Erin Chen, founder, Spark Fest Asia

How would you describe the sexual wellness sector in Asia at this time?

Overall, wellness has become more mainstream in Asia—from mindfulness to yoga to nutrition. We believe one of the missing pieces in the current wellness conversation is sexual wellness.

When we looked at what was available for people in this space, options were either porn or adult novelty-type events, product-focused expos, medical-focused conferences or tantracentric gatherings. All of these platforms are great—it’s just that not everyone feels comfortable engaging with this topic in those various settings.

Spark Fest fills a gap for those who recognize sexual wellness as a part of their lifestyle of wellness and health—a platform for the community to connect with a wide range of professionals, change makers, brands and resources that bring sexual wellness to life.

There is a perception that Asia, in general, is more conservative than the West. While this may be true on some levels, we also see from the response of the press, the attendees, and the community that perhaps this assumed conservatism is overplayed. Rather, the lack of conversation around sexual wellness in Asia is largely due to the lack of appropriate opportunities for people to explore sexual wellness safely and in comfort.

This is the significance of Spark Fest in Asia at this time: it is proof that there is an interest and a demand for educational content, products and services around sexual wellness in the context of wellness and health.

Are there any unique trends or innovations coming out of the region?

Personally, I do think there are unique trends and innovations coming out of this region. And I believe they are and will be driven by characteristics more unique to Asia, such as the urban/rural divide, a cultural emphasis on family and relationships, and common sexual challenges faced by Asian communities.

For example, many of the menstrual products startups in the region—Fempeers and Freedom Cups, for example—often include social impact in developing areas as part of their business model. Going beyond the buy one, give one model, they also take direct action in organizing educational field trips to rural regions.

A cultural emphasis on relationships has led to innovations that help people connect, not just for pleasure, but with the goal of creating intimacy. For example, Vibease, one of the first smart wearable vibrators, was created by its Indonesian founder to connect with his wife while they were apart.

Another instance is the research performed by one of the speakers at Spark Fest last year, Professor Adrian David Cheok from the Imagineering Institute based in Malaysia. Professor Cheok gave a talk on the technologies that he has been developing—in particular, technology where people can experience the five senses over the internet. Right now, we can see and hear via the internet. Professor Cheok has been working on communicating touch, smell and taste via the internet as well. These technologies, while currently not yet applied to sex tech, can fundamentally change how humans experience connection—something that has potential to impact the human sexual experience.

Are the challenges in the sexual wellness space the same in the Asia Pacific region as in other markets?

There are similar business and public policy challenges in Asia as in other markets. Brands in Asia face business challenges, such as barriers to being able to advertise and reach an audience through traditional marketing means—for example Facebook, print, outdoor, et cetera—and access to business services such as banking. Public policies differ from country to country. For example, Section 377A, a colonial law that criminalises consensual sex between men, still exists in Singapore, while it was recently struck down in India by the supreme court.

Like most other markets, “sex” is a taboo subject that people are hesitant to discuss in public or in general. This may also be related to how sex is traditionally depicted in public: framed as novelty, sensational, porn-like. It has yet to be linked to wellness and female empowerment in mainstream society, as it has been in other markets.

However, even though this topic may seem more taboo in Asia, what gives us hope is that consumers and people in this region tend to adopt technological trends more quickly—think mobile adoption or cashless payments. There is also a certain level of pragmatism and flexibility that exists in Asia that creates an exciting environment where people are more willing to try new things. For example, Smile Makers, a pleasure products company based in Singapore, shared with us that they have found it easier to start conversations with Muslim communities around initiatives to normalize and educate about sexual wellness than in certain western European countries. In such cases, sexual wellness is discussed as part of the health of a marriage or relationship.