The Taiwan International Lighting Show, the first of its kind, will take place at the Taipei World Trade Center March 12-15, with 170 businesses participating, the organizers said Tuesday. Over 400 booths will be displaying products in a number of diverse fields, including home lighting, commercial lighting, industrial lighting and light emitting diodes (LEDs) , according to the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA). Taiwan Lighting Fixture Export Association Chairman Wu Chao-lin said now is a good time for a local lighting trade fair. Taiwanese LED streetlamps and tubes are very popular among foreign buyers, he added. The organizer estimated that the four-day fair will attract around 300 foreign buyers and 3,000 domestic professionals. In addition to the show, TAITRA will also arrange one-to-one meetings between big buyers from overseas and local companies to discuss possible procurement deals. So far, buyers from countries including Canada, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Hungary and Brazil have been invited to the fair, according to a TAITRA press release. TAITRA said LED streetlamps, LED tubes, LED high-performing and energy-saving light bulbs, as well as various LED parts and components, are expected to be the products of greatest interest to foreign buyers at the show. Taiwan started its LED manufacturing industry in 1986 covering all the upstream, midstream and downstream production lines. In 2000, it became the world's biggest LED producer in terms of output and the second-biggest in terms of production value. The Industrial Technology Research Institute has estimated that Taiwan's LED lighting production value will reach NT$7.4 billion (US$231.94 million) this year, according to the press release. 