Taipei AMPA 2004 opens for 4-day run at TWTC

Taipei, May 24, 2004 (CENS)--The 2004 Taipei Int'l Auto/Motorcycle Parts & Accessories Show (Taipei AMPA 2004), the largest trade fair of its kind in Asia, opened today for a four-day run at the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC) with record exhibitors and booths.

At the big annual event, the Taipei-based China Economic News Service (CENS), provider of The Taiwan Economic News web service, will offer services to foreign buyers at a business center located on the second floor of the Area H at the TWTC Exhibition Hall I during the exhibition period.

Show organizers Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and Taiwan Transportation Vehicle Manufacturers' Association (TTVMA) said that a record number of 830 exhibitors use 2,170 booths (a 41% increase over last year), are displaying their latest products at Taipei AMPA 2004.

This year, TAITRA said, international buyers can not only tour 1,540 booths in Areas A, B, C, and D at the Exhibition Hall I, but can also see an additional 300 booths in the newly enlarged Area H on the same building's second floor and visit 330 booths at the adjacent TWTC Exhibition Hall 3.

With record venue scale and exhibitors, AMPA 2004 is expected to attract record 5,000 foreign buyers, compared with 3,900 buyers at the Taipei AMPA 2002 and 3,200 buyers at Taipei AMPA 2001. According to TAITRA, as the event was cancelled last year due to the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in Taiwan, local and foreign makers in the line are actively participating this year's show, making Taipei AMPA the largest show of its kind in Asia.

TAITRA divided the show into nine exhibition areas, including auto parts; auto accessories; motorcycle parts; motorcycle accessories; repair and maintenance; foreign exhibits; trade media; and the miscellaneous areas of the 2F-H Area and Hall 3. Of them, auto accessories constitute the largest area with 180 exhibitors using 690 booths; followed by the auto parts area with 170 exhibitors and 572 booths. There are 83 foreign exhibitors with 135 booths, coming from the U.S. Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Philippines, Japan, India, Pakistan, and mainland China.

CENS's vice president Kuo Ching-tsong said that his company's business center at the show will help foreign buyers get needed information to effectively promote exchanges between them and local exhibitors. The business center is equipped with four high-level personal computers with broadband connection to provide free services such as Internet, e-mail and printing. Kuo claimed that CENS devoted record labor and money into the Taipei AMPA business center and hopes to set up a paradigm in serving global buyers at major international trade shows.

In addition, Kuo added, foreign buyers can get a free copy of the TTG (Taiwan Transportation Equipment Guide) trade journal published by CENS and enjoy preferential rates for long-term subscription to CENS publications.