested in Japanese metal works (knives by Miki Hamano Produce) stopped by, including cooks and chefs at various stages of their careers. A few people took notice of the Aoshima catalog and browsed through. Next year we will have stock to show the detail of many of their products. Though we may have not had the time to explain to some, we are the exclusive distributor for Miki Hamono Produce (Japanese Hocho) in North America & the only authorised dealer for Aoshima (hobby creation company), & Momotaro Jeans (Japan Blue Group), & Eternal Jeans (Maeno). These companies are at the forefront of design, research and quality in their respective catagories.
Some visitors asked what the relationship was between Jolekyo and Top Shape Imports. Our answer is that both are young companies seeking to bring our customers the highest quality of goods and services for the cheapest possible price.
Look for us next year, we look forward to getting our revenge!
