Christian Otlacan (Mai Attraction): we are a very warm company

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Tell me, please, how did you start working within the adult care industry?

Ok, during my professional life I have always been working in related industries-in swinger clubs and other kinds of businesses. Finally, after a lot of years, a number of corporate positions and even a business school, I arrived at a sex toy manufacturing company, not the one that I am now, that was more than four years ago. In the last two years, I have joined the company where I am now (editor’s note: Mai Attraction). I think that was a question of unavoidable fate, I may say.

This is the second company related to the sex toy industry for me. The first one was Adrien Lastic. I was presenting this company on the Thaifest held in Moscow two years ago.

Could you share more details about the company that is your actual place of work?

We focus mainly on the cosmetics. We understand that this is something unique, something special. We focus also on toys, of course, we are going to keep adding a lot of new products. But the cosmetics are always going to be something that we place apart.

The company I am actually working for was founded more than 15 years ago. We have always been one of the biggest distributors in the south of Europe, focusing mostly on the development of physical stores, it was one of our expertise in the beginning. We consider that physical stores have very high importance in our industry, sometimes they are affected by their online retail competitors. Therefore, instead of focusing on such ranges of businesses as drop shipping and other online activities, we have chosen to develop of physical stores. The company has about 17 years old and in the last two years we started manufacturing our own brands of the cosmetics and toys later on. We have been trying them on the primary markets before we start exporting them to other countries in Europe and worldwide including Russia. The primary markets would be Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Greece. We focus on the southern part. Because we think that we have certain connection with the southern people and we can do a lot more for them as we have the understanding of their needs.

Do you like Thaifest? I mean the format, the organizational part.

I love it! I consider that this is one of the best events that you can find worldwide, especially because the format is very convenient. Even the earlier formats of Thaifest were very nice, it has never been over-compacted, it is a nice-spaced event where everybody feels good, it is not too tiring or too much or too overwhelming. And you get the chance to enjoy a lot of companies, enjoy the people you meet and you have the chance to relate to them, to do things together. I remember that in Moscow we did paintball together. These are experiences that are very important for us because we can have personal contact, there are personal relationship between us.

You took part in Thaifest two years ago, can you compare Thaifests?

Well, it is quite difficult for me to compare them because we are still at the first day. I would like to compare them when we have finished the event because it is then when you can get a global vision of how everything is. By now, I can say that I am very enthusiastic, very happy because the people I saw are so wonderful and so nice, so welcoming and also interested. It is actually an honor and a pleasure to give them the information, answer their questions and be there for whatever they need.

Did you take part in similar events anywhere in the world?

I think that there is one in the USA that is XBIZ, it has the same format that you are using now on Thaifest, in Batumi, which is the ‘suite’ format when you have your meetings with your customers in private. Thaifest, as it is now, the only thing that is similar to would be XBIZ.

Maybe, some wishes to our readers and the consumers of your products?

I would like to say to the readers that we are a company that is very close, we are not distant at all, we focus on the heart and the emotions. This is the main message of our brand. And we could do great things together with all the Russian companies that we have met here.

I hope it is going to be a lot of Russian customers! I think they do not even need ‘best wishes’, they only need to take care of themselves, love themselves and for this sake-talk to us, and we will give them more support through ‘Astkol’, send them more stuff and help them to improve their business and their stores.

Do you enjoy your cooperation with ‘Astkol’?

I am very thankful to them, this is a nice company. I have known them for some years now and I would say that they are fantastic people, a very professional company. I definitely state that they are the best partner that we could have today in Russia.

That is all, I think. Thank you!

Thank you a lot!