Harbour city Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan is eager to shake off its quiet image and impress upon event organisers its readiness for business events of all kinds and scales.

According to Su Wei-Hsiang, project manager with the Kaohsiung Meeting & Event Promotion Office, the city stands out for its combination of modern city vibes with natural beauty as well as blended business and leisure offerings.

“The Asia New Area Bay is a perfect example of the new Kaohsiung. This transformed district is so lively now, and is home to interesting buildings such as Pier-2 Art Center, a trendy lifestyle area; Kaohsiung Music Center, where many large concerts and performances are hosted; and Kaohsiung Port Cruise Terminal, where 150 cruise ships call at in a year,” shared Su, adding that there was always something “exciting” happening in the city every week.

“There is a strong cultural vibe in Kaohsiung,” remarked Su. Besides an active calendar of arts and music performances, visitors can also appreciate Kaohsiung’s religious openness.

“Take the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum as an example. It welcomes everyone, no matter their religious belief, to come and enjoy its collection of art and relics, have a vegetarian meal, or to just bask in the peaceful environment. This museum also has private venues that can be hired for conferences, and had recently done so with three medical congresses,” he elaborated.

Should event organisers require outdoor activities, Su said Kaohsiung would proudly deliver. He pointed to Sizihwan, which is loved for its beautiful scenery, and Lianchihtan Lotus Pond, which is outstanding for being home to many temples worshiping different deities. Incentive groups can enjoy boating on Lianchihtan Lotus Pond in summer.

The city boasts of its own purpose-built event venue – the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center – and global gateway – Kaohsiung International Airport, which serves major airlines flying directly from important cities like Seoul, Beijing and Bangkok. Both facilities are located close to each other, offering business travellers time savings.

Come November 1, the city will welcome the new Hotel Nikko Kaohsiung, a 260-key hotel that is built for both leisure and business travellers. With its prime address in the Asia New Area Bay and it being within walking distance of Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, the hotel has been fielding keen enquiries for both events and corporate long-stays well ahead of opening, revealed Mandy Lee, director of sales and marketing at the hotel.

Su told TTGmice: “We would love to have more event organisers think of Kaohsiung when they are considering Taiwan for their next meeting or congress. Most event organisers think of Taipei when they speak of Taiwan, which is natural since Taipei is the financial and political heart of Taiwan.

“However, Kaohsiung is welcoming and ready for business events and congresses of all scale. We have enough hotel rooms across the city to support large congresses, as well as a variety of experiences to entertain corporate groups. Our accessibility also means event organisers can easily plan extensions to other parts of Taiwan – Taipei, for example, is just 90 minutes away on speed rail.”

Su shared that the Kaohsiung Meeting & Event Promotion Office intends to scale up its presence at international trade fairs to build up the destination brand. He was at IT&CM Asia in Bangkok in September for this purpose.