[Wikinews-l] 2008 Leisure Taiwan Press Release from TAITRA

[Rico C. Shen @ Wikinews]

Enjoy Sports, Recreation, and Life while Reducing Carbon Emissions
Taiwan Sports Recreation & Leisure Show, Taipei World Trade Center July
18-21

TAITRA, Taipei, July 18, 2008

The Taiwan Sports Recreation & Leisure Show, organized by TAITRA, and
co-organized by Taiwan Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, and Taiwan
Sporting Goods Association, will take place in Exhibition Hall 1 of the
Taiwan World Trade Center from July 18 to July 21. The show will focus on
the domestic market in response to market trends. To encourage purchasing,
TAITRA has invited several major sports and recreation brands to attend more
than 30 events, speeches, and seminars. It is hoped that the show can
attract many visitors and spark a new sports and recreation movement.

The sports and recreation industry of Taiwan is worth an annual NT$60
billion. 90 percent of products are exported, making it the fifth largest
export industry in Taiwan. People in many countries are currently focused on
reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption and leading healthier
lifestyles. The people of Taiwan are also adopting the new attitude. This
year's event features 131 exhibitors and 322 booths. To accommodate recent
trends in sports and recreation, the show is divided into six distinct
sections. In addition to bicycles and sports equipment & apparel, the two
largest sections, this year the show is adding golf, yoga and dancing,
sports media, and instruments. There will also be a basketball court,
cycling area, and an interactive double stage. Numerous events will take
place in each section. For example, the cycling seminar on the main stage
will provide information on how to maintain and fix simple problems on your
bike, women's cycling, bike classification, purchasing tips, how to organize
a bicycle trip around Taiwan, riding safety tips, and competition for
Cycling Girl and the most popular bikes. In the Sports Media section, you
will see billiards stars and other celebrities participating in the
festivities. Professor Junxiong Gao of National Taiwan Sport University will
talk about the development of the sports and recreation industry in Taiwan,
while the dean of the Graduate Institute Sport Coaching Science Professor
Jungcharg Lin will discuss the health benefits of resistance training. Many
experts in the field will host academic seminars or other fun events to
create a carnival-like atmosphere and fulfill the keys of the LOHAS
philosophy. Taiwan's innovation in the field has helped it to capitalize on
high-end bicycles in recent years. Furthermore, because of branding and
distribution channels, Taiwan is now a kingdom for mid to high-end bicycles,
and "Made in Taiwan" has become a label of quality. Faced with rising energy
prices and carbon emissions, the people of Taiwan are also changing their
spending habits. Bicycles are no longer just a vehicle, but an integral part
of recreational activities. A lot of people are riding on two tires instead
of four, and stylish and high-tech bikes are becoming very popular. As a
side effect, other related sports and recreation products are also gaining
popularity. The Council for Economic Planning and Development stated that,
according to market research conducted by Gallup, the number of bike riders
has increased from 330,000 in 2006 to 460,000 in 2007, and is expected to
reach 700,000 this year. The "bicycle carnival" at the Taiwan Sports
Recreation & Leisure Show is expected to contribute further to the sport's
growing popularity.

Recently, LOHAS has become the goal of many. Therefore, the Taiwan Sports
Recreation & Leisure Show will feature a comprehensive and professional
exhibition spanning six sections, each with its own major brands. They
include companies such as major bicycle manufacturers Giant, KHS, the
largest sports brand in Taiwan Chanson Sporting Goods, the distributor of
Major League Baseball products in Taiwan Pegasus, fitness equipment supplier
for the Olympics Technogym, and the largest outdoor equipment store in
Taiwan Metroasis. The show will also be attended by sports media such as
Yahoo! Kimo Sports, ESPN, Videoland Sports, as well as CSJ Yoga, Pure Yoga,
and True Yoga. The pre-show press conference on July 11 showed some of the
latest products that will be in the show, including the leg shaping machine
from Chanson, circular exercising machine from Aerobic Health Business, the
latest bikes and accessories from KHS, folding bicycles from Oyama, optical
telescopes from Willian Optics, golf simulator from You-Shang, camping
equipment from Run Far Outdoors, bicycles and equipment from Metroasis,
Easylink electric bikes from Kentfa, Yoga accessories from True Yoga, and
boxing and step aerobics from Supershape.

This year's exhibition is distinct in that it's the only exhibition to focus
on the domestic market. With the wide variety of sports-related products and
equipment, exhibition goers will be able to experience, purchase, and learn
about all the products in one place. The Taiwan Sports Recreation & Leisure
Show would like to invite you to Exhibition Hall 1 of the Taipei World Trade
Center on July 18 to 21 in order to reduce carbon emissions and live a
healthy LOHAS life!

To attract more visitors, we are offering a discount ticket to anyone
filling out an online survey. For more information on the event or the
discount ticket, please log on www.leisuretaiwan.com.tw.

Media contact: Katherine Hsu, Sixth Division, Exhibition Department, TAITRA
Telephone: +886-2-2725-5200 ext. 2226
E-mail: Katherine at taitra.org.tw