May 12, 2016 | Portland, OR–
PDC will accompany several Portland companies to PopUp PDX Japan, a business development showcase and export mission taking place May 19-22 in Tokyo, Japan. This marks the third time a Portland contingent led by PDC will promote the Portland brand in Japan.
The four-day event organized by PDC is directed toward retailers, buyers and consumers to promote Portland brand awareness, share the stories of the companies and their founders, and ultimately secure trade deals in the Japanese marketplace.
The trip will expose Portland athletic and outdoor and design/maker companies to potential buyers and distributors, with two days of business-to-business marketing and media events on Thursday and Friday, May 19-20, followed by a consumer-focused show held over the weekend. The venture has already generated $25,000 in sales for the five companies as a result of a pre-order of goods from Orange Life, a web shop and retail space in Osaka.
Orange Life is a current We Build Green Cities (WBGC) client in Aridagawa, where PLACE Studio and Propel Studio (and PDC) have been hired to assist the town in rethinking its economic future and urban place making to mitigate population loss. The WBGC team will travel to Aridagawa in June.
Danner Japan and Columbia Sportswear Japan will be joining the Portland firms at the event, as will representatives of Travel Portland, Egg Press and Stumptown. Oregon beers and an array of other Oregon products will be on hand as part of the Pop-Up showcase.
The Pop Up event will be one of the first events to take place at the T-Lotus art gallery on Tennozu Isle in the Tokyo Harbor on a floating barge designed by Kengo Kuma, who also designed the expansion of the Portland Japanese Garden and the Olympic Stadium for the 2020 Olympics.
“We organize PopUp PDX each year to connect Portland brands and our growing pool of designers and makers to the Japanese market and consumers,” said PDC athletic and outdoor industry liaison Sue Bal, who along with PDC’s international business development officer Mitsu Yamazaki will travel to Japan with the Portland companies. “Our focus is on providing export growth opportunities for small businesses in Portland and Oregon, and continuing to build Portland and Japanese cross-cultural relationships and partnerships.”
The participating companies include:
Orox Leather
Cycle Dog
GoumiKids
Hand-Eye Supply
Portland Gear
https://www.pdc.us/news-and-events/news-releases/news-detail/16-05-12/PopUp_PDX_returns_to_Tokyo.aspx
Created by Portland voters in 1958, PDC plays a major role in making Portland one of America’s most livable cities. As Portland’s economic development and urban renewal agency, PDC seeks to create one of the most globally competitive, healthy, and equitable cities in the world by investing in job creation, innovation, and economic opportunity throughout Portland.
