Taiwan is ramping up its hybrid events sector by developing and improving digital technology solutions, marked by the destination’s recent launch of its first virtual exhibitions platform.
Guann-Jhy Lee, deputy director of Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade, said the platform has a variety of virtual exhibition halls, lounges, booths and areas which event planners can construct “fully-functional online exhibitions” in.
Overall, the destination understands that hybrid events are the way to go, and are also connecting buyers and sellers globally through the platform’s video conferencing features. The bureau is also exploring 5G and artificial intelligence.
Other government efforts include organising a series of courses on augmented reality and digital equipment operations. They are also helping the industry explore global business opportunities by setting up virtual booths at tradeshows such as the ongoing IT&CM Asia by TTG Asia Media.
TAITRA’s executive vice president and MEET Taiwan executive director, Simon Wang, remains confident that Asia’s appetite for digital and hybrid events remains strong.
Wang cited the UFI Global Recovery Insight Report which revealed that exhibitions in Asia are likely to see higher participation growth from both visitors and exhibitors, compared to the rest of the world.
PCMA’s APAC dashboard survey reflected similar findings: nearly 80 per cent of Asia-Pacific respondents were planning a hybrid event, as compared to 27 per cent of North American planners, to which Wang states there is definitely a “strong indication of growth to come in Asia-Pacific”.
