Star Bamboo Singapore

So now I continue part 2 of the Norway report (part 1 can be found here).

There’re more leisure photos here. Enjoy!

The trade show was also a time to learn and absorb new ideas. The above series of booths is a fantastic marketing concept by a flooring company.

It tells the story of a man who bore a deep hatred against his boss. One night, he killed him in a violent struggle. Can you see the knife on the bed with the red blood stains?

So what has this got to do with flooring, you might ask?

According to the eloquent sales manager, the flooring they sell is hardy and could withstand the impact of the struggle. It is also easy to maintain, and stains (including blood stains) wipe off easily.

Desperate to conceal his crime, the murderer dug a hole beneath the wooden floor.

This engineered wood flooring comes with a click system, which makes it easy for quick assembly and removal. Just what you need when you have a corpse to bury.

It’s controversial and got many tongues wagging at the show. Success!

The organisers also organised a few mini concerts to whip up interest in the general public. This one is by a highly popular contestant at the recent Norway Idol show.

She didn’t win but you can see why she is so popular.

Here’s a view from my hotel room. The row of black buildings in front has 3 restaurants, we tried them all. Food is expensive but quality is uniformly excellent.

This is reindeer steak. Tastes like beef and literally melts in your mouth.

A quick shot in front of the convention centre. You can see the houses dotting the hillside, such a lovely sight and worlds apart from the urban jungle that is Singapore.

A jaunt to the marina where a gorgeous rainbow awaits us.

Captain of his ship, charting the course to higher profits.

Well, that’s all for now. It’s been a wonderful experience, with new friends and contacts made. We’ll certainly be devoting much more time to the Europe market from now on.

Till next time!

Part 1

Yes I know I’ve been tardy with the photos from our trade show in Norway, but things have been really hectic the past week.

It feels like people in many countries have simultaneously woken up to the wonderful properties of our eco-friendly bamboo flooring.

Anyway, I’ve managed to figure out what “Bygg Reis Deg” really means (No, it’s not “Big Rise Day”).

• Bygg - Building
• Reis - To construct
• Deg - You

So it loosely means “building and construction for you”, an apt name for the largest building materials fair in Norway.

OK, on to the photos!

When I say that Bygg Reis Deg 2007 is the largest show of its kind in Norway, I wasn’t kidding.

Just check out the crowds above at one of the two entrances.

The numbers increased every day, and the grand total at the end of 6 days was well over 60,000.

This is an astonishing figure because the fee is 120NOK (or S$32) for 1-day entry pass. Many trade shows I’ve attended before would struggle to meet this figure even if entry was free. This speaks volume of their passion for building and renovation.

This is our lovely booth, with bamboo flooring installed, of course.

“Stjerne Gulv” literally means “Star Floors” in Norwegian, which is a direct translation from Star Bamboo.

“Bambusgulv” = “Bamboo flooring”. Not too hard to guess, but hard to pronounce.

Our regular visitors and customers would probably recognise the cover photo from our web site and brochure.

Norwegians are very hands-on people – even the bamboo flooring was a DIY job and the standard was comparable to many flooring professionals here in Singapore.

The per capita spending on renovation and construction in Norway is among the highest in the world. Despite a small population of 4.5 million (Singapore’s latest figures show 4.68 million residents), they spend a staggering amount on flooring.

The best is that they are willing to pay for high quality products. This is great because that fits perfectly with our ideals at Star Bamboo.

Sometimes it could be disheartening losing a sale because a higher quality product costs more to manufacture, but I see it as a case of getting the right customer.

One size can’t possibly fit all. We cannot compromise quality to lower costs. So it’s a matter of finding customers who appreciate our quality.

This is Sigmund, the Managing Director of our Norwegian partner company, hard at work. Our bamboo flooring has certainly intrigued many visitors.

He’s a natural salesman, it was an eye-opener to see how he put people at ease before he gave them the pitch.

This is Sigmund, taking a break (thankfully there weren’t many visitors around at the time).

Norwegians are friendly people. They are at ease making eye contact and smiling, even to strangers at a business event such as this. It was such a contrast with Singaporeans, and left a deep impression on me.

It was a casual and relaxed atmosphere. You could see that our attire was plain jeans and shirts. Many of the builders even turned up in their overalls.

This is Petter, our marketing expert. We had a lucky draw during the trade show, and what else could the prize be but bamboo flooring, of course.

Here, Petter is busy sorting the eligible entries and the winner out of more than 150 participants was later announced over the PA system.

He also single-handedly dismantled the booth and flooring after the show ended. I feel small when I stand next to him and Sigmund.

OK, that concludes part 1 of my Norway report. Part 2 and more photos coming your way soon!

Hi I’m blogging from a business hotel in Lillestrom, Norway.

Next door is the conference centre where the largest building and construction fair in Norway will begin tomorrow and last for the next 6 days.

The Bygg Reis Deg fair has a long tradition, having been around since 1954.

The name “bygg reis deg” is a total mystery to me. I tried a Norwegian-English online translator and ended up with “barley depart you”. I asked my Norwegian partner and apparently the word “bygg” meant “construction” in this context.

I feel really positive about this trade show, and hope to be able to share with you the progress over this week.

Also, please note that our Singapore office is closed from 17 to 24 Sep, but we can still be contacted via email.