Sourcing from China: What Dennis Fay Learned Getting Salty Monkeys Made
An informal workshop and Q&A with the founder of Salty Monkeys on finding and working with Chinese suppliers, making sales, and what a stint in Italy taught him about Torres Strait fishing.
Time & Location
06 Oct 2026, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Tropic Tech & Innovation Network, 254 Mulgrave Rd, Westcourt QLD 4870, Australia
About the event
Dennis Fay started Salty Monkeys with a GoPro and a spearfishing habit. Nine years on, the Torres Strait brand sells apparel by First Nations artists and ecofinZ, a dive fin made from beach plastic. Dennis has spent the past year learning the hard way how to get product manufactured in China and sold to customers here.
He's also brought back what he learned in Italy and is using it to help small fishing operators in the Torres Strait add value to their crayfish rather than sell it raw.
Dennis will talk for about half an hour, then take questions. Expect practical detail on finding and vetting suppliers, getting samples right when you can't be in the room, minimum orders and freight, selling online and in person, and doing all of it from a remote base.
Who should come: product-based business owners and anyone thinking of becoming one, people working in…