An EJK agent in Korea, for example, reported that a construction show lost 50 percent of its exhibitors and attendees. Last October's show in Beijing set records, with 650 exhibitors and more than 320,000 attendees. Indeed, IMF figures for China are all in the plus column. The electronics industry that drives Singapore is still percolating. People must keep up with the cutting edge of the industry.
Consumer products are another story.
We have three empty booths. Apparently, those manufacturers fear there isn't a market for their products. Yet Asian buyers are coming to the United States. A month before NHMA's January show, registrations from Taiwan, China and Hong Kong were strong, says Chantos. The Singapore delegation was the same size as the previous year, and preregistration from The Philippines, which has been hard hit, equaled last year's total attendance.