New Taipei MICE Facilities Hitting the Stage Through 2015

TAIPEI, TAIWAN--(Marketwired - May 21, 2015) - The city of Taipei is staging many related activities as World Design Capital in 2016, and in 2017 is hosting the World University Games (Universiade). Systematic work is underway to upgrade the city's infrastructure, including numerous large-scale conference and exhibition venues which are successively scheduled for completion and opening before the end of 2015.

Fitting its title as capital of Taiwan, Taipei has its most comprehensive hard and soft MICE infrastructure. Adding to the city's extant selection of 19 5-star hotels, international meeting/conference centers, and 3 exhibition halls, in 2014 the grand Mandarin Oriental Taipei went into operation, and in the second half of 2015 two other sparkling new facilities will be unveiled, the Marriott Hotel Taipei and the Courtyard Marriott Taipei, the latter linking the three major forms of rail transport in Nangang (regular railway, High Speed Rail, and Taipei Metro). The Taipei Marriott Hotel is positioned as an "International Conference & Exhibition Hotel," housing a banquet center that can accommodate 1,200, and a location nearby upscale shopping malls. The Courtyard Marriott Taipei, on its way to completion in 2016, is already taken its place as a new downtown landmark. Its location is just a 5-minute drive from the Nangang Exhibition Hall's Hall 2, which has a capacity of 2,350 booths.

In 2004 Taipei City provided official support for 109 MICE events, which brought in an estimated total of approximately 140,000 foreign-national participants and created US$170 million in economic benefits. According to the most recent ICCA global MICE statistical rankings, released on May 11, in 2014 Taipei hosted 92 international meetings, giving it 20^th place among the world's cities, and 5^th in Asia.

To help Western buyers and the MICE industry in general better understand the Taipei MICE environment, Taipei City is cooperating with the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Meet Taiwan bureau, and Kaohsiung City in hosting the Taiwan Pavilion at IMEX Frankfurt this year. Taipei's comprehensive range of hard and soft MICE facilities is being introduced, along with its rich tourism resources and unique combination of welcoming hospitality and dynamism. The Taipei City Government's Department of Information and Tourism is also specially introducing some of the exciting iconic games played at the city's night markets at the Taiwan Pavilion -- pachinko and ring toss -- to give show participants from the West the chance to experience a bit of the unique Taipei night-market culture. Postcards capturing the Taipei character have also been specially prepared. Buyers who come to the Taiwan promotion area can choose the Taipei postcards they like best, write their own address and whatever they'd like to say, and when back in Taipei the city government will mail them out, creating one-of-a-kind IMEX Taiwan Pavilion keepsakes. Pavilion visitors can also enjoy a DIY Taipei fragrant teabag experience. In addition, in order to showcase the city of Taipei's considerate and convenient range of services the promotion area has been made a WI-FI hotspot, highlighting how the city considerately welcomes all foreign visitors with free wireless Internet access in the urban core for their convenience.

In terms of MICE assistance, in addition to substantial financial sponsorship the Department of Information and Tourism provides one-stop administrative assistance and VIP customized services, meeting the different needs of each MICE industry professional. For more Taipei travel and MICE information, please visit http://www.travel.taipei/en/.