Rain fails to wash out show attendance figures

According to TAITRA, some 1,333 firms occupied 2,926 booths over the show's four sites, attracting a record number of visitors. Yeh said the final count was around 103,000 local visitors and 33,000 foreigners.

The torrential rain failed to damped the visitors' enthusiasm, organisers claimed.

Certainly, the islanders are a hardy breed. The rain has wreaked havoc across the island, according to the Taiwan News. Three people were killed yesterday in rock falls and landslides sparked by the downpour. A fourth man was apparently blown to a sticky end as he attempted fix an advertising hoarding to the side of a 10-storey building.

Next year's show will be spread across two sites with a new exhibition hall being constructed away from the bustling centre of the city.

Yeh said the new hall would make it possible to accommodate up to 5000 booths. He said 500 companies were on a waiting list to participate in the event but could not be accommodated this year. He said he expected to see firms from mainland China at the show, officially for the first time.

Chinese manufacturers weren't represented here because of lack of space, he said.

Since Taipei has never seen so much rain for so long, Yeh said he hoped to change things for next year. "We will make good arrangement with heaven," he said. µ