Well established

Which shows that the fair, due to open for business from 27 to 29 October, has become well established, developing into an important date for international buyers in particular. Giftionery Taipei, the gifts and stationery fair held in parallel, should also prove to be a bonus for visitors.
THDIY 2005 will present two major product areas: one with DIY, garden tools and home improvement, the other concentrating on tools and accessories. Leading manufacturers from Taiwan will be showcased in the Tool Centre, offering ranges to cover the DIY field and the industrial sector as well. On view will be hand, power and pneumatic tools, in addition to garden tools, tool bags and DIY fittings. Meanwhile, the assortment in DIY World extends to kitchenware, sanitation and everyday hardware products, interior and decorative accessories, plus locks, building materials and leisure items.
The organisers, Koelnmesse and Kaigo Taiwan, say they have geared the event to international visitors who are looking for high quality and reliable suppliers from the region. Over 220 exhibitors will occupy a space of 3 400 m² in Hall 3 of the World Trade Center. The organisers are expecting 15 000 trade visitors during the three days of the fair, with 2 000 of them coming from abroad. By comparison, last year's event recorded the attendance of 8 400 visitors from 58 countries, even though the event was interrupted by a typhoon. At any rate, 12 per cent of the visitors came from abroad, and 74 per cent overall were decision-makers, while 85 per cent of the exhibitors were satisfied with the results of the fair and 95 per cent were prepared to participate again.
The organisers hope to greet 15 000 trade visitors at this year's THDIY.
The hand tool industry in Taiwan can look back on a long history in the global market, with 95 per cent of all its products going for export. The Taiwan Hand Tools Manufacturers' Association put a figure of US $ 2.35 bn on the volume of exports in 2004. There are 500 producer firms in this sector, and around 90 per cent of them are small or medium-sized businesses. The Mechanical Industry Research Laboratory, which advises these manufacturers, believes that a new means of raising the profile of this branch of industry is to be found in digital DIY hand tools, a field where the Taiwanese industry might well become the global leader.