APRALO Showcase Promotional Item Ideas

Introduction

Chinese New Year (also called the Lunar New Year) is going to arrive right after ICANN 52. According to the Chinese Zodiac, 19 February 2015 will mark the beginning of the Year of the Goat/Sheep. Lunar New Year is perhaps the most important holiday celebrated in countries and territories with significant Chinese populations, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, and also in Chinatowns elsewhere.

Since ICANN 52 will be held in Singapore, where the Lunar New will be widely celebrated, it would be appropriate to promote traditional Chinese cultural elements, especially the various signs and symbols, via our Showcase promotional items. Furthermore, the color of Chinese New Year is red, which is in sync with the color of APRALO, so we are in luck . 

Event Swags

Red Envelope  

During Chinese New Year, it is a tradition to give out red envelopes (filled with cash) to family and friends, especially children. This practice is believed to spread fortune and good luck.

Whilst we don’t have cash to fill the red packet, we may consider filling them with other event swags that can fit inside, as well as drink coupons, puzzle/quiz, or information sheets that tells people's fortune based on their Chinese Zodiac signs (fortune telling is a big part of Chinese New Year tradition!). 

Thanks to Yannis’ research, we found a Hong Kong vendor that produce customizable red envelops. We can send the vendor a design that somehow incorporates auspicious Chinese characters, some artistic goat/sheep image, as well as the APRALO logo. 

The chart details the price for the red envelops based on size, prints, and additional elements: 

Below shows the size of those envelops and the variety of ways that you could customize the envelops (e.g. as you can see, some of the envelops are not even red!).    

Below are some finished product with traditional Chinese New Year style.

Lanyards

We may create a simple, red lanyard with words and design that indicate the year of the goat. It may look like this: 

Besides this type of design, we may consider using lanyards with traditional Chinese red silk knotst that reflect the spirit of the Lunar New Year. Wearing knot is believe to bring safety. 

On Taobao.com (Chinese version of ebay), I found a simple one like this, and the cost is $0.24 USD/each. 

The vendor can ship them to Singapore, and I will find out the shipping details. Nevertheless, they can be shipped almost free of cost within China. If we could ask China-based staff or our At-Large members (e.g. Hong Xue) to help bring them to Singapore, it would be tremendous help! 

Goat Shaped Talisman 

During Chinese New Year, many families like to decorate their houses with talisman. It is way to wish for safety, health, fortune, and happiness for the upcoming year. Talisman has many types, but the most popular one is the red silk knot. Furthermore, the Chinese Zodiac animals are HUGE during the New Year, so talisman with those animal designs are also among the most popular (i.e. in the upcoming new year, sheep/goat is going to be the star!). 

On Taobao.com, I found a talisman that incorporates all the aforementioned auspicious components (the design is really authentic!):

Looking at the sizes, it seem that the talisman could fit in the red envelope. 

The chart details the price based on the size:

The vendor can ship the product from China to Singapore directly. According to the website, the shipping fee is about $8 (unbelievable!) so I will need to confirm with the vendor. Similar to the lanyard, the product can be shipped almost free of cost within China. 

Sheep Shaped USB 

Along the thought of Chinese Zodiac animals, we may consider distributing sheep shaped goods with utility. USB seems to be a good choice. 

On Alibaba.com (Chinese version of Amazon), I have found this really cute one:

It is made of silica gel and can be attached to your keychain, purse zipper, or cellphone. The sheep doesn't look very Chinese but is really cute! 

The chart details the price based on the storage size of the USB: 

I will contact the vendor to find out how we can get the USB shipped to Singapore directly. 

One more thing, you can collect all the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals at once if you'd like!

Chinese Style USB 

If the sheep shaped USB is a little bit childish and obscure in terms of cultural heritage, then we may consider giving out USBs with typical Chinese cultural elements.

Taobao has a variety of customizable options: 

These USBs illustrate the Chinese art and calligraphy. Some of them have a distinctive emerald blue color, which is associated with the Chinese Cloisonné ware that boasts more than 600 years of history. 

The one below is my favorite, as it has the APRALO color and the red silk knot and beads, which are really traditional!  

As you can see, it is a real USB!

The best part of this USB is that the vendor can customize it by incorporating the APRALO logo in its design! Below shows some examples where company logos and traditional Chinese art co-exist in harmony. 

So, how much do they cost?

Shipping within China is almost free of cost. The vendor can ship these goodies to Singapore as well, and I can find out the shipping details. 

Paper Cutout Bookmark 

On Taobao, I also found traditional paper cutout bookmark with the Chinese Zodiac animal designs. The back tells the history of paper cutout arts in China with English translation. They can possibly fit in the red envelopes. They are meaningful and practical souvenir to bring home. 

Below is the colorful variation of the Chinese Zodiac animals. 

The bookmarks come in pack; 12 of them cost a total of $4.71 USD. 

Furthermore, I also found customizable paper cutout service like this and can explore more. 

Chinese Zodiac Animal Info Sheet & 2015 Fortune Forecast 

Nothing religious about it, this is just something fun that we can put inside the red envelopes and give out to the participants. 

We could create an one-page, double-sided info sheet, with one side explaining how you find out your own Chinese Zodiac Animals based on the year/month you were born, and the other side forecasting your fortune in the Year of the Goat. A quick google search shows that we can create the info sheet quite easily with information from many English and Chinese websites, like this one and this one. We probably can print out those sheet free of cost. 

Room Decor 

Red Lanterns 

For Chinese people, lanterns are like the Christmas ornaments that western people put on their trees. Lanterns symbolize celebration and joy, and are the must-haves for Chinese New Year decoration. During the Showcase, perhaps we can hang a few in the room or by the booth if it is allowed. 

Taobao didn't fail me and found all these wonderful customizable lanterns. We can put the APRALO logo, as well as the phrase 'celebrating diversity' on those lanterns. 

They don't take too much space when closed. 

Below shows you the process to prop them up. 

Their prices vary based on the size we order. If we request customized design, there would be (very little) additional cost.  

After contacting the vendor, I have learned that they could deliver the product within 3 business days. Shipping within China is almost free of cost. The vendor could ship the lanterns overseas via some specialized agent. I will find out more how the shipping works. 

Besides, there is also the skinny version of lantern like this. The vendor I found can also customize the lanterns.  

Below lists the cost of those lanterns. Their price vary depending on the colors (of the plastic circles at the bottom and the top of the lantern) and sizes:

Food

Dumplings 

During the Chinese New Year, the most important and enjoyable activity is families getting together to eat their heart out. 

Dumpling (饺子 jiao zi) is perhaps THE most typical, traditional festival food. They have the shape like gold ingots, which were used in ancient China as currency. People believe that eating dumplings will bring them prosperity. Here you can read the historical significance behind dumplings.

Also, another great thing about dumplings is that they unite people across Asia. As you may probably be aware, dumplings are popular in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and many other South East Asian countries; they even have variations in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Middle East.   

Therefore, it would be great if we ask the hotel to serve dumplings as finger food during the Showcase networking session. We can ask if they can serve the steamed, the fried, and the colorful dumplings with a variety of fillings and shapes. 

Besides eating them, another important aspect of dumplings is the experience of making them as a family activity. If we have the capacity, perhaps we could do a dumpling making demonstration on one of the booths during the Showcase and get participants involved. While we don't need to eat the finished product (due to concerns of health hazards), the experience of simply making it would teach people something new and can be quite fun. I hosted many dumpling making parties in the past and would be happy to do one for RALO Showcase. We may even consider doing a dumpling making contest and let participants showcase their efficiency and creativity! It should be easy to get dumpling skins in local super market. We can also ask the hotel to prepare some pre-made fillings.

Gold Ingot Shaped Chocolate 

Even for the most health conscious families, they will have a ton of candies spread everywhere in the house during the Lunar New Year, as candies symbolize sweet life. Hence, it would a nice gesture if we give out candies to our Showcase attendees. 

I recommend that we serve chocolate candies shaped as gold ingot. On one hand, chocolate is familiar to people's palate nowadays. On the other hand, back in ancient times, Chinese used gold ingot as their currency, so serving gold ingot shaped candies is believed to bring prosperity. Connecting the eastern and western culture and ancient and modern times, those types of candies are must-haves during the new year.  They also look quite pretty against red color table cloth. 

I am pretty sure that we could get this type of candy in Singapore. I will confirm with colleagues there and ask them to help look around. 

Gold Fish Shaped Chocolate 

Fish is an important symbol during Chinese New Year. There's a popular Chinese saying, 年年有余 (nian nian you yu), which means there may be surplus every year. It is a good wish for people to have (lots of) money in the upcoming year. 余 means surplus, and it happens to share the same pronunciation as 鱼, which means fish. Therefore, fish dish is a must-have during the Chinese New Year banquet; people also like to hang fish-shaped decorations around the house. 

Similar to the gold ingot shaped chocolate, fish shaped chocolate candies are popular as well. I am pretty sure we can get them in Singapore. 

If we can't find those chocolate candies, gummy fish or gold fish cracker can probably do (joking).

Separate Event

Chinese Calligraphy Demonstration / Workshop

Chinese calligraphy is an ancient art of writing Chinese characters using ink and brush on paper. The development of this ancient art has evolved through the ages. It dates back 4,000 years. It is one surviving language that has both phonetic and ideograph applications. One does not necessarily need to know the language to learn this art. You need to enjoy its beauty. You also will be surprised by the immense pleasure and inner peace in you through practicing this writing. 

One of the traditions during Lunar New Year is to write calligraphy on scrolls made of red paper. People like to write auspicious characters like 福 (fortune) & 财(money), as well as nice wishes like 万事如意（may all your wishes come true) & 岁岁平安 (safe & sound all around). The scrolls will be pasted on the doors, windows, and walls. Hence, it would be an appropriate to host a Chinese calligraphy demonstration or workshop for our community. This activity would be both fun and educational. Besides learning to write those auspicious characters and phrases, participants may also have the chance to learn to write their own Chinese names and bring them back home as souvenirs. (Do you know ICANN translator has given Chinese names to all At-Large session speakers and moderators when we requested Chinese translations for ICANN 51 meeting agendas?)

I have found several studios in Singapore that host calligraphy events for corporate functions (Liew Calligraphy, Young Gallery, etc.). In particular, Brush & Ink Studio seems to have a lot of experience in this.

• Cost of the demonstration hosted by Brush & Ink Studio: SIN$450.00 (US$356) per 2 hrs session minimal, inclusive of calligraphy papers.
• Participants get an experience of writing Chinese calligraphy by copying the characters which the instructor prepared in advance and also get to see her demonstration on the writing.  
• Participants can request the instructor to write their names in Chinese characters or request to write a phrase (not more than 4 characters) to take home. There is no time limit, as it is on first- come- first served base.
• Due to the coming Lunar Festival, the studio would require one month's confirmation of order and a deposit of 50% to reserve time for the event.

We may consider hosting this demo/workshop during the APRALO Showcase if time & space is allowed, or as a separate event that is similar to the tea ceremony during ICANN 49. 

Chinese Opera

Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre that existed in ancient China, evolved gradually over more than a thousand years, and reached its mature form in the 13th century. You may read more about this art here. If you recall, the mask changing show in ICANN 49 exhibit many elements of the Chinese opera in terms of its costume, movement, makeup and music. Below is a short video of it.

To my knowledge, there is no typical Chinese opera song created for the Lunar New Year. However, since this art is very popular among senior citizens in China, it is often played on TV during this time of the year to entertain this group of audience, especially during the famous CCTV Chinese New Year's gala that billions of Chinese around the world sat and watch for 4-5 hours on the New Year's Eve. Thus, it would be appropriate to showcase this art form for our community. 

The mother of Mary Wong is a famous Chinese opera singer in Singapore. Her genre is Cantonese opera, in which artists sing in Cantonese rather than Mandarin. You can watch a video and learn how it sounds like: 

Her studio could host different types of performance for corporate functions. If we have about 15-20 minutes, below are some options:

1. A costume/makeup explanation plus photo ops with the artists 

2. A short performance with an intro but no explanation about the movements, makeup etc.

If we have 45-60 minutes, they can conduct a program which is the combination of both aforementioned options. 

I will find out the costs of these programs through Mary.   

Traditional Instrumental Ensemble 

China has a ton of traditional instruments are super ancient but not very well known to the outside world. This website has a comprehensive list of those instruments.

During Lunar New Year, many traditional songs are played on the radios, TV, and in the malls, just like the Christmas music played during the winter holiday season in the US. Below is a typical festival song played by a traditional instrumental ensemble group. Thus, it would be appropriate to invite a group of musicians to do a short demo; it would also be an eye-opening experience for our participants to learn about those instruments.

Mary Wong's mother's studio can help organize an ensemble group like this (I will find out the cost). 

Furthermore, I also found some cool local band that does corporate event engagement. For example, the Qi Ensemble and the Pipa Quartet use traditional instruments to play modern songs, including the ones popular in the west. Below shows one of their past performance (a song from Central Asia). 

Pricing (same day soundcheck/rehearsal): 

• 20 minutes - S$900 (without percussion)
• 20 minutes - S$1,200 (with percussion)

One thought for your entertainment, perhaps I could demonstrate Chinese folk singing with the ensemble group? One big activity during Lunar New Year for families is singing Karaoke, where folk songs are very popular options. The video below shows a song that was originally sang by the 1st Lady of China, a folk singing mega star.