There is nothing more American than baseball, apple pie and… American Girl! Especially in the heart of New York City. Ideoli recently was part of the store opening and credited with creating the masterpiece chandeliers overlooking the incredible store in Rockefeller Center. Although we think it’s spectacular, what do the people actually buying American Girl dolls think of the space and Ideoli’s chandelier? There you have it, we interviewed random people on the street from all over the world… and they love the store, the brand and our work. A win, win, win, all around. Make sure to stop by and tell them Ideoli sent you!
New day, familiar country for Ideoli. Back in glorious Mexico for our client market expansion efforts. “It’s exciting being here is Mexico City. We started doing work in Mexico about 5 years ago from a manufacturing standpoint” says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. As Ideoli continues to grow internationally, we’re expanding our client footprint throughout Mexico. “It’s really awesome being here on the client side and being able to present our products. Our leading LED lighting products and getting into various locations in the retail and commercial spaces here” says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. We’re meeting with an international company to supply their commercial spaces with our LED lighting fixtures throughout Mexico. “We recognize Mexico is a key market and it’s essentially the gateway to Latin and South American. So we really need to be here” says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. Our adventures in Mexico continue… wonder where Ideoli will expand to next? Stay tuned!
Back on the road, again. This time within the United States. Two separate crews from Ideoli made the trip to Chicago for a very important meeting – driving from New York City and Flying from Los Angeles. How was the drive Armando? Good, awesome. How many hours? 13 hours. From where? Connecticut, New York and Port Washington. All the way to Chicago. All the way to Chicago, non-stop. Ideoli attended an industry tradeshow in Chicago to meet up with its clients. We set up shop in their hotel and presented a mini tradeshow display for our partners to experience. We reviewed new lighting fixture prototypes for our client’s new store design – live and in person. Whether we drive, fly, bus or train… Ideoli is dedicated to making it easy for our clients to achieve all their design needs.
The distance around the world is about 25,000 miles… and Ιdeoli covered this distance in just about 4 days. From Singapore, to Thailand, to India, to Germany, and back to Los Angeles, all in about 90 hours. “Singapore – just landed after a 17 hour flight. one of the top 3 longest flights in the world from LA LAX to Singapore. Thailand – stopped off and now we are in Thailand, Bangkok and we’re here for less than a few hours. Landed and had a meeting just outside the airport with one of our suppliers here,” says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. “Just arrived in India. This is first on the list with a short flight over,” says George. “Back at the airport ready to head on a 10-hour flight to Germany – a quick pit stop there. Then another 11-12 hour flight to LAX,” says George. “Long security check going on right now. Probably take another hour. Its always good after a long flight. Whatever,” says George. Meeting new clients, expanding into new markets and building our global business. Red eye flights, huge ambitions and passion for what we do – that’s what is driving us at Ιdeoli.
Another day, another country for us. We are in spotless Singapore. Singapore’s openness to global trade and investment has attracted Ideoli’s founders to this impeccable city state. We have met with key manufacturing partners and several factories in Singapore. Singapore serves as a strategic location for conducting business throughout Southeast Asia. What it lacks in its manufacturing infrastructure, it makes up for in its ease and ability to conduct business throughout the region and globally. When it comes to international business, the world is truly small place. This is why we make the effort to experience as much as we can when evaluating our international expansion strategy. If you don’t see it for yourself, it is hard to draw your own conclusions. That is why we are here in Singapore. Ideoli is always searching for vibrant international markets and exploring Singapore is an example of its dedication to doing so.
Ideoli is back on the road again and this time we are in the exciting city of Dubai. Dubai is known around the world for having world class skyscrapers and when you’re here and walk the streets, you can’t help but look up and be impressed with what they have done. And despite what we hear about the economy slowing down here, there are still several hospitality and retail projects going on – and that’s why Ideoli is here. Ideoli’s clients are international. Which means that ideoli is international. Wherever they decide to go, Ideoli is behind them, supporting them with the right lighting, furniture and fixturing that is customized to local market needs. That’s why we are here in Dubai supporting an international client and their expansion across the United Arab Emirates. We’re going to the Abu Dhabi port today to receive an order for an international restaurant chain we are doing business with. It’s not a matter of just getting a purchase order, making the product, shipping it on a container and then calling it a day. For us, we are involved with every step of the process. In the next episode, we’re actually going to be onsite at the location showing you the finish and how beautiful the restaurant looks. Were truly excited to be working in the middle east with our partners here and very excited for the future and what it holds.
We made it across the pond again for meetings in Germany. A country not only known for great cars and beer…but also a global hub for some of the world’s biggest trade shows in lighting and retail spaces. Ideoli’s founders treat Germany as a central hub to its operations in Europe – meeting with clients, strategizing with partners and learning from the latest and greatest trade shows around the country. We visit Germany frequently to see the best in class manufacturing techniques and to engage with suppliers from around the world. By working with our peers over here, we are able to expand our operations easily across Europe. If it means George and Chris can progress Ideoli and support its clients’ needs, there is no destination too far for them to integrate into their business.
When you make incredible products, you need a freight partner that is just as incredible. Our freight partners help us navigate the overwhelming geographical, political and economical landscape on a daily basis. Lauren (Freight Expert) – You want to work with somebody you trust because at the end of the day, this person is in charge of your livelihood. You want someone who cares as much about your cargo as you do. And is able to: Advise you with their expertise and recommend the best ways to go about bringing your goods in. To avoid issues when shipping, what are some mistakes to be aware of? Lauren (Freight Expert) – I think the top mistakes are just being unaware or ignorant of rules and regulations at origin countries and even at destination countries. You want to educate yourself on as many different aspects about importing as possibly you can. Any other advice you want to share with us? Lauren (Freight Expert) – Planning is everything. You want to know the: national holidays and the peak seasons at your origin countries and to avoid extra costs and shipping delays. Knowing all the details and planning accordingly is what helps keep things seamless for our clients. With large freight containers shipping daily from Ideoli’s factories, we need experts to make it happen.
Sometimes you have to chill the f**** out and put work to the side. We pride ourselves on being able to disconnect wherever we are or with whatever we are doing, to recharge and stay connected to what is happening in the urban pop-culture world. While on their latest international adventure, George and Chris challenged themselves to the newest “Kiki Challenge” dance-off to Drake’s hit single, “In My Feelings”. Challenge accepted. George and Chris are off on their next adventure…
Hey guys, we’re back on the road again and this time we are in Vancouver, Canada. This is the first time we will be doing an install on Canadian soil and we are super excited. Vancouver is a bustling seaport in British Columbia and is among Canada’s densest, most ethnically-diverse cities. We are here to oversee a high-profile install for a large international client using our products. The retail location is taking transformation – pushing through the demanding construction schedule. Ideoli’s high-quality LED backlit mirrors are being installed today. They will be the focal point in the fitting rooms, enhancing the customer shopping experience. Another example of how Ideoli can invigorate your space.
So much confusion on the tariff war between the USA and China. This is where we stand on the topic. “So you’re hearing a lot of commotion about what’s going on between Trump and Xi Jinping and China, the USA and tariff this and tariff that. Tit for tat. Is it affecting us in our industry? Absolutely but we can’t do anything right now. We’ve got to let everything settle. See what they want to do and then from there, we need to adjust,” says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. How is this affecting Ideoli specifically? “So in the meantime, we are eating a lot of these added costs but one thing to note is this is affecting our whole industry. Even local manufacturers in the USA are being affected because they’re still importing components. We just need to sit back, let things happen and from there we’ll re-evaluate and discuss with our partners and clients and just take it from there,” says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. More updates to follow as things progress.
Shanghai is China’s largest city with a population of over 24 million. Visitors come for the city’s energy, business opportunities, chic fashions and design. Here are five great hotels that appeal to multiple preferences and budgets from the experiences of the Ideoli team. Here are five great hotels that appeal to multiple preferences and budgets from the experiences of the Ideoli team. 1. The Peninsula Shanghai. This five-star wonder on the Bund marks the return of the famed hotel chain to its birthplace, in Shanghai. 2. Fairmount Peace Hotel. Another five-star stunner, this exclusive hotel is among the world’s most romantic-getaway destinations. 3. Cachet Boutique Shanghai. A more budget-conscious option, the hotel is located in the city center, close to hundreds of dining establishments. 4. Langham Shanghai Xintiandi. If you’re looking for a good place to conduct business, this ultramodern hotel is one of the best. 5. Le Royal Méridien Shanghai. Part of the chic French chain, this value hotel has one of the city’s best jazz clubs. Ideoli loves these five hotels, but there are many more – you gotta come to Shanghai to check it out! Tell them Ideoli sent you.