Friday was a blast and went by in a blur, so it felt good to take it easy Saturday afternoon at Tiki Kon 2018 …
The Island Marketplace at Tiki Kon is always special to me. I don’t see it as a place to buy stuff. Instead, I see it as a place to showcase the many talented people in the tiki community. This includes artists, mug makers, jewelry makers, and carvers.
Of course, it’s nice to find some vintage tiki artifacts or some tropical clothing too!
What do you do when you run out of money buying tiki mugs? You head on over to the symposiums …
I have to admit that I never really liked or even had an interest in Fern Bars, but if Martin Cate has something to say about them, I’m all ears!
Martin talked about how Fern Bars rose in popularity in 70’s and he even dressed the part!
The audience also got to try some of the Fern Bar classic cocktails like the Harvey Wallbanger …
While Martin Cate was talking about Fern Bars, Trader Brandon talked about his creations of Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Lounge and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. Yes, Brandon is the man who Disney put in charge of creating these two awesome tiki bars.
Interested in learning how to “Flip Tiki”? Then Jason T. Smith’s symposium is what you needed to attend.
Jason talked about thrifting and what to look for when searching the shelves at your local Goodwill store. Jason even showed his audience how to properly ship a tiki mug …
Thinking about starting your own tiki business? Then the Build Your Small Tiki Business symposium was a must see. Blair Reynolds, Jonathan M. Chaffin, Tiki Tony, and Brandon Giraldez all talked about how they started their own businesses. From making syrups, to making mugs, to being an artist, these gentlemen gave some great insight on how to do get things rolling.
What’s better than attending a symposium? Attending a symposium with booze!
Martin Tummino of Angostura presented his symposium “Science Of The Swizzle”, and even had members of the audience come up to learn how to make drinks!
Meanwhile outside by the pool …
While some of us were hiding from the sun and heat indoors, others were outside embracing it!
Poolside at The Red Lion Hotel isn’t usually this colorful!
As the afternoon turned into evening, the crowd got ready for the Banquet Dinner and the Polynesian Floor Show. Coming up next post!
I’d like to thank Dieter Weber for all the pictures used for this post.
