TAIPEI, Taiwan (BRAIN)—Organizers of Taipei Cycle expect the show to be the largest ever next March attracting a record setting 3,018 booths, 894 international exhibitors and 50,000 visitors, said Walter Yeh (pictured), executive vice president of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA).
“This will be the largest ever cycle show here in Taipei. It’s the biggest bicycle tradeshow in Asia and the third largest in the world,” Yeh said speaking to journalists from the U.S., Europe, Australia, Japan and Taiwan.
Yeh made his comments during a TAITRA-sponsored press conference held Tuesday afternoon on the Great River traveling ship as it set out from the GuanDu Wharf for a cruise on Taiwan’s Danshuei River.
With more than 3,000 booths, the Nangang Exhibition Hall, home of Taipei Cycle for the past two years, will be filled to capacity. Next year, the venue will be expanded to include Nangang’s sixth floor and TAITRA will also double the outdoor exhibition area to accommodate more suppliers.
Even so, Yeh said more than 200 potential exhibitors remain on the waiting list, and construction on a second exhibition hall at Nangang won’t be completed until 2012.
New at next year’s show will be a French National Pavilion to highlight suppliers from that country. Also, the Tour de Taiwan will wrap up on March 20, the last day of Taipei Cycle with it final stop scheduled at Nangang in conjunction with the show. There is sure to be a significant focus on electric bikes with new brands like electronic giant Sanyo exhibiting at the show for the first time.
A new mass transit line running to the exhibition hall has been completed and will make transportation from the city’s hotels to Nangang more convenient, Yeh said.
Though Taiwan’s bicycle industry continues to thrive, it was not immune from the economic recession this year, Yeh said. Exports of bicycles units are down 20 percent for the first eight months of 2009 and 3.3 percent in value, and exports of bicycle parts are down 9.24 percent. At the same time, the average unit price of complete bicycles has increased by 20 percent—from $236 in 2008 to $285 this year.
“Taiwan makes better and better bicycle for our industry. It’s a hub for high quality bicycle and bicycle parts,” Yeh said.
Taipei Cycle runs from March 17 to 20.
—Nicole Formosa
