2018 Asian MICE Forum Coming to Taichung
The Asian MICE Forum (AMF), one of the MICE industry's most iconic events, will be held in Taichung during September 11–12. The AMF is organized by TAITRA and commissioned by the Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and is now entering its 13th year. The upcoming 2018 event, themed Engagingly Experiential, will be a gathering of major international MICE award winners, creative marketing professionals, and applied MICE technology experts—all ready to open attendee's eyes to new worlds. Secrets of PyeongChang 2018 to be Revealed The PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics held in South Korea, which were successfully concluded in February, ignited global enthusiasm for sports and drew great praise, despite the harsh winter. The event's director of general affairs for the organizing committee, Ki-Hong Kim, is scheduled to share how they implemented city marketing strategies to change public opinions, and bring the world's spotlight to PyeongChang, which is a small remote town with only 43,000 residents. Representatives from the Taipei 2017 Universiade and Taichung World Flora Exposition will also be present to talk about the secrets and winning strategies of their event organization. Fashion Marketing Inspirations and MICE Technological Applications To promote MICE activities with marketing and technology strategies combined, Dr. Johanna Blakley from the USC Think Tank Center in the United States was invited to discuss how to replicate the innovative spirit of the fashion industry and bring forth endless creative ideas. Tim Groot, 2017 UFI ICT Award winner and founder of a London MICE technology company called Grip, will present stories of digital technology applications in MICE activities. In addition, founder of Mixed Reality Lab, Adrian David Cheok, will demonstrate a form of mixed reality that stimulates all five senses for an experience that breaks the boundaries of space and time. Future Prospects for the Asian MICE Industry To take advantage of southbound MICE industry opportunities, the Forum has especially invited the President of the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organizers & Suppliers, Vice President of the Indian Exhibition Industry Association, Vice President of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, Chairman of the Indonesian Exhibition Companies Association, and various MICE industry leaders from Southeast Asian countries. These distinguished guests will provide insights into development trends and future prospects of the Asian MICE industry at the Asian MICE Industry Leaders Talks session. Their brilliant presentations will undoubtedly inspire attendees. With the gathering of global MICE leaders to drive new industry trends, as well as make diversified international exchanges and business opportunities possible for participants, MICE wonders are anticipated from AMF 2018. Register to attend before August 17 and enjoy an early-bird discount. Don't miss this opportunity! Sign up now online at the official AMF 2018 website (www.amf.com.tw).
International Business Event Leaders to Gather at Asian MICE Forum 2018
2018 Asian MICE Forum (AMF), themed “Engagingly Experiential”, will take place from September 11–12 in Taichung. Renowned innovative marketing professionals, winners of the UFI ICT Award and SITE Crystal Award are on the invite list to share their experiences. Furthermore, conference IT experts will be on hand to reveal the latest innovative technologies applied to events. 2018 AMF is a not-to-miss event! Feel free to contact amf@taitra.org.tw for more information.
2018 Smart City Summit & Expo is Around the Corner
(Taipei) The Smart City Summit & Expo (SCSE) is not only a window for the world to see Taiwan's smart city solutions and ideas, it is also the largest Internet of Things applications exhibition in Asia. Global city leaders gather in Taipei to share their experience with developing smart cities, and the practical exchange of supply and demand accelerates international development of smart cities. The fifth SCSE celebrated its opening at the Nangang Exhibition Center during March 27–30. The theme for this year's event continued from the previous year's—Building a Smart City Using Internet of Things. The main events were: 1. Smart City Leader Summit Last year, 54 city representatives from 29 countries attended the event, including 22 mayors from overseas. This year, approximately 100 mayors and representatives from overseas participated. 2. Declaration of Global Smart City Alliance Initiative The Taipei City Government proposed an initiative to organize an international smart city alliance to share information about developing smart cities. Member cities will share open spaces to test innovative applications. Over international 10 cities responded to this proposal and signed the initiative during the event. 3. Smart City Professional Forum There were more than 63 professional forums with topics that included transportation, medical care, education, architecture, energy conservation, new energy sources, and agriculture. 4. Smart City Exhibition Over 1,000 booths (900 last year) displayed various smart city solutions, incuding exhibitors from England, Italy, France, Russia, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Mexico, Mongolia, and the Philippines. 5. 2018 World Telecom Smart City Conference More than 30 global telecommunications companies and 20 system integrators attended. The theme was development trends in internet of vehicles and artificial intelligence. 6. Sustainable City Forum, Taipei Co-hosting with ICLEI, member cities attended this event to discuss issues on smart energy conservation, circular economy, smart finance, and other topics. In addition, to enhance the professional level of the expo event, several brand exhibitions were held in conjunction with the summit. They were: 1. Smart Healthcare Expo (S.H.E. Taipei) This healthcare expo featured events such as the Smart Hospital Summit, Smart Hospital Director Conference, the signing of the International Smart Medicare Cooperation Declaration, and the smart medical interactive experience zone. Around 30 Taiwanese and 30 overseas hospital directors attended. This event was directed by the Taiwan Department of Health and Welfare and co-hosted by the Joint Commission of Taiwan and this association. 2. FutureED Expo This event was co-hosted by the Institute for Information Industry and Taipei Computer Association. Institute for Information Industry research brought together local Taiwanese vendors and demonstrated different applied teaching scenarios. At least 50 principals from overseas schools and educational experts and officials attended the International Forum on Smart Education. 3. Intelligent Building Expo (I.B.E. Taipei) This event was co-hosted by the Taiwan Intelligent Building Association andTaipei Computer Association. All Asia Pacific Intelligent Building Alliance member countries were invited to attend the APIGBA International Forum and Smart Building Industry Forum in Taiwan. Advanced domestic and foreign smart building companies were also invited to exhibit at the event.
ICCA-MICE Bid Workshop Strengthens Taiwan's International Competitiveness
Co-hosted by the Taiwan Bureau of Foreign Trade, TAITRA, and the prestigious International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the ICCA-MICE Bid Workshop was held in Taipei's Songshan Cultural and Creative Park during March 13–14. The annual Workshop aims to cultivate Taiwanese talent in competitive bidding for international conferences. The Songshan Cultural and Creative Park was chosen as the site for this year's Workshop with the intent to incorporate Taiwan’s cultural creativity into the MICE industry. The Workshop featured several speakers with substantial experience in international conference bidding: Ulrike von Arnold who is Deputy Director of the Vienna Convention Bureau, Marta Gomes who is Sales Director of the Palais des Congres de Paris - VIPARIS Congress Department, and Noor Ahmad Hamid who is ICCA's Asia-Pacific Director. As the bid-winning Director-General of Kaohsiung's Economic Development Bureau, Vincent Tseng spoke of the submission process for the 2020 ICCA Congress. He, along with the CEO of GIS Group, Jason Yeh, shared the secrets of their successes. The Workshop was open to 40 participants; all were professionals from conference companies, associations, government agencies, hotels, and the travel industry. During the opening ceremony, TAITRA President and CEO Walter M. S. Yeh emphasized Taiwan's dedication to the promotion of its MICE industry, in addition to its success with competitive bidding for hosting rights of international conferences. Deputy Director General of the Bureau of Foreign Trade, Guann-Jyh Lee, mentioned in his speech that the MICE industry not only stimulates tourism but also enhances marketing of host cities. This is why the Bureau of Foreign Trade has long been promoting Taiwan's MICE industry. Future large international conferences to be held in Taiwan, such as the 2018 Sleep Tech Congress, the 2020 Mobile World Congress, and the 2022 World Congress of Biomechanics, are all examples of the island's MICE industry progress. Vincent Tseng shared how Kaohsiung went from zero to a hundred in the bidding adventure for the 2020 ICCA Congress. The thrilling process was also a valuable experience. Ulrike von Arnold stressed the importance of market research for international conferences and how everyone is expected to know the market inside and out. Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs has been committed to raising Taiwan's competitiveness in the MICE industry since the launch of the MEET TAIWAN program in 2009. The Ministry has co-hosted the MICE Bid Workshop with ICCA for six consecutive years in an effort to cultivate Taiwanese talent in the industry and attract other international conference opportunities to the island.
TaiSPO 2018 Successfully Shows Taiwan's Hard and Soft Power
The 45th TaiSPO (Taipei International Sporting Goods Show) involved 325 exhibitors, nearly 1,700 exhibition booths, and more than 1,700 foreign buyers during the three-day exhibition. B-to-B procurement meetings were organized and 107 match-making events successfully held. This year, there were two main theme areas: a Smart Sport Theme Park and Sports and Fitness Service Industry Area. From hard products like sports equipment to smart applications such as services and IoT, these areas were the most eye-catching of the Show. During the exhibition, TaiSPO and the Daedeok Innopolis Venture Association delegation from Korea signed a memorandum of understanding. Many representatives of member companies also participated in this event. In the future, TaiSPO will serve as a platform to facilitate the promotion, exchange, and cooperation of Taiwanese and Korean sports technology companies. A Marathon and Sports Marketing Forum, Forum of Foresight Development and Management for Fitness Industry in Asia, and Fitness Trend Seminar were held. Industry heavyweights lectured and shared their brand-new fitness knowledge and industry trends. Almost 400 international professionals were in attendance.
2018 Taiwan Exhibition & Convention Night: A VIP Extravaganza
Over 600 guests attended the 2018 Taiwan Exhibition & Convention Night held by the Taiwan Exhibition & Convention Association (TECA) at the Grand Hyatt Taipei. Attendees included Chairman James C. F. Huang of TAITRA, Chief Secretary Ko-Hao Ni of the Bureau of Foreign Trade, Chief Secretary Hsiao Chun-Chieh from the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism, President William Foreman from the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (AmCham Taipei), and business representatives from Japan and various countries stationed in Taiwan. Walter M. S. Yeh, TAITRA President & CEO and TECA Director, mentioned that the TECA successfully organized the Annual General Meeting of Asian Federation of Exhibition and Convention Associations (AFECA), AFECA Awards, and AFECA Asia MICE Youth Challenge in 2017 with the support of government and industry. The MEET TAIWAN project, organized by the Bureau of Foreign Trade, assisted Kaohsiung with successfully winning a host bid for the 2020 Congress of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). All of which significantly improves the international status of Taiwan’s exhibition industry and Kaohsiung's international reputation. Mr. Yeh also stated that the 2017 World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT 2017), known as the Olympics of information technology, was once again held in Taiwan after a 17 year absence. Representatives from over 80 countries and 2,000 information industry leaders gathered in Taipei to aim the focus of global technology industries once again on Taiwan. TECA is dedicated to cultivating youth, encouraging them to participate in the development of the exhibition and convention industry. Two young professionals were recommended by TECA for the AFECA Asia MICE Youth Challenge, namely Ms. Chang Li-Ching from Olily Exhibition Design and Ms. Wu I-Hsueh from TAITRA; they took second and third place in the outstanding youth talent category, highlighting the professional abilities of Taiwan exhibition industry professionals. Mr. Yeh emphasized that Taiwan’s MICE industry also won several AFECA awards: Taipei Cycle Show (first place in the Outstanding Trade Exhibition category), Comic Exhibition organized by Kuei Jung Exhibition Co. (second place in the Outstanding Consumer Exhibition category), and the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education organized by Willy Event Consultants Co. (first place in the Outstanding Convention/Congress category).
2017 Asian MICE Forum Advances to Southern Taiwan
The Asian MICE industry's annual mega event—the 2017 Asian MICE Forum—will be held September 6–7 in the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center. Themed “Innovation Power", the Forum will feature global MICE gurus, award winners, creative marketing leaders, and technology experts. To be held for the first time in Kaohsiung, Taiwan's second largest conference city, the harbor metropolis has spared no effort to cultivate its MICE industry to increase awareness of the latest developments and the city’s global visibility as a MICE destination. Masters Share Future Trends The Asian MICE Forum, annually commissioned by the Taiwan Bureau of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and implemented by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), has entered its 12th year. This year, Daniel McKinnon, Chairperson-elect of the International Association of Exhibition and Events (IAEE), Wolfgang Marzin, President & CEO of the world exhibition leader Messe Frankfurt GmbH, Tom Hulton, Director of International Relations of the world’s biggest incentive tour organizer IMEX, and Mike Van der Vijver, a prestigious conference design master, will come together to map out the global future of the MICE industry. J. Walter Thompson Taipei's managing director Deng Bowen, one of the masterminds of Lay’s human claw machine advertisement which set off a heated discussion on the internet over recent years, will also share his experience in successfully realizing "marketing whims" to attract consumers. Festivals, by featuring local natural and cultural resources, are a successfully-proven tool to showcase a city’s charm. To uncover the mystery and fun of destination marketing, this year’s Forum will introduce the Hakata Dontaku Festival, Japan's most popular celebration during their Golden Week; the Festival of Fire in Valencia, which is a world-famous ceremony full of spectacular fires and pyrotechnics; in addition to Kaohsiung’s own unique festival. To familiarize attendees with state-of-the-art technologies, Zappar, an Australian company recognized for its expertise in virtual-reality and augmented-reality technology; Poken, a European MICE technology services company; and Accupass, Taiwan‘s well-known innovative net enterprise will share technology application examples. It is worth mentioning that, in order to closely integrate the MICE industry with Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy, the “What’s Next for Asian MICE” session will have MICE leaders from Southeast Asian countries provide a macro analysis of Asian MICE development to help the industry grasp booming business opportunities. The 2017 Asian MICE Forum, with illustrious MICE organizations, technology experts, and marketing experts from all over the world to share insights, is a not-to-miss occasion. Not only to learn new trends, but also to network with the global community and explore new opportunities. To enjoy an early-bird discount, register by August 10th on the website at www.amf.com.tw.
The AFECA Awards 2017
In line with our continued pursuit for excellence, acknowledging deserving individuals and corporate organizations for their outstanding contributions to the global MICE industry, AFECA are happy to announce that the Asian Federation of Exhibition and Convention Associations (AFECA) shall once again hold the 2017 AFECA Asian Awards. AFECA Awards Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony 06 September 2017 - Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The AFECA Awards is an annual regional event to celebrate and acknowledge excellence in the exhibition and convention industry. This is also to recognize the contributions of AFECA members in the global marketplace. Organised by the Asian Federation of Exhibitions and Convention Associations (AFECA), the 2017 AFECA Awards aims to: Promote MICE industry best practices in AsiaMaintain the high standards of exhibitions, conferences , events and related activities and services in the regionRecognize members of the Association in their pursuit for excellence in the professional service, and Present a platform for sharing industry knows to be competitive in the regional/global market.Honors will be presented to the following categories: 1. Outstanding Trade Exhibition Awards 2. Outstanding Consumer Exhibition Awards 3. Outstanding Convention/Congress Awards 4. Outstanding Service Awards 5. Outstanding Venue Awards 6. AFECA Young Professional Awards ** This award is open to all AFECA members / Association members to recommend their ideal nominees, and all events represents should be held within Asia for the period of 01 August 2016 to 01 August 2017. ** ◎DEADLINE OF SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES : All entries must be submitted on or before 5:00 PM, Monday, August 7th, 2017 (Taipei time) For more information please check : http://www.afeca-events.org/en_US/index.html
AFECA Asia MICE Youth Challenge 2017
The 3rd edition of the AFECA Asia MICE Youth Challenge 2017 is confirmed to be scheduled on 6th September 2017, Wednesday in Kaohsiung, Taiwan alongside the upcoming AFECA AGM. AFECA cordially extend an invitation to you to organize a team or maximum two teams to participate in this exciting Youth Challenge event again! For more information please check : http://www.afeca-events.org/en_US/index.html