A city with comprehensive software and hardware facilities, transportation networks, and unique local culture can attract more attention as a destination for international conferences and incentive travel events and provide positive momentum for the city’s development. Since Taiwan has world class MICE venues, industrial strengths, convenient transportation networks, and beautiful natural scenery, it has an edge when bidding to host international MICE events. The Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Bureau of Foreign Trade (henceforth referred to as BOFT) provides funding and subsidies for MICE events. This year, local governments from Taipei City, Taichung City, and Kaohsiung City have also invested resources in MICE events in order to encourage bids to host international conferences, exhibitions, and other events in Taiwan and heighten these cities’ international visibility.
Subsidy Applications Open to Provide Incentive for MICE Events Hosted in Taiwan
Since the MICE industry brings many benefits to cities, various nations across Asia have been nurturing the MICE industry. In Taiwan, BOFT provides funding in the form of subsidies each year to encourage organizations and associations, colleges and universities, and other academic organizations to hold MICE events in Taiwan. In 2011, a total of 217 subsidy cases were completed, with a total expenditure of NT$77 million. Besides this support from the central government, this year local governments have also been investing resources in the MICE industry, encouraging local companies to vie for bids to host international conferences, exhibitions, and large-scale events. For example, the Taipei City Government Department of Information and Tourism (DOIT) is now accepting applications for the second stage of subsidy cases under a temporary regulation on subsidies for organizations and groups hosting international conferences, exhibitions, and incentive travel. Meanwhile, the Kaohsiung City Government Economic Development Bureau has also announced that it is accepting applications under the Directions to Implement Incentive Conference and Exhibition Events. All organizations that host international conferences or exhibitions and meet the prerequisites will receive anywhere from NT$100,000 to NT$800,000 in funding.
In addition, for the first time, the Taichung City Government Economic Development Bureau is this year accepting applications for MICE companies under its Incentive Meeting and Conference, Investment and Industrial Development Event Subsidy Evaluation Project. The maximum allotted subsidy will be NT$1 million. This is intended to encourage the most creative event planning and to expand participation from domestic and foreign participants.
According to the 2010 country and city meeting rankings published by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) in May 2011, Taipei City has become the second largest Asian city in terms of the number of meetings organized, and it ranks 11th worldwide as a destination for international conferences. This was also the first time that Hsinchu and Hualien have made it into these city rankings. With Taiwan’s abundant meeting resources and the continual implementation of various encouraging measures from the central and local governments, Taiwan will surely become an increasingly popular choice as a meeting and conference venue. This will serve to further stimulate development of the MICE industry in Taiwan.
