Clearly on the winning end of the SARS outbreak are irresponsible international news media, which succeeded to trump up just another version of pneumonia with a four digit number of infections and a mere triple digit number of worldwide casualties in such a way that world trade activities are in danger of a slowdown.

Last victim is Taipei's famous COMPUTEX show, the organizers of which decided to post it, facing a decline of foreign buyer's attendance at other major Taipei trade shows of up to over 80%.

The Taipei Computer Association said that it had not decided yet on a new schedule, but tentatively mentioned September or October as possible dates.

However exhibitors as well as buyers doubt that the decision be realistic. Every responsible fair organizer knows that product life cycles as well as consumer buying season ( such as the Christmas business ) determine the timing of a fair. Many products that form the core of wholesales trade in the third and end-user sales in the fourth quarters are first shown at shows like CeBIT in spring or Computex in early summer. Especially OEM customers who choose products for which they want to bring in their own industrial design or at least want individualized modifications of designs on display need these early-in-the-year trade shows, which give them time for developing, tooling up and moving into mass production. Even for smaller customers, which may have to tolerate longer order lead times, a show in September or October will be next to useless for their seasonal sales this year.

An additional concern for a later Computex is the conflict with other shows, With CeBIT asia in September and Comdex Fall in November, many exhibitors may be reluctant to attend both, if they are too close together. Other Asia IT shows in Hong Kong, Japan and Korea will also be held around that time.

Anyway, Taiwan's manufacturers, Asia's most voracious trade show participants, need to develop efficient ways to now promote their new products to potential customers.