With over one hundred companies on the waiting list to exhibit, Taipei Cycle is a show in demand like never before. Jonathon Harker spoke with Jeremy M.C. Horng, executive director of the exhibition department of TAITRA, about how the show has managed to cultivate its global appeal...
CYCLE MANUFACTURING hotbed Taiwan has been producing OEM bikes since the ‘60s, before moving into ODM and self-branding with the likes of Giant (see page 13) and Merida. Over the years, Taiwan’s reputation for high value, high quality manufacturing (and reasonable prices) has spread widely. With that in mind, Taiwan is a fitting host country for the largest bicycle trade show in Asia, Taipei Cycle, and for showing off the best the manufacturing stronghold can offer the world. Exhibitors come from 36 different countries to the self-styled ‘gateway into the Asian bicycle market’. It’s not the largest bicycle trade show in the world, but it’s one of the most significant show for the West and the UK to investigate business opportunities with potential suppliers. Taipei Cycle is run by the Taiwan External
Trade Development Council (TAITRA). BikeBiz speaks with one of the key players behind the show – one Jeremy M.C. Horng – TAITRA’s executive director of the exhibition department. So just how popular is Taipei Cycle with the UK trade?
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“Visitors from UK are always listed on our top ten international visitors.” Horng tells BikeBiz. “Every year there are about 200 to 300 UK visitors coming to our show. Half of our international visitors come from Asian countries, and the other half comes from Europe and the US.” It’s not hard to see
Jeremy M.C. Horng is one of the key players behind Taipei Cycle as executive director of the exhibition department of TAITRA
“We have unbeatable strength in
why the show (and territory) is important to the cycle world when, according to 2011 Taiwan bicycle export statistics, Taiwan exports 4.38 million units overseas with the average unit price is USD 380. Among them 2.89 million units (66 per cent) are exported to Europe. Demand to attend the show has led TAITRA to increase Taipei Cycle’s size, as Horng explains:
manufacturing high quality, high value and innovative products at reasonable prices.”
Jeremy M.C. Horng, TAITRA
“Though there were some accidents occurring such as the Japan earthquake in recent years, the numbers of visitors from Europe and the US have remained stable. Furthermore, due to the rise of new growing markets in Asia, we had significant growth in visitors from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. As a result, we are optimistic about the number of visitors at the next Taipei Cycle Show. “The Nangang Exhibition Hall is fully booked and more than a hundred exhibitors are on the waiting list. Therefore we’ll extend our exhibition area to TWTC Hall 1 2F, in conjunction with the 40th
TaiSPO (Taipei Int’l Sporting Goods Show). At this new extension we have another highlight: functional fabrics and sports wear, which