2015 Aqua Taiwan wraps up in US$60 million sales

Mar 24, 2016

The three-day 2015 Aqua Taiwan that finished Oct. 2 featured 123 firms and approximately 200 booths. The show, the second in Taiwan, attracted buyers from 33 countries -- the top five countries sorted by number of buyers being Malaysia, mainland China, Japan, Singapore and Bulgaria. In total, 3,500 domestic and international professional buyers gathered at the event.

Enterprises raked in up to US$60 million in business during and after the show, illustrating the popularity of Taiwan's water industry and related products on the international stage, making the Water Show the best procurement platform in the industry.

The newest aqua-related products and technology showcased at this year's show attracted potential buyers from countries such as Indonesia, Myanmar, Russia, India and Iran. Among the buyers, an Egypt-based enterprise stated that they still took home products worth US$14 million, despite their trip being curtailed by Typhoon Dujuan.

On another note, representatives -- from large companies such as Alibaba, Rohm and Haas, the world's largest manufacturer of speciality chemicals, and local companies such as AU Optronics Corporation, China Steel Corp., and CSBC Corp., Taiwan -- were sent to tour the Water Show. Enterprises who were present at the event unanimously expressed their satisfaction of the success at the show, with many of them seeing lively procurement discussions.

Lu Pei-kang, manager of TankPAC Industries Co., the world's largest pressure tank manufacturer, stated that there were not enough business cards to hand out as professional buyers were in abundance, surpassing last year's show participation -- he promised the company would expand its investments at next year's show.

For manager Hsieh Ming-hsiu of Kuo Toong International Co., which specializes in seawater desalination and the design, production and assembly of water operation factories, the show was an opportunity to interact with potential buyers. A buyer from Indonesia even took the initiative to get in contact with Kuo Toong, making attendance at the show a great investment.

Tsai Kun-shuan, deputy manager of Taiwan's submersible pumps manufacturing industry indicator HCP Pump Manufacturer Co., praised the effectiveness of the Water Show as well, stating that discussions with international buyers were conducted during the event, which made it easier to invite buyers from mainland China and Iran to visit their factories and suggested that substantial value could be expected from their attendance.

Numerous procurement meetings and sessions were set up by the show's organizer as well -- sessions such as the 2015 Government Procurement Securing Meeting for the Water Industry invited 17 governments from around the world. One-on-one business matchmaking meetings, where match-ups were first conducted by the show's organizer, also saw enterprises and buyers conducting productive discussions. The aforementioned meetings totaled 200 sessions and generated successful trade opportunities worth nearly US$60 million during and after the event.

Seminars and technical workshops were also factors in the event's success. For example, the 2015 Southern Taiwan Forum on Water Management seminar, hosted by Kaohsiung City Government, invited local and international government sectors, scholars and experts in the field to attend discussions. Other seminars, such as the Water Pollution Control Seminar, the Seminar on New Water Resources Development & Water Measurement, and the Seminar on Interior Design-Water and Space Dialectics saw a total attendance of at least 500 visitors. Each event saw fruitful and stimulating exchanges, which showed how Taiwan's flourishing water industry has profited industries and peripheral business opportunities.

The 2015 Aqua Taiwan concluded in great success after three days. Businesses banded together, traded insights on the newest industry trends, earned cross-country business orders and expanded their overseas markets -- all achieving their aim to showcase Taiwan's expertise in water products and related technology development.

Next year's Aqua Taiwan will open with a splash once more in October at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, helping the industry to create business opportunities. For more information, please refer to the website www.aquataiwan.net