Eva Air an important airline to bring guests to Taiwan
The goals were to integrate relevant central government agencies and local government resources and to balance the development of the conference and exhibition industry among various areas in Taiwan. Between 2010 and 2012, more than NT$2.1 billion was invested to build an attractive international conference and exhibition environment and develop information technology for the conference and exhibition industry. To attract more business events to Taiwan and promote sustained development in Taiwan’s MICE industry, the BOFT has succeeded in increasing the number of international conferences, exhibitions and
incentive travels held in Taiwan in recent years. With the achievements of these past four years in mind, media representatives from around the world are being invited to MEET TAIWAN Week, to be held 27-29 September in Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1, to witness how Taiwan’s MICE industry has advanced.
Taiwan MICE Overall Implementation Project plays an important role as a think tank
The Taiwan MICE Overall Implementation Project has two primary tasks: conference and exhibition policy promotion and industry research. Conference and exhibition policy promotion, in particular, consists of the MEET TAIWAN Awards and policy briefings as well as city and county government symposiums on the MICE industry. MICE industry symposiums will be held in 11 counties and cities around Taiwan to enhance the competitiveness of city and county governments in the MICE industry. With a single window that brings together central and local government as well as non-governmental resources, the MICE Project Office has helped with 287 conferences and exhibitions held in Taiwan and assisted over 7,000 foreign nationals to enter the nation, facilitating their participation in Taiwan. As for increasing business opportunities in the MICE industry, since 2009, a total of 689 applications were made for over NT$140 million in grants and subsidies from organizers in order to obtain, promote, and organize events in Taiwan. In 2010, the MICE Project Office launched Asia’s first MEET TAIWAN Card designed exclusively to give businesspeople discounts. To date, 102,130 MEET TAIWAN Cards have been issued, serving to successfully integrate related industries and generate business opportunities. In addition, a large number of studies in the area of MICE industry research have been carried out over the past four years to identify the scope, production value, and economic benefits of Taiwan’s conference and exhibition industry. The MICE Project Office also published “A Survey of the Development of Taiwan’s MICE Industry” to support government personnel in their work as they promote the conference and exhibition industry and formulate policy. Propelled by policies to promote the industry as a whole, the number of conferences between 1998 and 2011 increased by 173%. In the ICCA (International Congress and Convention) Country and City rankings report 2011, Taiwan was ranked 27th nation globally and 5th in Asia, while Taipei was listed as 20th city globally and 4th in Asia.
Taiwan MICE International Marketing and Promotion Project: Successfully promoting the MEET TAIWAN brand
The Taiwan MICE International Marketing and Promotion Project strategically markets the Taiwan MICE industry brand globally by participating in international exhibitions, coordinating PR activities, and maintaining relations with the media. A MEET TAIWAN portal has also been set up and developed to offer a variety of content, including a databank of downloadable pictures, business “matchmaking,” business event services, and a search directory of suppliers. It is a convenient and real-time information platform for the MICE industry in Taiwan. Social media and web marketing campaigns are also employed on the web to maintain contact with conference and exhibition businesses both in Taiwan and around the globe. Based on international MICE market demand, every year, in addition to producing a variety of marketing tools, such as brochures, flyers, and posters, the marketing project holds all kinds of marketing campaigns targeting different groups both in Taiwan and abroad. It is hoped that integrating “click and mortar” marketing methods will draw individuals from around the world to Taiwan to hold conferences and exhibitions, making Taiwan a top choice for MICE events in Asia. With its finger on the pulse of international mobile conferences and exhibitions, the BOFT funded and assisted in the development of the MEET TAIWAN APP–a service provided free-of-charge to organizers coming to Taiwan to hold large-scale international conferences. Thus far, organizers for 27 international events have applied to use it, with more requests coming in all the time. Over the past four years, seven familiarity tours have been held. Thirty chief editors or senior journalists from 23 media companies based in Europe, Asia, America, and Australia have been invited to Taiwan through these tours, and they have written at least 60 in-depth articles that have reached some 1.65 million MICE specialists around the world. The resulting media exposure has been valued at NT$119.5 million.
Taiwan MICE Training and Certification Project trains talent for industry
Since 2009, to enhance the professional caliber of individuals in the MICE industry, over 4,700 people have attended more than 130 training courses, including seed teacher programs and specialist training programs, in areas such as the writing of academic bidding proposals, event planning and management, and incentive tour planning and marketing. In the area of MICE certification, the project has been holding beginning-level conference and MICE tests since 2007 and, starting in 2010, it has been offering advanced-level certification tests. Twenty individuals have received advanced certification in MICE categories since 2010. As of 2011, over 5,000 persons have passed the beginning level certification tests, serving to inject new blood into the industry. One seed teacher training course was held each year from 2009 to 2011, with 90 people receiving training. Of those, some 75 were university instructors. Statistics show that almost two-thirds of these teachers put what they learned to use in their courses or opened new courses related to conferences and exhibitions. Over 90% of surveyed participants who work in the MICE industry said that the project has helped them in their work. Since 2007, the project has also published eight books on MICE certification to be used in personal studies and for reference when preparing for certification tests. To help Taiwan’s MICE specialists get in step with their counterparts in the rest of the world, the project has worked with both the International Association of Exhibitions & Events and the Meeting Professionals International. As a result, Taiwan is expected to have a group of CMP-certified international conference specialists and CEM-certified exhibition specialists by the end of this year.
Taiwan MICE International Meetings Hosting Project builds up the industry’s unlimited potential
The Hosting Project collects and integrates information on association and corporate conferences, raises awareness about them, and briefs non-governmental groups in Taiwan (e.g., schools, associations, institutes, and enterprises) about them. It does so to encourage organizers to join international organizations and organize bidding teams. It also provides funds to subsidize applications as well as various types of administrative assistance. It also works with professional conference activity organizers, travel agencies, and hotels in Taiwan. As more and more international conferences are held here, the increased experience helps to increase the number of successful conference bids, Since 2009, the Hosting Project has held eight bidding seminars and organized four familiarity trips for interested parties to inspect the MICE environment available in Taiwan. It has sent personnel to take part in exhibitions abroad ten times, carried out 1-on-1 discussions with 307 international organizations and conference and exhibition businesses, helped 41 people to join international organizations and be elected to important positions in international organizations, worked with others to make plans for international organizations and other relevant units to scout sites in Taiwan 56 times. Over the past four years, the Hosting Project has initiated and helped bids on a total of 235 international conferences and 98 business conferences. As of June 2012, it succeeded in bringing 188 international conferences and business conferences to Taiwan. It estimates that about 100,000 foreign nationals have come to Taiwan as a result, generating some NT$8.7 billion in economic benefits. Consequently, Taiwan’s ICCA ranking has jumped eight places from 35th in 2008 to 27th in 2011. This more than testifies to the achievements that have been realized as a result of cooperation between government and non-governmental circles.
Taiwan – the Place to Meet
About MEET TAIWAN
The Taiwan MICE Advancement Program is a special task force, branded globally under the name MEET TAIWAN, responsible for promoting Taiwan’s unique business events industry. This program is comprised of four subsidiary projects, which together ensure the highest quality of business events in Taiwan. For media relations, sales promotion, and relevant marketing cooperation opportunities, please contact the Taiwan MICE International Marketing and Promotion Project.
