Diving fairs as the world is long and wide - interview with Tomek Stachura part III

Today, for a good start of the week, we have for you the third and final part of the interview with Tomek Stachura of Santi Diving. You will learn a bit about how diving fairs in Russia, USA and Asia look like. We are very pleased with the popularity of the material prepared for you and we assure you that we are not going to slow down! In the meantime, we wish you a pleasant read.

-- Advertisement --

Read the first and second part of the interview “Diving fairs as the world long and wide – interview with Tomek Stachura part I” Diving fairs as the world long and wide – interview with Tomek Stachura part II“.

Adam: Now that we’ve touched on Sweden, how does the situation look in the country of the three crowns?

Tomek: It’s impossible to say too much here, it’s a very small fair, held in Stockholm, it can be compared with our native “Wind and Water”. There are only a few diving stands, a complete waste of time from a diving business perspective, as it’s more of a tourist fair.

A: This year for the first time this type of event came to Russia, what are your impressions after visiting Moscow?

T: An amazing contrast. Golden Dolphin is the strangest fair we have ever been to. They don’t have a tradition yet and haven’t developed certain patterns and behaviours that are present and valid at similar events in other countries.

A: What exactly do you mean?

T: Russians are surprised that the fair is a place where you show and talk about equipment and buy it elsewhere. This makes it a bit of a mess. The very scenery and surroundings were fabulous, and everything took place in a beautiful place – “Guest House” 100m from the Kremlin. In my opinion, the place was unnecessarily exclusive, which created a lot of problems and restrictions.

A: What specific obstacles do you have in mind?

T: Due to its location in the city centre there are serious problems with parking, hotel and generally it is quite expensive.

A: What else is memorable for you from that first Moscow event?

T: Everything was done with great pomp, the fair was opened by ambassadors, there was a fashion show, even an opera diva! But looking at it all soberly, this whole spectacle is nothing like diving.

More pictures from the fairs Tom visited can be found in our galleries: Spoex, Golden Dolphin,Canton.

A: What can you say about organisational issues?

This is the most difficult fair to organise and go to. The first problem is the visa, the next one is the airport, which is 60-70km from the centre, and on top of all that, the logistics are terrible. Everywhere you have to pay cash, and the fair itself generates huge costs. The surprise, however, was the free wifi.

A: And how about the interest of the locals? Was the fair a success?

T: Yes, there is a lot of interest, they want to buy and they can afford it, but the question is why? The nearest interesting body of water is 1000km from Moscow! That’s why very many Russians dive, but only abroad. Diving in Russia is very expensive, and a diver diving in a dry suit in Moscow is really someone wealthy.

A: Did you have problems communicating in English, like in Italy or France?

T: Getting along was not a problem, but I am still from those times when Russian was taught at school and Russians like it very much when you speak to them in their mother tongue.

A: Let’s move perhaps to the British Isles, what interesting things can you find within the UK?

T: There are 2-3 notable events a year. The fairs we are talking about are the London Show, Birmingham and the biennial Eurotec, of which there have been two editions so far.

A: Eurotec is also a conference?

T: Yes, it is a meeting in that region like Baltictech in Central Europe.

A: What characterises the UK dive market?

T: The UK, has taken France’s place as a pioneer in diving. The British dive a lot and have great conditions for it, especially for wreck diving. Diving itself is very popular and a lot of people dive, and there is no shortage of equipment manufacturers.

More pictures from the fairs Tom visited can be found in our galleries: Spoex, Golden Dolphin,Canton.

A: So it is a very similar market to the Polish one?

T: Not really, the British don’t pay much attention to the equipment they dive in. Often the equipment is very old and neglected and therefore cheap. The big advantage is that it is no more than 100km from almost anywhere to the sea. It is the biggest retail market. There are a whole bunch of online shops, which drives up prices even more. The British have a lot of regional companies that produce wetsuits. There is what I call a ‘neighbourhood mentality’. The idea is that divers there, prefer to buy a suit from a local company, even if it’s of low quality and then repair it many times at a nearby manufacturer, rather than get a more expensive product from a recognized brand with high quality. It is interesting to note that the local divers do not use dry gloves.

A: What is the fair itself like?

T: These are very specific meetings, everything looks and takes place like at a fair. There is a lot of old equipment, which you can buy for half-price. It’s not uncommon to see clubs buying equipment in bulk. But a paradox arises here, because you come with new equipment to present and promote it, and people are not interested because it is not cheap enough. This is the reason why Santi only appears at Eurotec.

A: Okay, now let’s talk about how the situation is in the United States. Tell us about DEMA, please.

T: This fair is considered by many to be the largest event of its kind in the world. They always take place in autumn and, interestingly, they alternate between Orlando and Las Vegas.

A: What is this due to?

T: The main assumption of such division is the desire to revive the entire diving market in the USA. Very often companies from the west coast, appear only in Las Vegas, and those that are located on the east coast, we will meet only at the fair in Orlando. We, as Santi, appear every 2 years in Orlando. It comes out much cheaper than Las Vegas and still allows us to be a regular at the fair.

A: The USA, it’s a huge country, is one event able to satisfy the needs of the divers there?

B: Of course there are a number of other events held here, about 7 in total, but they are mostly regional. Of the larger events it’s worth mentioning the BTS in New York, where, although local companies exhibit, people come there from all over America, which in fact is divided into 3 diving regions: San Diego in California, where the famous company Dui is based, Key West in Florida with some of the most beautiful caves in the world, and just New York and New Jersey with its cold waters and attractions, such as the wreck of the Andreadoria.

A: So we have a big and diverse market there in terms of where and how we can dive in?

T: In part yes, except that I would not exaggerate with exaggerating the diving market in the US. The US, despite its size, is not such a colossus when it comes to the diving market, I would estimate its size at the level of two European countries combined, for example Germany and Sweden: Germany and Sweden. This is due to the fact that there are many states without access to water, where one simply does not dive.

A: Listen Tom, we’ve covered practically the whole European market and what’s going on in the States, but could you finish by talking about your experiences in Asia? How does the situation look on this continent?

T: As far as Asia is concerned, it is still a new market, but a very receptive one. It is very easy to organise participation in the fair. The peak for me was when it turned out on the spot that the organiser, co-financed our accommodation! Everybody is very nice and cares about the well-being of the visitors. The shortcoming of the local market is the very low level of diving knowledge. Fortunately, they are well aware of their shortcomings and are very willing to learn and develop. Diving federations make a furore on the local market. In Seoul, PADI, IANTD and NAUI had the biggest stands. I like this mentality, where when starting something, they keep trying to improve, learn from better ones and reach higher and higher levels. As for dry suit diving, until recently it was completely absent, in the Asian market this topic is in its infancy. For example, we managed to win a tender for dry suits for the Korean army, but we had to guarantee training to prepare soldiers to use them. Interestingly, Santi’s biggest catalogue is for the Korean market. Being on the subject of curiosities, I would also like to mention Japan, where diving is perceived through the prism of history as the domain of women. I am talking here about the Ama pearl fishers. Another difficulty in the development of diving is the limited sale of helium, which leads to problems with the performance of trimix dives.

A: Tomek, thank you very much for this extensive interview. I think that many people will be interested in the specifics of the world’s diving markets and with pleasure and interest will follow the differences prevailing in the world.

T: Also thank you and a warm greeting to your readers, see you there!

More pictures from the fairs Tom visited can be found in our galleries: Spoex, Golden Dolphin,Canton.