MELBURN #3. ONE THING @ BUFFET.
March 1, 2010

Tradeshows are a bit of a double edged sword for me. On one hand, these type of events can be enjoyable because I get to see a lot of friends and industry colleagues that I don't normally see very often, and on the other, I can get really tired looking through dozens of stands and product and having to endure the 'tradeshow hustle'.

Fortunately for me, at Buffet I was given the opportunity to do something I've always thought about but never had the time for - I've always wanted to go to every stand and ask them to select and show me just one thing that they think represents their brand/stand. Any one thing, whether it be a product, a personal possession, or anything else on their stand that they were most proud of.

Buffet was the perfect opportunity for this - it's smaller than the large international tradeshows, and given my relatively anonymous profile I was able to walk around most of the stands in between the discussion forums and ask each stand the golden question.

It was really interesting seeing the reaction from each individual stand, especially when they didn't know what it was for. You can certainly tell apart the more creative individuals against the people who were there strictly for business, as well as their knowledge of the brand they were representing from their reaction to the question and their ensuing choice. In a way it was almost like an secondary question to see what each brand or individual was personally into, or what they thought they stood for.

In any case, the results were pretty varied. Keep in mind that most of these were selected by people/staffers on the stand who had no idea what purpose it was for. I've also pointed out which brands were represented by a local distributor. Have a look.

KANGOL - Green Felt Trillby.

MISHKA (via distributor) - Merino Wool cycling hood.

BLANK TM (Melbourne) - Mexi for Blank Graphic Tee.

DEEP SURFACE (Sydney) - Handball Graphic Tee.

QUIET RIOT (Melbourne) - Swanston Street Graphic Tee.

SUP CLOTHING (Singapore) - Toymaker Phu for Sup Plaque.

GEAR BRISBANE (Brisbane) - Brisbane Outdoor Product Custom one-off Messenger bag for Gear Brisbane.

ESTEVAN ORIOL (via distributor) - Photo Collage Hooded Sweatshirt.

LOWER (New Zealand) - Thanks USB Stick.

INCASE (via distributor) - Skate Messenger Pack.

GSHOCK - GTA100 White Edition

IN4MATION (via distributor) - In4fmation x Starter Snapback Cap.

SABOTAGE (Sydney) - Lip Tattoo.

ONE'S CLOTHING (Melbourne) - Catalogue. (pretty smart... ?)

AIAIAI(via distributor) - Tracks Headphones.

NEW ERA - Original NY Yankees 59fifty.

STPL (via distributor) - 8 pocket Utility Jacket.

9FIVE EYEWEAR (via distributor) - 9Five x GreenApple Tree sunglasses.

GRAND SCHEME (Brisbane) - Grand Scheme x Acclaim Magazine 10 Year Annivesrary Limited Graphic Tee.

GUERRILLA THEATRE BRAND (Melbourne) - Logo Tee.

KNOW1EDGE (via distributor) - Gregory Striped S/S Button Up.

BEATBOX KITCHEN (Melbourne) - The Raph Burger.*

* No bias, but perhaps one of the best burgers I have ever tasted. Hand ground mince steak, Raph's tangy tomato sauce, and sourdough (?) bun. If you see this, try it by any means, even if you have to steal it from your friend. It's worth the friendship. Honest.

A second round of Buffet soon.