Is Taiwan’s MICE industry ready to challenge major players in Asia?

Taiwan leverages tech, culture, and venues to attract more MICE events.

Asia Pacific’s MICE industry, valued at over $180b, is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10% from 2024 to 2030, according to market research firm Grand View Research.

Thus, Taiwan is solidifying its position as a key regional player by leveraging technology to enhance its MICE capabilities, implementing training programs to bridge the talent gap, and offering immersive experiences in Taiwanese culture.

Central to Taiwan’s strategy is MEET TAIWAN, a comprehensive MICE promotion program designed to position the country as a premier destination for international events. Implemented by the MICE Project Office and sponsored by the International Trade Administration, MEET TAIWAN is a provider of a wide range of MICE-related services.

As part of the group’s marketing strategy this year, MEET TAIWAN showcased the country’s top MICE cities namely Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung. With MEET TAIWAN acting as a window into the country, the group hopes to attract more international MICE events under their banner in a bid to compete with other high-profile MICE markets in Asia like China, Japan, and Singapore.

Evolving strategy

According to Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) statistics, COMPUTEX, one of the biggest annual computer expos in the world, held in June attracted a total of 85,000 attendees during the four-day event. This is a 70 percent increase compared to last year’s attendees.

This showcases Taiwan’s draw as a premier MICE destination whilst also emphasising the growing demand in the MICE industry.

For MEET TAIWAN, one of the biggest challenges for them is the retention rate. More often, organisers move their conferences or events to different venues and markets. TAITRA and MEET TAIWAN acted on this by strengthening the unique aspect of Taiwan’s MICE cities by building distinctive venues that combine the rich culture and industrial expertise of each location. This ensures that every location always has something new to offer.

Take, for example, the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center. As of June 2024, it has hosted 24 exhibitions, 15 conferences, and 8 events. The centre has developed a smart venue that offers a dedicated 5G private network test space called Living Space. This test space allows startups to test, validate, and demonstrate innovative 5G application technologies in real time within a large-scale environment.

The venue also introduced several innovative applications, including 3D interaction, AI-guided tours, metaverse human-machine interaction, and drone warehousing. These features present a new integrated virtual and physical experience to both exhibitors and visitors. Additionally, the use of technologies like 5G mobile digital shuttle buses, 3D 4K virtual negotiations, and AI real-time multilingual translation has significantly enhanced the efficiency and experience for all participants.

Meanwhile, the International Convention Center Tainan (ICC Tainan) which opened in 2022, boasts flexible facilities that accommodate quick adjustments and configurations for different events and has a modular design, making it easy to reconfigure or expand to meet future needs.

The design concept of ICC Tainan is based on Tainan’s local characteristics, featuring “Marine Civilization,” “Historic Capital,” and “Green Energy Technology.” The centre is divided into three interconnected buildings

First is the Exhibition Hall which features a 12-metre high, column-free, large-span design, accommodating up to 600 standard booths or conferences with up to 10,000 attendees; a Conference Hall with rooms with varying capacities from 1,000 to 800, to 100 and even up to as little as 50.

The Parking Building, meanwhile, provides 550 car parking spaces and 464 outdoor motorcycle parking spaces, with an additional 250 expandable car parking spaces.

ICC Tainan emphasises structural efficiency with high-performance steel cable trusses, advanced energy and water management systems, and flexible, adaptable spaces

The initiative to improve Taiwan’s MICE industry using these technological advances from IoT, artificial intelligence, AR/VR, and 5G to develop digital exhibition solutions came from the Expo-Tech Digital Exhibition Pilot Project launched by the Taiwan International Trade Administration (TITA).

Labour shortages

Whilst Taiwan is making significant strides in leveraging advanced technology to enhance its MICE industry, addressing the human element is equally critical.

As the MICE industry in Asia Pacific continues to grow, strong demand for labour and addressing talent gaps has been a constant challenge.

To address this, MEET TAIWAN made great efforts in marketing and talent training.

MEET TAIWAN launched a talent training brand called “MICE Salon,” offering numerous free courses. These courses provide opportunities for those interested in or already working in the industry to further their education. These measures aim to attract more talent to the MICE industry, effectively mitigate labour shortages, and encourage individuals to decisively choose careers in this field.

The group is also composed of skilled individuals allowing them to offer MICE services based on individual requirements and have abundant contact resources, including Taiwan Trade Centers overseas, local suppliers, and connections with governmental units.

Two more conference centres, the Messe Taoyuan and the Taichung International Convention and Exhibition Center, are set to open by 2025

MEET TAIWAN aims to showcase the unique strengths of each city through the MICE corridor initiative. By enhancing each city’s MICE capabilities, Taiwan is poised to attract more international events, solidifying its status as a premier MICE destination in Asia.