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Stationery show launches

The Taipei International Gift and Stationery Show launched yesterday with 300 exhibitors showcasing a wide variety of stationery designed to catch the eye of buyers, including some incorporating cultural relics from the National Palace Museum.

"I think the series of products adapted from the museum's materials will be a hit," Hsu Hsiao-te (徐孝德), section director of the museum, said at the opening ceremony yesterday.

The museum authorized patent of its collections to several design companies to develop state-of-the-art stationery and gifts. The preliminary products were unveiled this week, and the museum has received an overwhelming response from buyers inquiring about ordering information, Hsu said.

The museum products will be mass produced in September next year, as companies are still looking for proper materials and manufacturers, Hsu said.

As most local stationery makers have moved to China to take advantage of cheaper costs over the past few years, design companies here are finding it harder and harder to find quality local manufacturers, said Leo Hsueh (薛金陵), general manager of S.L.Deer International Co (迪雅公司), one of the designers for the museum series of products.

"The stationery exhibition in Taipei used to be one of the most important ones in the world, but its place is gradually being taken by Hong Kong and China because of the industry migration," Hsueh said.

Despite the fact that S.L.Deer also operates in China, when it comes to high-class products, the company will still look for Taiwanese contractors to ensure quality, Hsueh said.

Tony Tseng (曾國源), CEO of Artilize Worldwide Co (藝拓公司), another local design company, said to attract more overseas buyers to Taiwan, the company usually unveils its brand new products in Taiwan. But to revive the sector, companies need to develop quality products and create their own brands to fend off cheaper goods made in China, Tseng said.

As the government is promoting culture and the creative industry, Hsueh urged the government to actually carry out the initiative instead of merely chanting a slogan.

"China has set a clear direction and has devoted huge resources toward developing the sector, which may leave Taiwanese manufacturers no space to live in the near future," he warned.

The four-day trade show will continue running at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall No.1 until Sunday.
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