[Wikinews-l] 2008 Leisure Taiwan Press Release from TAITRA
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
Basketball Tournament Arena.
This year's Leisure Taiwan trade show (a.k.a Taiwan Sport Recreation and Leisure Show) started yesterday, with 131 companies participating including sports media companies such as ESPN and VideoLand Television, businesses selling sports equipment and fitness clubs. 

There were also a variety of sports being played in the arena built for the trade show. The events included a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, free style shooting, and bicycle test-riding. In addition, conferences discussed issues related to sports and physical education.

A major topic in the trade show was energy-efficiency and, as a result, bicycles and similar sports equipment were being heavily promoted. 

Next Tuesday, companies from the electronics industry plan to promote their industry at "2008 Digital E-Park." In previous years, organizations from the electronics industry have showcased their products at Leisure Taiwan instead of at the Digital E-Park, so this move has reduced the number of markets covered by Leisure Taiwan.