Europe and METSTRADE 2016

I barely know where to start. I am back in the DeckHardware Warehouse already and cannot believe how fast it went. This will be a little longer than usual as I try to recall so much of what happened whilst away.

It was fantastic to be able to spend just over 24hrs with the team at Allen Brothers. Thanks to those who came out to dinner and made me feel welcome. An extra special thanks to Liz and Graham who made me feel so welcome. When we represent suppliers in Australia the relationship between companies is so important. As well as of course knowing how they do things and knowing a little more about the behind the scenes of the company. Allen celebrated a massive milestone at METSTRADE so it was great to hear more about their story.

The latest Allen Catalogue is now online and it is great to see new product being released. The Allen range has been a wonderful edition and it is nice to work with another Family Business who are working hard to continue to develop and adapt to the changing sailing scene.

After the quick visit to Allen I headed to Frankfurt for the weekend not being able to spend too long away everything was super short. It is so nice to have a “home base” in Europe. Once again my trip coincided with Thom’s Birthday this time he turned 9! He was well aware that next time he will be double figures. It has gone too fast! Marty and Marlene were such a big part of the Animus days and it is always so special to spend some time with the two of them, their three fantastic kids and Marlene’s Parents.

Jake showed he is definitely part Aussie having multiple vegemite toasts in one sitting hahaha. It is also nice now the kids are getting older that they remember me each trip. It is a number of years since they came out to AUS as a family and we caught up on the Lake. So it is nice to be able to catch up and just hang out.

The Weekend was over and before I knew it I was at the Train station with Marty who was heading off to work away for the week. In the car on the way there it said -2.5°c. Seriously… No offence Marty although it was great to catch up my happier memories with you involve shorts and a t-shirt sailing hahaha.

This time in Amsterdam I was staying somewhere different to previous trips, on the Tram line rather than walking distance or Train to the RAI. Somewhere in between suppliers to make it easier! Day one at METS was seriously one of the busiest I have seen. I managed to catch up with a number of suppliers and checked out what else was on show. It was one of those days that I didn’t even have time to stop for lunch although when I was on the Forespar stand they did offer me some that I didn’t get around to eating oops. Before I knew it the time was 7:30pm and the email to back home was getting lengthy about the days news and I was getting more than a little hungry.

The best part about METS is catching up with our suppliers especially the ones we have worked with now for over a decade. Bill from Forespar is one who has made it out to AUS and seen where we are and what we do. He has been a big part of our journey and it is always great to catch up. Along with Bill I managed to catch up with Dayl also from Forespar and Will and Fred from Schaefer for dinner. It was great to see the friendships between these two companies and shows why we enjoy working with them.

METS is a chance to find out what is new, what is yet to be announced and industry news. Fitting all this into just three days is always epic and of course a good reason for a coffee catch up, meal or a drink. This year was no exception!

It was so good to see Mal Page there who was in town for some meetings and his very first METS. It was great to catch up in person! You can imagine the number of topics we tried to cover in this short time. That is the problem with being friends for so long and both involved in the sport and industry.

This time I decided to fly out of Amsterdam in the evening rather than lunch time Friday to just give myself a little more time to make sure I had made notes on everything before flying haze sets in… With time to kill I then headed to their Maritime Museum. This is seriously one of the best ideas yet! As someone who loves the history of our sport I was in awe of the range of Sextants, Maps etc on display. Seriously incredible and worth doing for any sailor who has a few hours in Amsterdam.

As I sit here back at my desk I look at the pile of catalogues I have brought back that still need sorting through! A few of them have now been loaded to the DeckHardware website. With new ones from Allen, LIROS, Blue Performance online.

The next two weeks are going to be big as we celebrate 10 years of my family owning DeckHardware. Dad has been writing some blog posts lately on his sailing history as a way of showing how we ended up here. Stay tuned for a little history from Mum and I also!

Time to get back to it. There is so much new product to make sure is on our website and plenty coming soon that I got a sneak peak of at METS.

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November 11, 2016 Melissa Yeomans

The one day holiday

It is extremely hard to get away from DeckHardware at this time of year. As we come into our busy season we have been busy behind the scenes at the same time. This week we have launched a new website which was something we had been working hard on. Then to top it off I have travelled to Europe for METSTRADE!

I landed in England and spent the day at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Convincing myself to stay awake and adjust to the Timezone was tough especially leaving Sydney on such a hot day and arriving to the rain and cold of London. I had not been to the V&A before and it was something I had been looking forward too! I headed to the “You say you want a Revolution?” Exhibition which was absolutely fantastic.

In some ways there is almost too much to see at a place like this. Everywhere you turn there is something more to look at. Plus the fact that there is so much kept from centuries ago.

As I was staying just the one day and needed to ensure I got a good nights sleep I did a little research on where to stay. I could not believe it when I booked into a hotel that mum and I stayed at years ago. The Rubens at the Palace is such a lovely hotel with great staff and wonderful meals that are fresh and tasty. To be honest though it is the friendly nature that makes the place. Like this morning at breakfast chatting to the Chef whilst he cooked my eggs. So friendly and welcoming which when jet lagged makes such a big difference. A good chat helps wake you up!

So after the one day and night of Holiday I was on the train to Wickford to be picked up and taken to the Allen Factory. We have distributed the Allen range of products for a number of years now however my dad Phil is the only one who has made it to the factory to see how they do things.

This trip is going to be over before I know it as next I will be heading to Frankfurt for the weekend with friends before Amsterdam for METSTRADE.

October 22, 2016October 22, 2016 Melissa Yeomans

The countdown to METSTRADE 2016

METSTRADE is just weeks away and the Dame Award Nominees have been announced! No doubt many of you are wondering what METSTRADE is or the Dame Awards.

METSTRADE Show is the world’s largest marine equipment trade show, which has been bringing the marine industry together for decades. Over 22,000 professionals from 112 countries around the world gather in Amsterdam. The next edition of the show will take place on November 15 – 17, 2016.

Amsterdam is such a beautiful spot, even if I only get to see it on the way to and from the Hotel to the RAI.

The DAME Design Award is the most prestigious international design competition for new marine equipment and accessories. Over the past 25 years, independently appointed judges examined thousands of products in specific marine categories. The DAME Design Award has come to set the pace for new concepts and designs in the worldwide leisure marine industry. Participation in DAME Awards is exclusively reserved to METSTRADE exhibitors.

You can imagine what it would be like, a trade show full of marine equipment. Taking a day to walk around let alone stop and talk to people or check out new products. It is also a great chance to catch up with industry friends and discuss the current climate and direction of our sport.

This year I will be attending METSTRADE for the 4th time in the almost 10 years (in December) my family has owned DeckHardware. It is always such a quick visit due to it being our sailing season, one day I hope to be a tourist in Amsterdam. As a Trade only show it is a fantastic experience and one that is a MUST for us every couple of years. Touching base with many of our suppliers and finding out what is new as well as plenty of sailing and industry chat.

Have a look at the floorplan and you will see what I mean by the size, it is incredible.
http://www.metstrade.com/mets/exhibitors/floorplan/

There is Sun in London! The Nominees are always interesting to check out to see what is happening in the way of development.
http://www.metstrade.com/mets/innovation/dame-nominees/

Even though it is a super short trip and not even two weeks including flying time I will be stopping via England to head to the Allen Brothers Factory for a visit. This is something I am looking forward to having been to see LIROS Ropes and Forespar in the past. Flying all that way it is good to be able to tie in a visit at the same time. I can not wait to get on the Qantas A380 once again. This time I even managed to use Qantas points for the Accommodation in Amsterdam! I am staying somewhere new which is exciting.

After just a short time in England, I will head to Frankfurt to spend the weekend with two of my old Animus crew and their family. Before catching the train to Amsterdam for the big few days of catch up and talk all about products and the industry.

Then it is back to Australia to celebrate 10 years of my family owning DeckHardware! As well as the summer sailing season.

1928339_20664434808_3843_n — Marlene steering Animus with Marty sitting back enjoying a twilight sail

May 11, 2015May 15, 2015 Melissa Yeomans

A weekend to get away

On the weekend I headed to Canberra for a bit of a break to recharge the batteries. Why Canberra a few of my friends said especially given the time of year? Well there was a little fun to be had. It has been a very busy year and it was time to take a break and enjoy myself a little.

Friday evening I arrived just in time to stop by the Canberra International Music Festival and the National Carillon. It was FREEZING but well worth stopping by to listen to.

It was the first time I had heard the Carillon and it certainly was remarkable to listen too in such a setting.

Saturday morning was the start of the Shitbox Rally and coming from a family that loves cars it was a bit of fun to see the effort put into the event. Not only by the organisers but participants too!

So what is the Shitbox Rally? Here is an excerpt from their Facebook page “It’s a rally, but what is different about this one is that we take shitty cars and see if we can drive them across Australia. During this time we will truly experience the Australian outback and have a hell of a laugh along the way.

This rally is for those that want to have an adventure, that crave something different, something memorable, but most importantly, it’s for those who want to raise much needed money for charity.

Many of us have been affected by cancer in one way or another. Whether it be parents, family, close friends, people we know or ourselves that have battled or are battling cancer, this all too common disease has touched us all. We not only want to raise awareness and money for the Cancer Council, but we want to be able to offer support and a friendly ear to those that have suffered or are suffering.”

I had a great time wandering around checking out the different vehicles chosen by those taking part!

Once I left the cars I headed to the Australian War Memorial. It was as you can imagine an experience I won’t forget with their latest exhibits telling so many stories of our past. What did however catch me off guard was the photo of my Great Uncle Jim in one of the galleries. Larger than life on the wall the photo of him sitting at the ABC news desk. No one in the family knew it was there!

I then headed back to my hotel for a simply amazing late lunch/dinner before heading out to a Canberra International Music Festival Concert. A double quartet which was so nice to sit back and enjoy! Such varying styles of music played as well which was fascinating the skill shown by the musicians.

Sunday Morning I headed to the National Museum of Australia for a stroll around to see what is currently on exhibit. I wish I had a full day to spend here to take it all in. Sadly outside was closed due to strong winds that were causing some branches to fall in the surrounding areas! Talk about windy and cold! What a way to spend the morning, History, Old Cars, musical instruments and boats! After hearing the conditions I of course as a sailor had to go have a look for myself. Great short chop and a big breeze in cold weather and rain. NOT sailing conditions!

Before heading home to Sydney I stopped via the Old Bus Depot Markets to get my mum a few Mother’s day treats and a bit of lunch before heading home. Fudge, Three flavours of honey and some stone baked bread! YUM!

It may have been just a short weekend away but it was so good to do something different and not work related for a change! I really should remember to do that more often…

The question is where to next time? Sailing, Music, Cars, Good Food, is a good way to spend a weekend.

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