Cultural MICE Taipei PLUS Thailand Incentive Travel Expo -- Taipei Cultural-Creative Excellence

BANGKOK, THAILAND--(Marketwired - Oct 2, 2013) - In order to strengthen its bid for World Design Capital designation in 2016, and to strengthen the image of Taipei's MICE industry, the Taipei City Government Department of Information and Tourism has had a team in place at IT&CMA in Bangkok from October 1 to 3. Taipei is blessed with unique cultural-creative colors, and this is being utilized to increase the city's MICE strength. International buyers attending IT&CMA have been introduced to Taipei's cultural-creative allure, helping to sculpt an image of excellence for Taipei's MICE-related industries and to enhance overall competitiveness.

IT&CMA is a key annual opportunity for international exchange within the MICE industry (Meetings, Incentive travel, Conferences, Exhibitions). Primarily attracts buyers from throughout the Asia region, it is Asia's largest MICE industry trade show. In 2012 it attracted a total of 325 exhibitors and 497 buyers from 57 countries. Over 700 buyers registered for this year's event.

According to DOIT, in July the renowned American magazine Global Traveler declared Taipei one of the world's leading cultural-creative cities. This is because Taipei City has extended the traditional definitions and concepts for meetings and exhibitions to encompass the city's image, culture, art exhibitions and performances, and other categories, and its cultural and creative vitality is playing an outsized role in enhancing MICE competitiveness. This year DOIT's four major themes have been cultural-creative venues, transportation network, urban design, and mobile technology, melding Taipei's cultural-creative development into its original MICE advantages, highlighting the fact that Taipei is an excellent arena for cultural-creative development and, at the same time, highlighting its accumulated power in enhancing the city's image and brand value. This is a formidable weapon in the competition with other Asian cities.

During the show DOIT has pointed out that the city has spared no effort in the promotion of urban design and culture. Among the city's iconic cultural, arts, innovation, and lifestyle beacons are the Red Dot Design Museum, opened in the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in August this year, the entire city working together in the quest for 2016 World Design Capital selection, the city's monthly schedule of numerous cultural-arts performances by celebrated international talents, and its sophisticated 24-hour bookstores. The city also offers an attractive menu of popular Apps that make it easy for users to search for and download a rich array of timely information on arts and culture activities. Taipei free wireless Wi-Fi service is built on over 6,000 hotspots distributed throughout its urban districts. These provide useful, convenient, attractive services for individuals in the city for meetings, exhibitions, or other business.

During IT&CMA, DOIT has demonstrated how many world-renowned brand enterprises, attracted by Taipei's unique local culture, have selected the city for the staging of international gatherings and incentive travel, and "Experience the Local Culture" activities have been essential elements not to be missed. One example is McDonald's, which organized in-depth Taipei local culture and cuisine tours using the Taipei Metro. Facebook chose the cultured ambiance of Huashan 1914 Creative Park as a dinner banquet venue for a high-level meeting of executives. Amway (China) organized bike excursions for staff as a way to experience everyday life in Taipei. In each of these examples, one and all enjoyed a uniquely deep and nuanced look into Taipei City's singular cultural charms.

During the show DOIT attracted many international buyers to its booth with a fun and interesting Taipei City map punch game, in which buyers created stuck message stickers on the map with their estimated future Taipei visit times to create a visual footprint. At the same time, a vivid array of pictures was presented to show buyers the many interesting places in Taipei they might visit. This and other novel activities, along with the specialty representative local gourmet food treats served up, stimulated much buyer interest, resulted in much lively discussion and consultation, and left deep and lasting impressions of the city.