TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Organizers of Taichung Bike Week have set dates for the event in 2014—Nov. 4-7. Formosa 900, an opportunity for the industry to cycle around the island, begins Nov. 8.
Steve Fenton, Pro-Lite’s CEO, and Taichung Bike Week’s chief organizer, said the four-day event will—as it did this year—start on Tuesday, Nov. 4, and end that Friday.
Earlier, in a brief email sent to Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, Fenton said organizers continue to discuss setting a range of criteria for who can exhibit at TBW.
“The findings from the show was that there were too many non-OEM exhibitors and we need to filter them out,” Fenton said, adding that some criteria needs to be put in place.
Organizers had received complaints that some exhibitors were hoping to sell services or products—as if at a formal trade show—instead of setting up appointments to meet with product managers.
Fenton also said that informal conversations with vendors found most were opposed to the idea of holding TBW in a convention center or exhibit hall. Keep the format the same as it is—simple. It works more effectively than convention center style operations. Fenton, along with a group of advisors, had also discussed moving TBW earlier in the calendar to better accommodate product managers from major U.S. brands. But maintaining the current schedule appeals to a broader segment of the industry, particularly European suppliers.
Formosa 900, coordinated by a variety of Taiwan groups including the Taiwan Bicycle Exporters’ Association, offers industry representatives an opportunity to ride around the island as part of a multi-day tour. The 900-kilometer event is supported by Giant’s Cycling Lifestyle Foundation and organized by Giant Adventure.
The event will again be held at the Tempus, Evergreen and Splendor hotels. RideOn, a separate group, held its event at the Vee Millennial Hotel in downtown Taichung.
