News & Press

2014 Taiwan's MICE Promotion Program Innovative Event Marketing Increases Taiwan’s MICE Reputation

2015/01/19

Taiwan's MICE Promotion Program, organized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Bureau of Foreign Trade, has entered its third consecutive year in 2015. Apart from its continuous aim to consolidate the international image and competitiveness of Taiwan’s MICE brand “MEET TAIWAN”, it has also generated a variety of innovative strategies, such as event marketing schemes that combine virtual and real-life familiarization competitions, successfully promoting Taiwan’s MICE brand to the world.

In overseas marketing, the MICE Promotion Program led domestic industry representatives to attend four significant international conference and incentive tour exhibitions in Thailand, Germany, Japan, and Shanghai, plus formed four overseas promotion groups to organize a number of promotional briefings in Mainland China, Southeast Asia, and Northeast Asia. Two familiarization tours (fam tour) to Taiwan provided potential overseas industries and media visitors a specialized look at Taiwan, highlighting software and hardware advantages related to holding international conventions and incentive travel in Taiwan.

The first ever "Asia Super Team" competition took place in 2014. Combined with internet activities and a fam tour to Taiwan, the event reinforced the popularity of Taiwan’s MICE brand in its five target countries, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In addition to social media marketing through electronic and print media, including the event's official website and Facebook, contestants were invited to participate in a trial-marketing team competition in Taiwan; both competitors and voters extended their influence as Taiwan’s corporate incentive travel ambassadors, simultaneously achieving word-of-mouth marketing and effectively raising the international visibility of Taiwan’s MICE industry.

In 2014, interior panoramic images of select exhibition and conference venues were made accessible on the MEET TAIWAN website, a pioneering service for the global MICE industry. The website offers 360-degree views of Taiwan’s five main convention and exhibition venues: the Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1, Taipei International Convention Center, Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, and International Convention Center Kaohsiung, enabling instant online browsing for potential overseas PEOs, PCOs, and NGOs. This industry leading service not only grants Taiwan’s MICE industry with more rapid business opportunities, it also enhances its global and cutting edge image.

Another Taiwan first, the Promotion Program adopted Event Sustainability Management Systems (ISO 20121), a London developed protocol for the 2012 Olympic Games, to promote Green MICE and sustainable environments. Both the Eco-Products International Fair 2014 (EPIF 2014) and the 9th Asian MICE Forum (AMF 2014) have become the first exhibition and conference in Taiwan to receive ISO 20121 certification, as well as the first to be issued ISO 20121 certifications by SGS in Asia. Adoption of the systems has also assisted the 2014 TPCA Show and Taipei International Convention Center in receiving carbon footprint calculation and international Greenhouse Gas Inventory Quantifier certification. This signifies a promising start for Taiwan’s advocacy of Green MICE, and ensures our leading position among Green MICE countries in Asia.

To assist the domestic MICE industry with solving cash flow problems when campaigning for or executing large-scale international conventions, exhibitions, and government events, the Promotion Program developed the 2014 MICE Industry Funding Brief to guide domestic MICE contractors on how to apply for financial assistance from the Government’s Small and Medium Enterprise Credit Guarantee Fund, so as to strengthen corporate credit, risk share, and improve on the bank’s willingness to approve financing.

Looking to 2015, the Promotion Program will continue to operate according to its existing framework, which includes the core functions of marketing communication, MICE service, industry research, and professional consulting by using innovative approaches to increase advertising reach. In addition, the “Taiwan MICE Bonus Tour” is currently underway, aiming at Mainland China’s corporate incentive travel as its target market. The event is collaborating with local governments that are counseled by the Promotion Program, introducing quality local activities, transportation subsidies, ticketing assistance, sponsorship of cultural performances, dining guides, and other services to attract more corporate incentive tours to Taiwan.

The Asian MICE Forum (AMF), a significant MICE brand originally established in Taiwan, is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2015. The Promotion Program will use this opportunity to enlarge the scale of our participation in the Forum, introducing new exhibitions and activities, such as the Promotion Program’s achievement exhibition, a "MICE Policy White Paper" presentation, a campaign for hosting rights to ICCA’s core summit (with a preference for Kaohsiung), and others to expand the event into a full “MICE Week”. In 2015, we will continue to organize a series of event-marketing activities under the "Asia Super Team" theme in six target markets: Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) will also be introduced to the industry with a focus on issues of public concern, reinforcing Taiwan’s image as a top destination for corporate conferences and incentive travel by appealing through integration of international public services and charity work. Our endeavor is to effectively improve the international visibility of Taiwan MICE through domestic and international marketing, and provide opportunities for international collaboration in hopes of expanding the scale of Taiwan's MICE industry.

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2023/09/07

MEET TAIWAN Festival Unveils to Innovatively Showcase Taiwan's business event Industry

MEET TAIWAN, organized by the International Trade Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs and executed by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), hosted the MEET TAIWAN Festival Global Launch Event on September 7, 2023. The launch marks the start of an interconnected series of business events scheduled both domestically and overseas throughout the month of September. Nearly a hundred prominent figures from Taiwan's business event industry attended the launch event, demonstrating Taiwan's thriving business event sector prospects.One year after Taiwan reopened its border, the Festival showcased Taiwan's business event industry resilience and ingenuity, notably the return of international buyers and financial inflow during major business events. In 2023, MEET TAIWAN reshaped its brand image with the MEET TAIWAN Open Arms campaign. Mr. Chun Hsiao, economic counselor of the International Trade Administration, said during the launch, "We would like to extend our friendliness to global MICE partners and look forward to all of you coming to Taiwan to experience our excellent environment, cozy services and diverse culture."Taiwan not only welcomes everyone with open arms, it also invites foreign business people to keep an open mind, have an open imagination, and stay open to possibilities, creating infinite possibilities, together.Simon Wang, President & CEO of TAITRA, highlighted, "The MEET TAIWAN Festival celebrates business events according to business event DNA. The DNA concept contains four components: international, interaction, knowledge and future—each respectively represents inviting international business events to Taiwan, facilitating interaction between domestic and global industry players, knowledge sharing at the Asian MICE Forum, and collaborating with industry stakeholders to promote Taiwan business event industry abroad and to strive for future business opportunities."In the fiercely competitive global business event market, MEET TAIWAN consistently sets Taiwan's business event industry apart through innovative marketing strategies. For the first time, the original theme song "MEET TAIWAN Open Arms" was released, accompanied by an upbeat music video to creatively promote some of Taiwan's business event industry attributes to the world.(https://youtu.be/sXyVS1ymjaY) Moreover, the newly introduced mascot, PaQ, made its first surprise appearance at the launch event. PaQ's name is derived from the Taiwanese pronunciation of "open”, and the mascot will make periodic appearances at future business events. PaQ also carries a sustainability mission: For every embrace it receives, one unit of the Sustainable Fund is accumulated. During the Global Launch Event, Simon Wang made a clarion call to implement sustainability with PaQ's first embrace, turning sustainability into tangible actions within business events.The International Trade Administration leads MEET TAIWAN in collaborations with industry stakeholders to solidify a presence within the global business events market. Taiwan boasts robust business event industry infrastructure, including an exclusive 5G network-enabled intelligent venue (Kaohsiung Exhibition Center), the culturally enriched and sustainably green International Convention Center Tainan, and the upcoming “Taiwan business events Corridor” with the Taoyuan Convention and Exhibition Center scheduled for completion next year.Additionally, Taiwan makes great efforts to extend software enhancement. The Expo-Tech Program, announced by the International Trade Administration, won an Industry Partners Award from the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) in 2023, highlighting the synergistic coordination between business events and technology. With software and hardware expansion support, Taiwan's business events will not only appear during the MEET TAIWAN Festival, they will continue to thrive, ushering in a new wave of business opportunities.▲ MEET TAIWAN Fesitval Global Launch Event announced the official start of MEET TAIWAN Festival.▲ MEET TAIWAN Open Arms to welcome business event come to Taiwan▲ Simon Wang, President & CEO of TAITRA, highlighted: “ The MEET TAIWAN Festival celebrates business events according to business event DNA.”▲ The MEET TAIWAN mascot PaQ, named after the Taiwanese word for hand open, will join the international promotion of Taiwan's business event industry▲ PaQ carries a sustainability mission! For every embrace it receives, one unit of the Taiwan MICE Sustainable Fund is accumulated.▲ Mr. Chun Hsiao, economic counsellor of the International Trade Administration, said during the launch, "Taiwan not only welcomes everyone with open arms, it also invites foreign business people to keep an open mind, have an open imagination, and stay open to possibilities, creating infinite possibilities, together."▲ MEET TAIWAN invited Vocal Asia,a local A Cappella group from Taiwan, composed and performed the theme song live

2023/08/17

MEET TAIWAN wins at the M&C Asia 2023 Stella Awards

Organized by the International Trade Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs, the MEET TAIWAN program, aimed at promoting the development of Taiwan's exhibition industry, has once again achieved international recognition by winning the 2023 Asia's Best Convention & Visitor Bureau at the prestigious Stella Awards. It is the third consecutive year that Taiwan has been awarded the honor. Additionally, Taiwan was honored as Asia's Best Exhibition City. The award ceremony took place on August 16 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore.The Stella Awards, organized by M&C Asia of the Singaporean Northstar Meetings Group's, honors the best of Asia's MICE industry, including exhibition bureaus, convention centers, and convention cities. The awards are determined through votes from global clients and industry professionals. For the third consecutive year, Taiwan has been named Asia's Best Convention & Visitor Bureau and was also recognized as Asia's Best Exhibition Destination, demonstrating high international regard for Taiwan's exhibition industry.In the post-pandemic era, the global exhibition industry is experiencing accelerated recovery and enhanced international exchanges. To remain competitive and attract international clients and opportunities, the International Trade Administration (TITA) has been upgrading exhibition venues and enhancing professional services. For instance, establishing the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center as Taiwan's first national smart venue with a dedicated 5G network, opening the International Convention Center Tainan in April last year, and accelerating completion of the Taoyuan International Exhibition Center—all contribute to shaping a complete north-to-south exhibition corridor in Taiwan, promoting the development of the exhibition industry.Furthermore, the TITA continues to assist exhibition industry practitioners with adopting digital technologies to strengthen their digital capabilities, offering exhibitors and participants a more diverse and enriched digital experience, and expanding the depth and variety of exhibition activities.In response to global sustainability trends, the TITA has been encouraging the exhibition industry to align with sustainable development goals. This year, by establishing a carbon calculation formula, the Bureau is helping industry practitioners assess their carbon reduction capabilities and encouraging energy-saving and carbon reduction efforts. These endeavors are concrete steps towards implementing the Taiwan MICE Sustainable White Paper released last year. Additionally, the Bureau's support in obtaining ISO international certifications and organizing sustainable exhibition awards demonstrates Taiwan's commitment to transitioning its exhibition industry towards carbon reduction and achieving net-zero goals.This year, Taiwan is receiving a series of positive news for its exhibition industry. The EXPO-TECH Digital Exhibition Navigator Program launched by the TITA was awarded a 2023 Industry Partner Award by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) in July. The GREENTOPIA Sustainable MICE City initiative organized by MEET TAIWAN was also honored with a Best Sustainable Event Award by the international event marketing organization Eventex in June.Source: International Trade Administration, MOEA

2023/08/14

2023 Asian MICE Forum to Focus on Cross-industry Collaboration Showcasing New Momentum for Physical Events

The 2023 Asian MICE Forum (AMF) is returning to a physical format this September. Organized by the International Trade Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs and executed by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, this year's AMF will revolve around collaboration. The Forum explores conference management, destination marketing, business leisure travel, and future trends in exhibitions from the perspective of key players in the MICE industry. The theme of the 2023 Forum is Together We Can, signifying the collaborative effort of MICE industry partners to overcome challenges and facilitate cross-industry and cross-border resurgence after the pandemic.The International Trade Administration invited experts from MICE sectors in Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan to gather at the Taipei International Convention Center (TICC) and provide global perspectives through keynote speeches and panel discussions. The panel discussion on The Power of Collaboration will feature insights from former presidents of well-known PCOs and the World PCO Alliance (WPCOA), sharing how associations, governments, and organizations collaborate to promote the industry and address challenges posed by the pandemic. With the rising awareness of sustainability, the 2022 GREENTOPIA Sustainable MICE City initiative under the MEET TAIWAN program garnered recognition by integrating international marketing efforts that promote Taiwan's sustainable MICE industry by upholding United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and carbon neutrality. The initiative was honored as the Best Sustainable Event at the 2023 Eventex Awards and will be featured at this year's AMF. Additionally, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau will share on the growth of bleisure (business leisure travel) prompted by the pandemic as Thailand has been actively promoting the bleisure tourism industry.After a 55-year gap, Osaka, Japan, is set to host the World Expo in 2025, a major international event following the Tokyo Olympics. The AMF has invited a representative from the Osaka Convention Promotion Office to share insights on innovative destination marketing that combines the Expo with concepts of innovation, environmental protection, and sustainability, which is expected to lead to further discussions. In addition, in light of the dominance of virtual exhibitions driven by digital transformation, renowned event technology company Cvent will share insights into future exhibition trends and the post-pandemic model of hybrid events. The concluding session of the Forum, the Inter-generational Dialogue on MICE, will engage prominent domestic exhibition companies in discussions about innovation, talent development, and sustainable growth. This inter-generational exchange is expected to spark new insights and ideas.Source: Taiwan External Trade Development Council

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