Hong Kong Electronics Exhibition (or something like that)

Last Wednesday, I went to the Hong Kong Electronics Exhibition (I think that's the name, but wither way, you get the picture).  The company I work for had a number of current designs on display, but all of the upcoming and future products (I had one in this category) were kept under wraps due to intellectual property and the ease with which people could snag new ideas and reverse engineer them for a profit.  I went mainly to see my team's work, and to see what else is on the market.  While I didn't see any of the team's designs, or my concept (they were in a meeting room - and were only being shown to serious investors) I did walk at least a few miles looking at everything from new sushi-shaped thumb drives, to security systems, to incredibly powerful audio systems, to baseball bat/flashlight contraptions.   I didn't have the greatest time because no one was showing anything too exciting, and there seemed to be nearly a gajillion people there.  I am, however, very glad to have attended.  After the soreness dissipated, and the ringing in my ears went away, I got to thinking about how fortunate I am to have a job that is relatively secure.  Although the Industrial Design industry is in a state of over-saturation and upheaval, a position in a design office is a fairly stable place.  Especially when compared to the plight of many of these Chinese manufacturers who have built their empires on casette players, tube-style televisions, corded telephones and other such obsolete technologies.  It is true that they can produce a walkman knockoff for a few pennies, but it does no one any good if there are no new cassettes being produced, and most of the world wouldn't be able to name the last time they used a tape, or the artist for that matter.

The venue was ridiculously immense.  It sprawled from most of the spaces in the convention center itself, into the bottom five floors of three neighboring buildings' convention spaces.  It took me at least an hour to figure out where the heck my company's exhibition space was set up.  I wish I could share images of the show itself for you readers, but I'll have to settle for these exterior shots taken a few days ago.  The building is built on something of an island created from earth dredged from the surrounding Victoria Harbour.  The exterior, while somewhat elegant and certainly visually interesting, is a nightmare for engineers.  And weather-proofers.  I saw more than a little bit of aluminum tape around the beams and columns inside the venue.  

Hopefully the second phase (I assume that's what it is, as it is smack in the middle of the few buildings that comprise the convention center) fairs better than the first.  It is being built on columns, just a few feet above the water.  

sorry it's so dark...the trusses are the new section, and the sweeping silver surfaces are the old.

The scale of the materials is staggering.  Even with all the iron and steel, bamboo holds the key to cheap construction.

Here is the smallest minivan I think I've ever seen.  It reminds me of the van from "Scooby Doo" with that absurdly short wheelbase.  

And who would have thought you'd have the space to fit two people inside comfortably enough to sleep at the side of the road!?