The amazing turkish towels at devconnect got me thinking:
Regardless of the hosting city, Devcon7 is going to represent the web3 Southeast Asia community as a whole. With ample time to prepare, it would be great to coordinate around swag items that bring something unique from each country, so that all of SEAsia is represented.
Alternatively, thinking about pan-SEAsian items or item categories that have regional variations, such as hats, sarongs/pants, coffee makers, shoulder bags, etc. Having similar but varying SEAsian items is in keeping with the SEAsian mantra of āsame same, but differentā ā and would be a great way for people to rep their home style, or learn about regional differences and similarities. Google āmilk tea allianceā for a good example of this pan-asian cooperative spirit.
One positive externality here is that a diverse collection of swag items could all be sourced and made locally, distributing business more in the region, instead of all going toward procurement in the hosting city/country.
Here are some random ideas I had for items:
Lacquerware.
Sarong/Longyi, pants, hats, or other textiles (especially diverse with ethnic or regional variations within countries).
Electric mosquito rackets.
Tea cups , teas.
Special snacks (the kind youād buy at a bus depot to bring to co-workers and extended family).
I donāt know how to move forward with this idea practically, but I thought I would run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes.
At a minimum, I suppose different Ethereum communities from the respective SEAsian countries would need to have representatives willing to coordinate procurement after there has been a discussion about item themes and possibilities.
EDIT: ASEAN is not the right set to reference as it excludes Timore-Leste, HK/Macau/Taiwan, PapuaNG, and any other folks who feel culturally/historically if not politically part of the region called SEAsia.
Love these ideas (just except the electric mosquito rackets)
But the rest sounds quite useful and unique - guess people will appreciate it. Just imagining several Ethereans walking around in DEVCon Sarongs.
Iād love to see an option to choose between regular T-shirt and sleeveless shirt (FOR MAN!). Never, not once, have I ever seen that swag at any event.
Whatever idea gets implemented, I believe Devcon should (continue to) lead in environmental friendliness!
So I like local sourcing, I am sceptical about anything with sizes/cut (clothes), but strongly favor quality over quantity and ideally opt-in/payment for swag, like with the Devconnect towels.
That will reduce waste dramatically!
friends,
I am always eaten by mosquitoes so a repellent free of harmful chemicals (lemongrass oil etc. based) is very welcome.
I also think that flip-flops of good quality will make it to many more eth events in the warm weather.
Weāre thinking of bringing our kid along so having this next generation of crypto natives in mind is much appreciated when exploring swag options <3
gm everyone, All of these are a great idea. Iām building on top and have a few to add focusing on supporting local economy, utilizing local products and environmental friendliness:
non-toxic mosquito repellant made from local organic herbs
conference bag with local Thai fabric
Thai (in)famous elephant pants, we can have the pattern designed specifically for devcon event
good quality locally produced t-shirt collab with local artists
I live in the region and from Bangkok originally so I can have all of them produced locally if you guys like it so we donāt need to pay so much for the logistic. However, we need to plan a little in advance to make sure we get them ready in time Question is, whatās the process in decision making here and and getting the fund from the foundation to start the production?
Iāll see if anyone wants to collab on this, might set up a telegram group to discuss in order to speed things up.
If youāre around and can investigate what itād take to get these items thatād be great!
Now we just need more SEAsian reps to find the same sorts of things but for Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Papua, and anyone else
I canāt speak for EF funding but Iād be down to help draft up a more concrete plan and then maybe we could make a proposal, or look to the community for some support
For locally produced, environment-friendly clothing, I suggest Moreloop (https://moreloop.ws/). This is excerpt from their site:
We are a one-stop service solution dedicated to maximizing the value of surplus fabrics and minimizing waste in the fashion industry.
We offer a two-pronged approach to reducing the environmental impact of the fashion industry. First, we SELL surplus fabrics that would otherwise go to waste. Our online marketplace allows designers and makers to find the materials they need for their creations, and at the same time, we help to reduce the amount of textile waste generated in the industry.
But thatās not all. We also believe in the power of UPCYCLING. We take surplus fabrics and transform them into new and unique products, giving them a new lease on life and reducing our environmental impact.
Question is, whatās the process in decision making here and and getting the fund from the foundation to start the production?