Fascinating Taiwan welcomes world to meet with open arms

For event planners seeking a destination that is exceptional on multiple fronts, Taiwan is a prime contender. The MEET TAIWAN Festival held in September 2023 was the culmination of a month-long series of MICE-related activities and events, vividly illustrating the numerous reasons why the island has become a leading business events destination in Asia.

Simon Wang, President & CEO of Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA)  , the agency which oversees MEET TAIWAN, outlined the festival’s objectives, emphasising its focus on four key components: interactive engagement, knowledge sharing, international appeal and forward-looking perspectives.

These four elements were represented during the festival and encapsulate the reasons for Taiwan’s success story. “These components respectively represent our commitment to attracting international business events to Taiwan, fostering interactions between domestic and global industry players, sharing knowledge and collaborating with industry stakeholders to promote the Taiwan business event industry abroad.”

Not only did MEET TAIWAN Festival epitomise the destination’s well-known reliability and dependability, it also left an indelible mark on delegates through its inspiring and engaging programme. In addition, Taiwan’s MICE industry mirrors two enduring traits of its people: a culture of warm-hearted hospitality and an open-minded approach to creative thinking.

Embracing inclusivity and engagement

Interaction was at the heart of programme. Making its debut during the launch of the festival on 7 September was MEET TAIWAN’s beloved mascot PaQ, whose name derives from the Taiwanese pronunciation of “open”. Embodying Taiwan’s dedication to inclusivity and engagement, PaQ features a counter that tallies sustainable MICE fund contributions each time it is embraced by event attendees.

Furthermore, in an innovative creative collaboration with Vocal Asia, a Taiwanese choral group committed to fostering connections across Asia through a cappella music, MEET TAIWAN also introduced an a cappella masterpiece titled “MEET TAIWAN Open Arms”, making Taiwan the world’s first convention bureau with its own theme song.

Fostering business and knowledge exchange

Taiwan's MICE industry values professionalism and continuously improving skills through knowledge sharing. Throughout the MEET TAIWAN Festival, pivotal platforms such as the Asian MICE Forum  brought to life the event slogan and spirit “Together We Can”, promoting collaboration and sharing experiences.

During the Asian MICE Forum keynote sessions, Supanich Thiansing, Director of Meetings and Incentives Promotion Section from Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau, recommended looking at the three Ls – building larger-than-life events, connecting to local life, and creating long-lasting memories – as key pillars to guide the MICE delegate experience. Yoshikazu Tanaka, Director of MICE Policy, World Expo2025 & IR Projects from Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau, meanwhile, drew on his experience with World Expo2025 & IR Projects to discuss how to plan destination marketing strategically.

Learning from other successful destinations was a key element of the festival programme with discussions around how to apply these lessons to broaden Taiwan’s global appeal.
Furthermore, the MEET TAIWAN Business Exchange and the MICE Salon talent-training project also facilitated the sharing of best practices and insights from international associations and organisations such as Cvent, Golin, and World PCO Alliance with Taiwanese MICE professionals.

Enduring spirit of sustainability and legacy

Organisations hosting events in Taiwan will find a destination that is committed to providing exceptional meeting experiences for attendees. The concept of meeting design was seamlessly integrated into the MEET TAIWAN Business Exchange, featuring over 100 one-on-one business meetings between associations and PCOs at the International Convention Center Tainan.

To immerse delegates in the heritage-rich city of Tainan, Taiwan’s oldest capital with a 400-years, unique cultural items from the city – such as amulets, sugar cane and salt – were given during MEET TAIWAN Business Exchange Meetings to strengthen connections between participants and inspire them to hold future meetings in Tainan.

Toxicology Society of Taiwan’s Assistant Secretary Chia-Chi Tseng praised the MEET TAIWAN Business Exchange for showcasing venues in Tainan and introducing her to various professional conference organisers. “I have also improved my knowledge on event bidding and handling through the business exchange,” she remarked.

Sustainability, of course, was a central element throughout the MEET TAIWAN Festival. The GREENTOPIA: A Sustainable MICE City competition in 2022 solicited innovative proposals, and one of the winners, One Smile Foundation, brought their “smile detector” technology from Japan to Taiwan with MEET TAIWAN’s support. These detectors, installed at the exhibition site, calculated the number of smiles received during the expo. This count was then translated into tangible donations (1 smile = 1 US cent), directed towards senior and child-welfare organisations.

MEET TAIWAN Festival not only showcased the power of events to transcend boundaries and make a positive impact, it also contributed to Taiwan’s vision of a sustainable and responsible future. Taiwan is a destination where open hearts and open minds combine, offering the hospitality, security and creativity that will elevate events with the highest levels of professionalism and ensure lifetime memories for those visiting this island of boundless possibilities.

MEET TAIWAN’s successful Open Arms campaign will continue into 2024, offering professional expert support for business event organisers to explore Taiwan’s distinctive cities from the north to the south. If you are looking for inspiration and creative ideas for your next event in one of the world’s leading MICE destinations, get in touch with the MEET TAIWAN team below.

Contact: [email protected]
More details: www.meettaiwan.com

This article is brought to you by MEET TAIWAN.