DETERMINED to have a cut of the lucrative MICE business, Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City Government has this year established the Meeting & Event Promotion Office and entrusted it with destination promotion and event bidding responsibilities.
Vincent Tseng, director-general of Kaohsiung City Government, explained: “Kaohsiung has been attracting small meetings for years, but the recent Asia Pacific Cities Summit in September really warmed up the city’s pursuit of large-scale international meetings.
“We were also encouraged to establish this office because of the new Kaohsiung Exhibition and Convention Center which opens next year. Two major trade events are already confirmed – the Taiwan International Fastener Show and the Taiwan International Boat Show. The city never had a dedicated convention and exhibition centre. This office will help local PCO/PEOs bid for events to fill the new venue.”
Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily on the sidelines of the ongoing 52nd ICCA Congress in Shanghai, Alice Chou, director of the Meeting & Event Promotion Office, said Kaohsiung Exhibition and Convention Center has the potential to host many more marine-related trade events as it is located along a deep, natural harbour and allows boats to be brought into the exhibition space.
According to Tseng, the city has also gained additional ammunition for MICE promotions through the merger of Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County in 2011 to form Greater Kaohsiung.
Part of the new metropolis is the Asian New Bay Area, where the Kaohsiung Exhibition and Convention Center sits along with several other facilities that will open progressively over the next two years. They include Kaohsiung Maritime Cultural & Popular Music Centre, which will boast an outdoor theatre for more than 12,000 pax and nine indoor halls; Dadong Culture & Art Center, which will offer an 800-seat theatre and a 200-seat music hall; as well as a library, a cruise terminal and several hotels.
Tseng said: “Kaohsiung now has a lot more land to develop new hardware for business events. Attractions in the outskirts, now part of the city, will be used in enhancing pre- and post-show tours and incentive experiences.”
