The Taipei Softex show is the latest casualty of SARS

The annual Taipei Softex Show (台北春季電腦展), scheduled to start this Friday, may be canceled after more than 40 percent of exhibitors expressed concern over severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The consumer show focuses on retail sales of electronics and software.

A total of 84 out of the 200 participants have decided to drop out of the show. At least 35 exhibitors plan to stay, while the remaining companies have yet to make up their minds about attending Softex.

"[Today] we will hold a meeting with exhibitors who still want to come [to the show] and reach a consensus," said Tseng Chun-min (曾春敏), a manager at the Taipei Computer Association (TCA, 台北市電腦公會). The association is the Softex show's organizer.

Last week several exhibitors, including Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Toshiba and Synnex Corp (聯強國際) said they were considering dropping out.

"As of [yesterday] evening more than 40 percent of the participants said they want to pull out," Tseng said.

Most participants choosing not to attend are major players in the electronics and software industries. Such decisions not to attend have pushed the corporate cancellation rate to nearly 40 percent, while the booth cancellation rate has reached 57 percent.

Originally, about 200 companies were expected set up approximately 2,000 booths featuring software, computer peripherals and digital gadgets at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall from Friday to next Tuesday.

In an effort to lure customers, TCA said the NT$150 admission fee could be deducted from any purchases made at the show.

Meanwhile, IBM and HP say the show must go on -- online.

IBM Taiwan will launch a large-scale promotion on new computer models featuring the latest Centrino processor through its online store. The company will be promoting its products with up to NT$10,000 discounts, according to Hank Hung (洪漢青), an executive at IBM Taiwan.

HP Taiwan plans to link up with the e-commerce portals Yahoo-Kimo and PC Home online to promote products which it originally planned to feature at Taipei Softex.

Notebook computers will be discounted by more than NT$6,000 during the show period, said Dennis Chen (陳敬宏), a manager at HP Taiwan.