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Let me first extend a very warmwelcome to all participants,especially our friends fromoverseas. It is heartening to note thatdespite the current economicclimate, the growth of theelectronics sector remains positive. In a presentation by David Cohen,Director of Asian Economic Forecasting from Action Economics at our recent GlobalTRONICS Media Roundtable discussion, the global consumer electronics revenue is projected to grow by nearly 10 percent in 2008 to $700 billion. There is a continuous appetite for new innovative products, includingLCD TVs, DVDs, mobile phones,laptops, video games, camcordersand navigation products. In fact,the Asian retail market has seena growth of 13 percent year-onyear. In another projection by the Semiconductor Industry Association(SIA), global chip sales is forecasted to grow by 6 percent in 2009. These positive projections haveboosted industry confidence asevident in the participation of 527 international suppliers from 28 countries at GlobalTRONICS thisyear. These include national groups from China, Germany, Malaysia,Taiwan and UK. Not forgetting our home-grown suppliers of 47 participating companies that make up the Singapore Pavilion. I am pleased to also share thatmore than 62 participating companies will be showcasing newproducts this year. This reinforces the level of exposure and importance of GlobalTRONICS as the launch-pad for latest products and new technologies in the industry. At Reed Exhibitions, we areconstantly improving and introducing new features to our events to ensure that we stay current and remain relevant to the industry and market. This year, 2 new special features have been introduced, namely, ‘Go Green’ and ‘Automotive’ product segments. The ‘Go Green’ feature is in line with European Union’s legislation for Lead-free and RoHS-compliant products. At least 20 companies under this feature will showcase their Waste Management, Recycling and Energy Conservation capabilities – a relatively new area of focus that has received a lot of attention from Environmentalists.Electronics manufacturers willmove along in this direction withthe aim to protect the environmentand save on production costs inthe long run. The ‘Automotive’ featureshowcase by some 27 companiesis introduced this year in line with the first Formula 1 night race in Singapore. Besides, more and more electronics componentsand parts can now be found in avehicle, from radar, transmissionelectronics, emission control,in-engine electronics to wheelsensor. Held once every two yearssince 1992, GlobalTRONICS hasevolved to an ideal platform fornetworking, sourcing, fosteringnew business relationships andexchanging of ideas. It is theheart of Asia’s Electronics Design, Technology and Manufacturing where we showcase the latest,most advanced and comprehensive range of products, technologies and services worldwide relevant for the South East Asian EMS industry. This year, we also have three specialised conferences and seminars that will be conductedalongside GlobalTRONICS 2008,namely, the Supply Chain andLogistics Conference, EmbeddedSystems Seminar and a series ofTechnical Workshops. At our last event, overseasvisitors accounted for 26 percentof the attendance, of which 70 percent were visitors from SouthEast Asian nations. The highforeign visitorship reinforces theposition of GlobalTRONICS asthe event that allows exhibitorsmaximum exposure to industryprofessionals in the region. At a time when companies arecontinuously looking and needingfor more efficient ways to promotethemselves, to keep up with thecompetition and face to face contacts,GlobalTRONICS becomeseven more relevant as THE perfectmeeting place. | 
